Key Skills

What are Key Skills?

There are six key skills:

• Communication
• Application of Number
• Information Technology
• Working with Others
• Improving own Learning and Performance
• Problem Solving

• Communication, Application of Number and Information Technology are often called the "first three key skills".

• The other three are often called the "wider key skills".

Why do I have to do key skills?

• Key skills are important for everything we do, at school, at college, at work and at home.
• We are communicating all the time.
• We are using IT more and more every day.
• Numbers are at the heart of much of   what we do, at home or at work.
• We all know people who work well in groups, are well organised, and seem to be able to solve their problems. They are the people who get on best in their studies and get the good grades.
• You will also need these skills at work and in the education and training you do in the future.

How do key skills fit with the rest of my course?

• Because key skills are at the heart of your learning, you should aim to integrate them into your courses.
• Look out for chances to practise them in your Advanced level and National Certificate lessons, and in your other school activities.
• You will have some special Key Skill lessons time set aside to help you improve aspects of your skills, but it is important for you to see key skills as being at the centre of your studies.