Explain ways to embed elements of Functional Skills (ICT, Literacy and Numeracy) in your specialist area
Functional Skills are qualifications being developed by the UK Government as part of an initiative to improve the country’s Mathematics, English and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) skills. Functional Skills are a development derived initially from the Basic Skills/Key Skills. They enable individuals to work confidently, effectively and independently in life.
These Functional skills are embedded as part of the City and Guilds Electrical Courses, (which is the subject area that I teach) in the following ways.
Mathematics – As part of the City And Guilds Electrical Courses learners are expected to be able to carry out various mathematical processes. These involve simple addition /subtraction, multiplication/division right up to transposition of formulae.
English – The learners are required to produce a completed document again relating to the course content, these are usually taken from the contractors forms on the IET website
ICT - The candidates are required to be computer literate and have several exams in which they have to take a multiple choice exam on line.
Functional skills are fundamental in everyday life and will assist in developing a person’s employability and hold the gateway to well-being and prosperity. They help to make sense of daily life and enable individuals to establish for example which deals are the best for them when making a purchase, writing a letter of application or get the most from computer software at home or at their place of work.