Employability Skills & Development: Learning and Improvement Report

This report discusses strategies for enhancing learning and development in the workplace, emphasizing the importance of leader-led learning programs and employee involvement in program planning. It evaluates techniques for improving transferable and interpersonal skills, such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, highlighting the significance of verbal communication, listening skills, negotiation, computer skills, creativity, and decision-making. The report also includes a personal and professional development plan (PDP) aimed at identifying and developing necessary skills for future success, focusing on teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity skills. Ultimately, the report concludes that continuous learning and development are crucial, and employers should support employees in building essential skills to enhance their careers and contribute to organizational success. Desklib provides access to this report and many other resources to support student learning.

Employability Skills and
Professional Development

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Assessment 2....................................................................................................................................1
Steps to improve the learning and development for work...........................................................1
Various techniques used for improving transferable and interpersonal skills.............................2
Personal and professional development plan...............................................................................4
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCE...................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
This report has discussed about the ways to improve the learning and development at the
workplace. Further will evaluate techniques for transferable and interpersonal skills. This study
will also discuss about personal and professional development plan.
Assessment 2
Steps to improve the learning and development for work
In order to enhance the learning and development it is important that leaders or managers
organise learning programs for their employees. Leaders should not have make learning
programs on their won but they should have also include their subordinate into planning the
program for whom actually programs are organising (Vey and et.al., 2017). So co create the
program with the subordinate is essential. Structured events and workshops should have
organised by the managers so that in which employee can participate. It is important to escape
from the daily routines and try something different. Through this practice learning enhances and
also changes the way of thinking. There are many organisations like Tesco which organises the
fun activity or culture days which provide day off from the work to the subordinates. This
motivates the workforces and also increase their productivity (Azizan and et.al, 2018). Superior
can also send their subordinates to visit the client for which they are actually working so that
they can gain some learning experiences.
Organisation should have invite specialists which can provide advance knowledge and skills to
the workforces. Through this employees will get learning experiences. In the workshops, experts
should have called by the company so that team can gain knowledge on specific areas and that
boosts the level of confidence in the employees and also build soft skills in them. Employees
should have explore the company in which they are working. There are various departments in
the company which includes supply chain, operations, customer service etc. employee which is
working in sales department does not have knowledge of HR department. So seniors should
have provide company tour to their subordinates which will increase internal learning and
development within them. By doing this there is likely that employee will generate innovative
ideas and also employee of various departments will know each other. Job swapping is the
another option which bring learning and development.
It is helpful in improving the understanding of the roles and responsibilities of employee
working in the company. This helps in establishing awareness and also improve innovative
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thinking when employees discover new avenues. When employee work with the employee of
other department than it brought huge gains. For driving learning and development in the
employees there are companies like Sainsbury has taken entrepreneurial competitions. The best
and simple way to bring learning in the workforce is to bring the employee together. Managers
should have assign group of people to complete the project or task. When employees works in a
team collectively than it improves their communication and teamwork skills and it also enhances
sense of collaboration and cooperation. When people work with each other then they gain
knowledge from others which will eventually update their personality.
Managers should have left the project in the hands of their subordinates and subordinates should
be responsible for meeting the deadlines and making decisions (Stiglitz, 2017). When
subordinate has to take decisions on their own then for that they will do research and that will
enhances their learning practice. Organisation should have allowed there employees to use free
resources in their free time which improves their learning and also develop innovative skills
within the employees. Providing budget to the workers restricts its learning and development.
When workers got the budget than they are bound in it which hinders their learning process.
Various techniques used for improving transferable and interpersonal skills
transferable skills-
these are the portable skills which transfers within one job to the other job. It is important for
employees to show their transferable skills when they are changing industry or any job
(Beijaard, 2019). There are many transferable skills which can be valued by the organisation
which are communication, team-working, analytical skills etc.
interpersonal skills-
this is the ability to interact or have conversation to the others, under this skill cooperation and
communication are necessary. Examples are active listening, motivation, leadership, empathy
etc.
tools and techniques are as follows:
verbal communication-
it refers to the words which are used by an individual for doing verbal communication. Words
are not only essential but correct tone is also essential. Employer should have use soft tone with
their employees (Wagner, 2017). Being Employer does not means to speak rudely, as employees
will not retain in such organisation where employer is not giving them respect.
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Listening skills-
listening skill is more important than speaking. If an individual will listen carefully to what other
is saying than only he or she will be able to respond properly. So employer and employee both
should have listening habit. Employer should have listen to their employees because being
employee does not means that they will always give instructions only but they should have listen
to their subordinates also (van Thiel and et.al., 20210.
Negotiation-
it is also the type of interpersonal skills which is important for business communication.
Negotiation means the ability to gain something in professional manner. Having this skills will
helps employees in attaining success in their career.
Computer skills-
this is one of the transferable skill which is required to have if an employee want to successfully
work in the company. Without computer, nowadays not employee can work in the organisation.
As technology is evolving so it is essential that employees should have learn advanced computer
skills if they want to attain success in their career. Example: if an employee knows that how they
can use spreadsheet then it makes their work easy and handy.
Creativity-
creativity and innovation skills is the vital skill in today's world. Employee should have use their
creativity skill to solve problems and do to the task. Through this technique employee can get
solution of the complex problem also. Only it is required to think differently so that goals can be
attain. Through this skill employees can also provide innovative ideas and opinions to their
employer which will help them in achieving success.
Teamwork-
teamwork refers to working together with the group of people so that goals can be achieved.
Teamwork skill helps organisation in attaining goals fast because when employee is working in
a team then they help each other for completing the task (Janakiraman, 2018). This reduces
wastage of time and also bring collaboration within the team. Team building motivates
employees because it brings sense of belongingness. It also gives employees chance to interact
with each other.
Problem solving -
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this tool is helpful for identifying the problem or issue which is prevailing in the organisation.
When the problem is identified than solution can be implemented easily. Organisation appreciate
those employees which identify the problem and problem can be identified easily if the
employee will have problem solving skills. To identify the problem is not easy and it is not the
cup of team for everyone.
Decision-making skill-
if problem solving is important than making decisions are also important. There are various
crucial decisions which has to be made in the organisation by the employee which helps them in
getting success and growth. To take important decisions are not easy and everyone cannot do it
it requires decision making skills. It is the transferable skills (McGunagle and Zizka, 2020).
Making right decisions at right time is very important because it will help company in garbing
opportunities.
Personal and professional development plan
It is the development plan which is used in finding out the required skills and goals which are
needed in the future to attain success. It is helpful in bringing continuous development in the
career of the employees because through this plan employee will identify their weakness. After
identification they can work on it so that can be improved.
PDP
skills strategies resources Time scale
Team work skill For developing this
skill, an individual can
work in a team.
Time management,
proper listening
6 months
Problem solving skill Taking opportunity to
solve problems
Listening, researching 9 months
Creativity skill Do some course which
will improve this skill
Internet, reading books 12 months
I believe that I am not having team working skill and this skill is the most essential skill because
in the organisation, an individual has to work in a team and in order to successfully work in a
team it is required to get ream work skill (Englefield and et.al., 2019). As in team you have to
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work with other employees so it is necessary to keep patience. Team work is helpful in making
task easy and fast as employee can get help from the other employee which is working in a team.
In order to develop this skill I atleast want 6 months. Working in a team is possible if an
individual have listening skill. As it is important to listen to the other team member. Another
skill which is not present into me is the problem solving skill. Organisation hires those employee
which have this skill. As it is normal to arise problems in the company so having problem
solving skills will benefit the workforce.
Problem solving will help employee to identify the problem and also finding solution for the
same. I have decided that I would take opportunity to solve the problem when iot is given to me
by my superior. Earlier I did not make initiate to solve any problem which come in my work. I
was afraid of solving problem. It will take almost 9 months to learn this skill. Creativity skill is
the most important skill (Royo, 2019). It is the new skill but an individual which have this skill
is high in demand. Creativity and innovation is required in every company in order to attain
competitive advantage. Employees which have this skill help their company to attain
competitive advantage and also their market share. There are many courses which are available
ion the market which guide or teach us to develop this skill. For developing this skill almost 12
months are needed.
CONCLUSION
Through this report it can be concluded that learning and development is a continuous process
and employer should have make various efforts through the learning of their employees can be
enhanced. Employer can appoint experts for addressing the workshop which will provide
knowledge and skills to their employees. Experts can guide employees that how they can carry
same work with less time and efforts. This report has also discussed various transferable and
interpersonal skills in detail. Such as communication, problem solving, decision making,
creative skills etc. having such skills will help employees in getting better position in the
company. Personal and professional development plan is made so that an individual can I
identify their weakness and work on then in order to build skills. Creativity, problem solving and
team working skills are required to build. Every employee should have make PDP so that they
should know their weakness. If an individual will know their weakness then only they will make
efforts to solve it.
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REFERENCE
Books and Journals
Azizan, M.T. and et.al, 2018. Improving teamwork skills and enhancing deep learning via
development of board game using cooperative learning method in Reaction Engineering
course. Education for Chemical Engineers. 22. pp.1-13.
Beijaard, D., 2019. Teacher learning as identity learning: models, practices, and topics.
Englefield, E. and et.al., 2019. Interpersonal competencies define effective conservation
leadership. Biological conservation. 235. pp.18-26.
Janakiraman, B., 2018. Transferable skills as facilitator for placement amongst b school
students. Asian Journal of Management. 9(1). pp.162-167.
McGunagle, D. and Zizka, L., 2020. Employability skills for 21st-century STEM students: the
employers' perspective. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning.
Royo, A.J., 2019. Soft Skills that Employers are Seeking.
Stiglitz, J.E., 2017. Industrial Policy, Learning and Development.
van Thiel, S.J. and et.al., 2021. Psychometric analysis of the Dutch language Facilitative
Interpersonal Skills (FIS) video clips. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology,
Process, and Outcome. 24(1).
Vey, K. and et.al., 2017. Learning & Development in Times of Digital Transformation:
Facilitating a Culture of Change and Innovation. International Journal of Advanced
Corporate Learning. 10(1).
Wagner, D.A., 2017. Learning as development: Rethinking international education in a changing
world. Routledge.
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