A case from Iceland, presented at the NVL CMS seminar in Malmö, November 2017

1. A case from Iceland:
How has validation of employability skills
enhanced CMS among unemployed and
individuals in rehabilitation?
Conference on CMS in Malmö, November 2017
Jónína Magnúsdóttir, Career cousellor at MSS Lifelong Learning center
Fjóla María Lárusdóttir, Project manager at the Education and Training Service Centre

2. Blueprint for life/work design- competencies by area and levels (National Life/Work Centre, Canada)

3. Why focusing on employability skills?
IPA funded project 2012-2014 – further development of the national validation system
Based on the Icelandic VPL model – with inspiration from Canadian tools
• Shed a light on skills which the labour market puts focus on (also on the EU agenda)
– A stakeholder group (social partners) took part in shaping the criteria and the methodology used
• To highlight the strengths of each individual
– Participants have the opportunity to identify ways to strengthen their skills
– Enhance skills that may need to be promoted
– Be better prepared for the labor market (what is expected from me)
• Ownership of the validation results is in the hands of the individual
• The individual decides whether and how to use the results, f.ex:
– For empowerment
– As a status review on their position regarding employability skills (transperency)
– When applying for a job, as a part of a competence overview (CV) - (validation)
– Make decision linked to furhter competence development (education/work)

4. Employability- and
Basic skills
Employability skills
• Adaptability
• Resource Management
• Critical Judgement
• Continous learning
• Information Gathering and
Processing
• Work Ethics and Values
• Valuing Cultural Diversity
• Concern for Safety
• Interactive communication
• Teamwork
• Planning and Organizing
Employability
The skills attitudes, and behaviour you
need to enter, stay in, and progress
in the world of work and in daily and
personal activities.
Basic Skills
• Reading
• Writing
• Numeracy
• Information technology

5. Employability - ETSC
Adaptability,
Adapting in order to work effectively in ambiguous or changing
situations, and with diverse individuals and groups.
Information Gathering and Processing,
Locating and collecting data from appropriate sources and
analyzing it to prepare meaningful and concise reports that
summarize the information.
Interactive Communication,
Listening to others and communicating articulately, fostering
open communication. (Persons with hearing impairments may lip
read or use sign language.)
Work Ethics and Values,
Demonstrating and supporting the organization’s ethics and
values.
Planning and Organizing,
Developing, implementing, evaluating and adjusting plans to
reach goals, while ensuring the optimal use of resources.
Resource Management,
Manages resources (financial, human, physical and information
resources) to achieve planned goals.
Concern for Safety,
Identifying hazardous or potentially hazardous situations
and taking appropriate action to maintain a safe
environment for self and others.
Teamwork,
Working collaboratively with others to achieve
organizational goals.
Continuous Learning,
Identifying and addressing learning and developmental
needs to enhance own performance.
Valuing Cultural Diversity,
Building on one’s own cultural values and knowledge to
work effectively with individuals of diverse backgrounds
in a variety of work contexts.
Critical Judgment,
Evaluating ideas and information while referring to
objective criteria to reach rational conclusions.

6. Adaptability
-an example of an employability skill
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5
Recognizes the need to
adapt
Adapts to the situation Adapts to widely varied
needs
Adapts plans and goals Adapts organizational
strategies
Expresses willingness to do
things differently.
Understands and recognizes
the value of other points of
view and ways of doing
things.
Displays a positive attitude in
the face of ambiguity and
change.
Changes own behaviour or
approach to suit the situation.
Flexibly applies rules or
procedures, while remaining
guided by the organization’s
values.
Adapts behaviour to perform
effectively under changing or
unclear conditions.
Adapts to new ideas and
initiatives across a wide
variety of issues or
situations.
Supports and adapts to
major changes that challenge
traditional ways of operating.
Adapts interpersonal style to
highly diverse individuals and
groups in a range of
situations.
Anticipates change and
adapts own plans and
priorities accordingly.
Adapts organizational or
project plans to meet new
demands and priorities.
Revises project goals when
circumstances demand it.
Recognizes and responds
quickly to shifting
opportunities and risks.
Adjusts broad/macro
organizational strategies,
directions, priorities,
structures and processes to
changing needs in the
environment.
Adapts behaviour to perform
effectively amidst continuous
change, ambiguity and, at
times, apparent chaos.
Shifts readily between
dealing with macro-strategic
issues and critical details.
Anticipates and capitalizes
on emerging opportunities
and risks.

7. Validation
Process overview – national validation model from the ETSC
Counselling and feedback
Preparation
Stakeholders
Financing
Standards
Steering
Target group
Criteria for
participation
Follow up
after VPL
Counselling
Project management
Information Portfolio-
work
Self
assessment
Assessment
interview
Verification /
Confirmation
Recognition
Meets
standards
Needs further
verification
Does not meet
standards
Education / work

8. Information and recruitment –
outreach to participants
• Cooperation with the Employment office and VIRK (vocational
rehabilitation office)
• Criteria for participation – 23 years old, little formal education, at least
3-5 five years work experience
• Virk and the employment office offered their clients this program
– acceptance was optional
– consellor interviewed individuals in beforehand

9. Portfolio work and self assessement
Four groupmeetings
1. Introduction of the project - Portfolio/documentation
2. Documentation – work sheet
-preparation for the competence standards/self-assessment
3. Self-assessment – standards introduced one by one
4. Self-assessment – final list
-usesd by assesors in the assessment interview
Self-assessment interview (individually with the counsellor)
Follow-up interview
-1-2, or as needed - results reviewed and next steps

10. Documentation
• It is most important that the individual looks back on
his/her life and documents competence that he/she
has acquired through work, education and spare
time.
• The individual gathers appropriate documents, for
example recommendations from employers, job
descriptions, diplomas, certificates, samples and
projects. It is important that there is always good
access to a counsellor who can guide and support
through the whole process.

11. Portfolio – Form used in different context
• Validation of non-formal and informal learning
• The individual receives guidance to identify his/her
competence
• Career development, having an overview of
competences
• Good foundation for variable CVs
• A part of empowerment for individuals with little formal
education
• A subject in various courses in adult learning centers

12. Work experience – tool used before
documentation!
Work experience
• Pick a single „best“ job experience you have done and answer the following questions
• What did you succeed in this particual job?
• What kind of transferable skills did you use and what were your obligations?
• What was the most fun to do or learn? What was the most boring?
• What personal skills helped you succeed in this job?
• What was most important regarding this particular job experince?
• Who were your co-workers? Could they be useful for you today?
• Something else you want to adress about this experince?
Share your experience with a partner –
mabey you will discover something new ☺
Norman E. Amundson and Gray Poehnell

13. Work sheet – before self assessments lists
Adaptability More detail about what this skills
look like
You can demonstrate examples of
these skills f.eks in work, home,
school or community
Level 1a – adjust changes with
help
I.... write notes
*accepts advise or help to adjust
new situations
*assimilates work procedure
organised by others
*accept changes
*acknowledge changes and accpets
help in dealing with them
* f.ex. changes in working hours or
use of new methods, new
techniques, equipment...
*f.ex tackling new tasks or projects

14. Assessment interview
• Assessors read the participant‘s list and documentation – have
also attended some of the group meetings (needed)
• 2 assessors:
– One with experience of being a supervisor and knows the labor market
and standards
– One who is an expert in soft skills like communication and cooperation
(often a counsellor in our case). We´ve had a social worker and a career
counsellor
• They need to ask open ended questions and use active listening
and naturally know the standards used very well.

15. Case study – preparation for the assessment
interview!
Training of a new employee (level 2-3)
Your superior has asked you to welcome a new employee, be of help to him the first days, or until he can work on his own.
• What do you have to bear in mind?
• What do you teach the new employee?
• What do you need to show the new employee?
• What do you need to tell the new employee?
• Ø Make a list of the most important things for each question.
• Ø Explain each item, why is it important?
• Ø How long does it take for the new employee to be fully on his own, solve projects and problems that might come up?
• Bear in mind the employability skills in your answers.
• We ask participants to relate to their work experience –
their experience can naturally be in different fields,
trade and service, fisheries, cleaning, office etc.
Amundson E. Norman and Poehnell Gray

16. Results for participant
• Spiderweb – image of the results
• Written results - summary
• Diploma

17. Results
0
1
2
3
4
Aðlögunarhæfni
Ábyrg nýting
Mat og úrlausnir
Starfsþróun og færniefling
Söfnun og úrvinnsla upplýsinga
Vinnusiðferði og gildi
Jafnréttisvitund
ÖryggisvitundÁrangursrík samskipti
Samvinna
Skipulag og áætlanir
Lestur/læsi
Ritun
Talnaskilningur
Upplýsingatækni
3
2
1b

18. More results
0
1
2
3
4
Aðlögunarhæfni
Ábyrg nýting
Mat og úrlausnir
Starfsþróun og færniefling
Söfnun og úrvinnsla upplýsinga
Vinnusiðferði og gildi
Jafnréttisvitund
ÖryggisvitundÁrangursrík samskipti
Samvinna
Skipulag og áætlanir
Lestur/læsi
Ritun
Talnaskilningur
Upplýsingatækni 3
2
1b

19. And more
0
1
2
3
4
Aðlögunarhæfni
Ábyrg nýting
Mat og úrlausnir
Starfsþróun og færniefling
Söfnun og úrvinnsla upplýsinga
Vinnusiðferði og gildi
Jafnréttisvitund
ÖryggisvitundÁrangursrík samskipti
Samvinna
Skipulag og áætlanir
Lestur/læsi
Ritun
Talnaskilningur
Upplýsingatækni 3
2
1b

20. Finally
0
1
2
3
4
Aðlögunarhæfni
Ábyrg nýting
Mat og úrlausnir
Starfsþróun og færniefling
Söfnun og úrvinnsla upplýsinga
Vinnusiðferði og gildi
Jafnréttisvitund
ÖryggisvitundÁrangursrík samskipti
Samvinna
Skipulag og áætlanir
Lestur/læsi
Ritun
Talnaskilningur
Upplýsingatækni 3
2
1b

21. Written results
• Summary of results
• B has a good and successful job experience. She has a good adjustment- and
communication skills, can both work independently and in groups. She has also organised
work for a group of people. She‘s ready for continious learning. Sense for safety is her
strenght and she‘s very aware of the levels of cultural diversity and human justice.
• She‘s not afraid of taking challenges and go the extra mile to succeed both personally and in
work. Quick in assimilating new work actions, is organised and very conscientious.
• B has a specially positive apperance, powerful young woman and a good worker. To reach
her goals on the jobmarket she likes to go back to school in the fields of health and
marketing. She has good basic skills and sees opportunities in the jobmarket by seeking out
learning opportunities.

23. Follow -interview
• Show results – focus on the strenghts
• Next steps
– Educational information
– Interest tests, counselling in communication skills
– Goal setting – action planning
– Guidance regarding getting a new job
• Assistance with CV development and job applications
– Reference into another system
• Job-seekers into the rehabilitation system

24. Results of the group 2016 at MSS
• 29 individuals went through the program in group of 6 people
each time.
• 6 months later?
Job - 13
Education - 5
Inactive/on welfare – 4
Rehabilitation program – 5 (they were jobseekers when starting
the program)
Other – 2 ( didn‘t reach them)

25. Quotes
• Female – 35 years old– jobseeker
Now a part time worker as an assistant at a hairfactory.
– I was very surprised how it helped me focusing on my strenghts
relating to my experience trough my life. This program helped
me see my status on the job market. This work has showed me
how to build on my strenghts and seek new opportunities and
that I can do what I like to if I put an effort to it. I gained more
self-confidence during this work and I don‘t hesitate to send an
application for a job suitable for my situations in life.

26. Quotes
• Male – 30 years old – jobseeker
Now a head chef in a canteen for the staff at the airport
- It was a very positive process and I would recommend to
everyone to take part in a program like this when
unemployed. I learned more about my self, my strenghts
and how to improve on the jobmarket. After the program I
was more willing to seek for a job with more responsibility.
I think I was a lucky man to be invited to this program with
these great counsellors and those in charge.

27. Counsellors view
• Self-empowerment
• Belief in one-self

28. Blueprint for life/work design- competencies by area and levels (National Life/Work Centre, Canada)