OTTAWA, Nov. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Conference Board of Canada, in partnership with the Future Skills Centre (FSC), has released a new resource for users to measure social and emotional skills in adolescents and adults.
Social and emotional skills (SES) play a critical role in the success of individuals and organizations. But, until now, there has been a lack of comprehensive and integrated resources that identify and compare SES measurement tools for adult learners and workers.
This new digital platform provides a curated guide to key social and emotional skill measurement resources. These include the “Emotional Quotient Inventory” that assesses a range of social and emotional skills in workplace environments, such as decision-making and interpersonal skills; the “Emotional and Social Competency Inventory” that measures emotional intelligence in post-secondary students and adults, and identifies areas for improvement; and the “Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT),” an ability-based test for adults that measures emotional intelligence in everyday scenarios in educational, corporate and research settings.
“Being able to measure and analyze social and emotional skills is important for any organization,” says Maria Giammarco, a Senior Research Associate at The Conference Board of Canada. “These frameworks can help employers directly understand the skills strengths and weaknesses in their employees and identify next steps for targeted skills development opportunities that will empower their staff, and ultimately lead to more engaged and effective teams.”
Additionally, The Conference Board of Canada and Future Skills Centre have summarized the top evidence-based, internationally applied studies on social and emotional skills measurement and development. These studies provide insights on how social and emotional skills can be conceptualized through comprehensive competency frameworks; how competency frameworks have been used to measure social and emotional skills in adolescents and adults, and across socio-demographic, educational, and professional contexts; and how measurement tools have been used to understand the impact of interventions that target social and emotional skill development.
“The research is clear that soft skills are as important today as any other skills when it comes to workplace environments and organizational performance,” says Pedro Barata, Executive Director of the Future Skills Centre. “Understanding how to measure social and emotional skills and using that information to foster desired behaviours in individuals and improve group dynamics will be a real advantage to Canadian businesses.”
About The Conference Board of Canada
The Conference Board of Canada is the country’s leading independent research organization. Our mission is to empower and inspire leaders to build a stronger future for all Canadians through our trusted research and unparalleled connections. Follow The Conference Board of Canada on Twitter @ConfBoardofCda
About the Future Skills Centre (FSC)
Future Skills Centre is a forward-thinking research and collaboration hub dedicated to preparing Canadians for employment success and meeting the emerging talent needs of employers. As a pan-Canadian community, FSC brings together experts and organizations across sectors to rigorously identify, assess, and share innovative approaches to develop the skills needed to drive prosperity and inclusion. FSC is directly involved in innovation through investments in pilot projects and academic research on the future of work and skills in Canada. The Future Skills Centre is funded by the Government of Canada's Future Skills Program.
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