Skills for work and life

Foundational skills are the fundamental, portable skills that are essential to conveying and receiving information that is critical to training and workplace success. These skills are fundamental in that they serve as a basis - the foundation - for supporting additional operations/tasks and learning. They are portable because, rather than being job specific, they can be applied at some level across a wide variety of occupations. Workers who develop these skills have enhanced employability and are more competitive in the job market. Reading a manual, listening to instructions, writing a memo, and working well in a team are all examples of using foundational skills on the job.