Essential Employability Skills

Employment is important, and to excel in the workforce, you'll need both technical skills and employability skills. We've partnered with Kentucky’s Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) to focus on the following 10 Essential Skills, which are instrumental to our students’ success:

Communicate effectively: Graduates will communicate effectively by listening, weighing influencing factors, and responding accurately and professionally. They will express their thoughts coherently in writing, orally, and in formal presentations. 

Think critically to solve problems and create new ideas and solutions: Graduates will think critically by evaluating assumptions and assessing information to make informed conclusions. They will also think creatively by combining ideas in original ways or developing new ways of addressing issues.

Apply quantitative reasoning skills to analyze and solve numerical problems: Graduates will hone their ability to provide solutions guided by data and choose the best methodologies for arriving at informed conclusions.

Interact effectively with people: Graduates will demonstrate both self-awareness and appreciation of people with different perspectives, as well as the ability to collaborate, communicate, and work respectfully with others. 

Adapt to changing circumstances while leading and supporting others: Graduates will accept change and find effective ways to work and thrive in different settings. They will motivate others in the pursuit of a common goal and coach others in the pursuit of this goal.

Perform professionally within their chosen field of study or occupation: Graduates will adhere to the code of ethics in their chosen profession and act with honesty and fairness. They will prioritize their tasks, manage their time, take initiative, and demonstrate accountability and reliability.

Engage in civic life to improve society: Graduates will engage in political, social, and other activities to address issues that benefit society.

Collaborate and work in teams: Graduates will collaborate with colleagues, become effective team members, and manage conflict. 

Apply academic knowledge, skills and abilities to their chosen career: Graduates will articulate and apply the theoretical content of their academic preparation with relevant knowledge and abilities essential to their chosen careers. 

Use information for decision making: Graduates will identify, evaluate, and responsibly use information needed for decision making.