North State Together is partnering with the pilot phase of the Essential Skills Program (ESP). ESP is a soft skills training program for adult learners, job seekers, and employees that provides measurable outcomes. LinkedIn’s 2019 Global Talent Trends report showed that 92% of talent professionals and hiring managers say that soft skills are just as important–or more important–than hard technical skills. This is our opportunity to have our rural community’s voice heard in the development of soft skills content useful for learners and valued by our local employers. This collaborative approach will help ensure we build an empowered, educated workforce in the North State and make economic mobility possible for those that need it most.
Program highlights:
• FREE baseline lessons for each essential soft skill: Communicator, Collaborator, Self-Aware, Adaptable, Resilient, Empathetic, Culturally Responsive, Problem Solver, Innovative and Digitally Literate
• Ability to earn digital badge credentials employers actually value
• Encourages learners of all types (adult, job seeker, employee) to “level up” their skill set
Four ways we are partnering during pilot phase (October 2020 until October 2021):
1. Peer Review
2. Test Users
3. Needs Survey
4. Grant Funding
The North State Together backbone team will function as the point of contact during the pilot phase. Our five county networks: Reach Higher Shasta, Expect More Tehama, Advancing Modoc Youth, Trinity Together Cradle to Career Partnership, and Cradle to Careers for Siskiyou will identify who in their counties would benefit from this program and who might be willing to do one, two, three or all four of the levels of participation.
For more information on the Essential Skills Program , visit www.essential-skills.org.
