By John J. Liptak, Ed.D.

As a self-report measure, the Employability Skills Inventory (ESI) allows workers to quickly assess their own strengths and weaknesses so that they may improve their skills through additional training and experience and make themselves more marketable.

It assists administrators by giving them a quick overview of their client's employability, helping them to determine the training and additional skills needed most. The ESI feeds into the following scales, directly correlated to the SCANS requirements:

• Basic Skills
  
• Thinking Skills
  
• Personal Qualities
  
• Resource Management
  
• Information Skills
  
• Interpersonal Skills
  
• Systems Management
  
• Technology Use

The 80-item assessment is self-scoring and self-interpreting and can be completed in 20 minutes. It includes strategies and recommendations for improving employability skills and a worksheet for setting goals.

The ESI is designed for anyone who is looking for work or simply looking to increase their employability. The skills it assesses represent the basic skills required of nearly every employer, regardless of the type of work. It is particularly helpful for the following:

• high school students
  
• welfare-to-work recipients
  
• outplacement agencies and workforce development programs
  
• veterans
  
• people re-entering the workforce
  
• transitioning youth

8.5 x 11; opens to 6 panels. December 2009. $38.95 for a package of 25. SPECIAL: 10+ packages for $35.95/package.

IJW

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