AWT4CL 12 Employability Skills—Foundations Badge
Author: Eric K. Kaufman --
As America’s workforce changes, so does the nature of the work and skills necessary for success. “We know that some skills are more lasting. Skills like leadership, collaboration and communication are usually described as soft skills, but they should be referred to as durable skills” (Auger, 2019, para 4). Of critical importance to agriculture’s workforce, “employees who have the underlying durable skills can be taught and retaught job skills more easily as needs, jobs, and careers change over time” (D2L, 2019, p. 4).
The key to success with the employability skills is perseverance and lifelong learning.
Example Assignment: Employability Skills Foundations
Now that you have gained experience with each of the employability skills, reflect upon insights gained from each. Review the evidence you submitted for a badge in each skill category (communication, decision-making, professionalism, and leadership). Then complete an applied learning reflection in the form of a public-facing resource. Even if you maintain privacy settings that prevent the reflection from being shared beyond the instructor, it should be prepared as if the audience has no prior knowledge of the APLU employability skills. The reflection should bring to life the importance of continued investment and learning in the areas of communication, decision-making, professionalism, and leadership. The reflection may take the form of either a blog post or an online video.
Call to Action:
Toward this end, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) identified 11 employability skills that are most important to stakeholders yet typically have the largest gaps in terms of readiness (Crawford & Fink, 2020).
Moreover, areas of rising concern include "new employees’ ability to navigate persistence, ambiguity, change, and conflict in the workplace" (Crawford & Fink, 2020, p. 2).
Moreover, areas of rising concern include "new employees’ ability to navigate persistence, ambiguity, change, and conflict in the workplace" (Crawford & Fink, 2020, p. 2).
 |
| Developing and Embracing a Growth Mindset |
The key to success with the employability skills is perseverance and lifelong learning.
So, now that you have gained some initial experience and expertise with APLU's employability skills, what insights are informing your ongoing approach to learning?
What is the Employability Skills Foundations Badge?
The Employability Skills Foundations Badge recognizes learners who excel in key APLU skill clusters, including communication, decision-making, professionalism, and leadership. This badge demonstrates a commitment to lifelong learning. It helps to equip learners with the ability to articulate their skills in a way that is meaningful to employers. Reflective assignments allow learners to analyze experiences and connect their skills to real-world applications. For instructors, the badge promotes critical thinking, insight into student development and alignment with workforce needs. By emphasizing durable skills, the badge helps to address employers’ concerns about readiness and adaptability in evolving industries, encouraging perseverance and continuous growth for long term professional success. This badge is the final one in the series on the APLU’s Employability Skills. The badge serves as a foundation to help prepare students for real-world challenges in team-oriented environments.
To earn the Employability Skills Foundations Badge, learners must:
To earn the Employability Skills Foundations Badge, learners must:
- Describe learning in a format that allows interpretation by a future employer.
- Provide an overview perspective of the employability skill categories (communication, decision-making, professionalism, and leadership).
- Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing learning.
Example Assignment: Employability Skills Foundations
Blog Post: You will create an online blog through an appropriate service, such as Blogger.com or WordPress.com. (Posting articles on LinkedIn is equivalent and would also be appropriate.) The blog entry should begin by focusing on an incident or experience that reflects the importance of learning employability skills. As a structured reflection, blog entries should follow a "what?", "so what?", "now what?" format. High quality blogs will run between 150 and 500 words and include three to five hyperlinks that reference other resources that add depth and dimension to your points.Online Video: You will create an online video through an appropriate service, such as YouTube or Vimeo. The video should begin by focusing on an incident or experience that reflects the importance of learning employability skills. As a structured reflection, video commentary should follow a "what?", "so what?", "now what?" format. High quality videos will run between 90 and 300 seconds and reference other resources that add depth and dimension to your points.
Empower Students with Purpose
Many learners enjoy seeing their progress. Use the digital badge framework to highlight their growth in communication, leadership, and professionalism. Start with one reflective activity, and watch as they begin to connect their classroom experience to real-world success. You’re not just teaching—you’re preparing them for what’s next.
Project Resources:
Many learners enjoy seeing their progress. Use the digital badge framework to highlight their growth in communication, leadership, and professionalism. Start with one reflective activity, and watch as they begin to connect their classroom experience to real-world success. You’re not just teaching—you’re preparing them for what’s next.
More detailed information about the digital learning badge series is available in the Implementation Guide.
Image Credits:
Crawford, P., & Fink, W. (2020). From academia to the workforce: Executive summary (APLU Series on Employability Skills in Agriculture & Natural Resources, p. 3) [Graphic of eleven employability skills]. APLU.Crawford, P., & Fink, W. (2020). From academia to the workforce: Executive summary (APLU Series on Employability Skills in Agriculture & Natural Resources, p. 8) [Graphic of persistence, conflict, ambiguity, and change]. APLU.
Untitled photograph. (n.d.). [Two people celebrating]. Microsoft Stock Photo.
Untitled photograph. (n.d.). [Two people working studiously]. Microsoft Stock Photo.
Untitled photograph. (n.d.). [Person harvesting grapes]. Microsoft Stock Photo.
Project Resources:
Instructor Welcome Module
AWT4CL Project Website
AWT4CL Implementation Guide - instructions and example assignments for each badge
APLU - Association of Public & Land-grant Universities Employability Skills
AWT4CL Project Website
AWT4CL Implementation Guide - instructions and example assignments for each badge
APLU - Association of Public & Land-grant Universities Employability Skills
Badging System - AWT4CL Badgr/Canvas Credential badges, maintained by Virginia Tech
