media Archives - Learning SEL Ally

What are Employability Skills?

Defined by the U.S. Department of Education on their website, “employability skills are general skills that are necessary for success in the labor market at all employment levels and in all sectors.” (retrieved from ctc.ed.gov Feb 2017)

What is SEL?

Five core competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Teaching these competencies to youth helps their ability to integrate to help them deal effectively with many of life’s challenges by encouraging the integration of skills, attitudes, and behavior. These competencies give youth lifelong skills that can help them be successful adults in the workplace.

How are Employability and SEL connected?

SEL competencies are interwoven into all three areas of focus for employability skills:

Applied Knowledge-problem solving, analytical and reasoning skills, and making sound decisions
Effective Relationships-respects differences, takes responsibility, has self-discipline, flexible, positive attitude and sense of self-worth, and can negotiate conflict
Workplace Skills-actively listens, communicates effectively

Business News Daily article published in August 2016 shared the 10 most in demand soft skills. The term soft skills is often synonymous with SEL competencies. (Retrieved February 2017)

Good communicator	Well Organized
Team player	Always punctual
Critical thinker	Social
Creative thinker	Interpersonal communicator
Easily adapts	Friendly personality

Content knowledge and expertise is needed in the workplace, but there are many other skills that will help determine a person’s effectiveness and chances for success.

SEL also provides return on investment!

The Economic Value of Social and Emotional Learning report produced in 2015 revealed that on average, for every dollar invested in SEL programming yields $11 in long-term benefits. These benefits include reduced juvenile crime, higher lifetime earnings, and better mental and physical health.

SEL can change a child’s trajectory for life!

A national study comparing the evidence-based SEL PATHS® program and other, similar programs showing positive effects in preschool has shown how SEL instruction can change a child’s life. Researchers based the study on findings that showing that kids who act up a lot in school and at home — even very young kids — are more likely to have mental health problems and commit crimes years later as adults. In 1991, 5-year-olds at schools around the country were screened for behavior problems. Researchers identified 900 children who seemed to be most at risk for developing problems later on. Half of these kids went through school as usual — though they had access to free counseling or tutoring. The rest got PATHS® lessons, as well as counseling and tutoring, and their parents received training as well — all the way up until the students graduated from high school. By age 25, those who were enrolled in the special program not only had done better in school, but they also had lower rates of arrests and fewer mental health and substance abuse issues. The results of this decades-long study were published in September 2014 in the American Journal of Psychiatry. (Excerpted from December 31, 2014 NPR story)

SEL addresses numerous risk and protective factors for disadvantaged children and helps to level the playing field!
Studies results published online in the Journal of Primary Prevention in October 2016, show that there are positive outcomes in the areas of social awareness, emotional awareness and regulation, relationships, and cognition. Children who received PATH®S exhibited significantly greater improvements than control students across all teacher-rated behavioral measures of social competence (i.e., emotion regulation, prosocial behavior, peer relations) and behavioral problems (i.e., aggression, internalizing behaviors, impulsivity and hyperactivity) at post-test as well as improvements in motor inhibition.

Risk Factors Addressed	Protective Factors Addressed
· Antisocial/aggressive behavior/physical violence	· Academic self-efficacy
· Bullies others	· Clear standards for behavior
· Early initiation of drug use	· Coping skills
· Hyperactivity	· Problem solving skills
· Stress	· Prosocial behavior and involvement
· Poor academic performance	· Refusal skills
· Low school commitment and attachment	· Skills for social interaction
	· Instructional practice
	· Opportunities for prosocial involvement in education

Increases the chances of academic achievement!

According to a meta-analysis of 213 studies involving more than 270,000 students, those who participated in evidence-based SEL programs showed an 11 percentile-point gain in academic achievement compared to students who did not participate in SEL programs. (www.casel.org Feb 2017)

Provides a return on investment to the community!

A calculation from the Washington Institute on Public Policy (WISPP) illustrates the positive impact of decreased antisocial behavior and delinquency and criminal behavior by implementing the PATHS® program. From its most recent update in December 2016, the benefit-cost summary shows that for every $1 spent to implement the PATHS® program and return to the community equals $21.24 in lower costs. It pays to invest in prevention!