DeBruce Foundation Essential Skills Report
In 2016, KC Rising released the Common Sector Competencies report, clarifying the skills valued by employers to help teachers and school districts align teaching and learning with the demands of the workplace. Many schools embraced the Common Sector Competencies, and teachers put into practice instruction to build and enhance these skills. As implementation grew, educators asked for help in prioritizing the 23 Common Sector Competencies.
Representatives from industry and education worked with learners to further refine and clarify the competencies. As part of that collaborative effort, a research team from the Urban Education Research Center convened young professionals who had entered the workplace in the previous one to five years to provide real world feedback on what it takes to enter and succeed in the world of work. They confirmed six categories of competencies as Essential Skills.