ESSENTIAL SKILLS INVENTORY
ASSESSOR’S GUIDE
Page 12obtaining certification was personal satisfaction, not job
mobility or an increase in pay.- Adults will learn only what they believe they need
to learn.
They have a practical approach to learning as they
need to know how this learning affects them now. - Adults learn by doing.
Ninety-eight percent of the apprentices in the Trade
Essentials Project identified their preferred learning
style as kinesthetic. - Adult learning focuses on problems and the
problems must be realistic.
The Essential Skills Inventories use trade-specific
materials and focus on the apprentice’s ability to solve
problems since that is the nature of their jobs. - Experience affects adult learning.
All apprentices bring a varied background of acquired
skills and knowledge together with an attitude about
learning.
Adults learn best in an informal situation.
Many of the apprentices indicated they appreciate the
opportunity to learn with their peers at a time
convenient to them (evenings, Saturdays) and in a
setting where they are comfortable sharing their
knowledge with others. For the first time, there is a
place dedicated to apprentices where they can access
the information and the support they need.- Adults want guidance.
While experienced in their individual trades,
apprentices may need help to create a learning plan to
meet their objective.
2.2.2 Characteristics of Adult Learners^2 Adult students are mature people and prefer to
be treated as such. Being “lectured at” can cause
resentment and frustration. Apprentices are usually
kinesthetic learners and need to be active when(^2) Adapted from http://www.assetproject.info. Learner Centred Methodologies, Wynne, R.