The SCANS Skills and Competencies

The SCANS Skills and Competencies

The SCANS list - from the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills - was developed by the United States Department of Labor and Education as a guide for educators who want to help students prepare for the workforce. The list includes five workplace competencies and a three-part foundation of skills and personal qualities needed for solid job performance.
Workplace Skills
Effective workers can productively utilize:
	Resources	They know how to allocate time, money, materials, space, and staff.
	Interpersonal Skills	They can work on teams, teach others, serve customers, lead, negotiate, and work well with people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
	Information	They can acquire and evaluate data, organize and maintain files, interpret and communicate, and use computers to process information.
	Systems	They understand social, organizational, and technological systems; they can monitor and correct performance; and they can design or improve systems.
	Technology	They can select equipment and tools, apply technology to specific tasks, and maintain and troubleshoot equipment.
Foundation Competencies
Competent workers need:
	Basic Skills	Reading, writing, arithmetic, and mathematics, speaking and listening.
	Thinking Skills	The ability to learn, reason, think creatively, make decisions, and solve problems.
	Personal Qualities	Individual responsibility, self-esteem, self-management, sociability, and integrity.
"The SCANS Skills and Competencies" is adapted from What Work Requires of Schools: A SCANS Report for America 2000 (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Labor, 1991.)