Think Future Teaching Resources

Think Future Year 9 materials
Lesson plan 7: Match the skills and qualities to the job

Lesson plan 7: Match the skills and qualities to the job

Name of lesson / Match the skills and qualities to the job
Overview / In this lesson, learners will identify the skills, qualities and qualifications needed in various jobs.
Learning outcomes / The overarching learning outcomes covered by this lesson are:
● LO2: Have increased awareness of what career opportunities exist
● LO4: Be aware of their own skills, attributes and interests and how that contributes to good career choices
Lesson objectives / By the end of this lesson, learners should:
● understand the difference between a skill, a quality and a qualification
● have access to a wall display that shows skills, qualities and qualifications for a range of jobs.
Icebreaker / Ask learners what they think the words ‘skill’, ‘quality’ and ‘qualification’ mean.
Learners should look at the definitions provided in Activity 7.1: Skills, qualities and qualifications (do not give this out until after the learners have been asked what these words mean), and then complete the rest of the activity.
Information / Explain that skills and qualities are just as important as qualifications, and that learners will need all three in order to get and keep a job. Recount one of your own experiences to illustrate this, or make up an example. For example, a tutor could have studied a subject at Cambridge and gained a 1st-class honours degree but might still be a poor teacher if they do not have the patience to explain things properly.
Verification / Check that learners have understood the information by calling out some skills, qualities and qualifications which are not on the activity sheet (for example, GSCE History, flute playing, a Masters degree in music, outgoing, a distinction in tap dancing, commitment, loves being with people). Ask learners to hold up a red card if it is a skill, an amber card if it is a quality and a green card if it is a qualification.
Activity / Split the class up into pairs and allocate each pair a job role (e.g. nurse, tutor, counsellor, plumber, actor, doctor, electrician, nursery nurse, police constable, shop keeper, roofer, cruise-ship captain, school nurse, joiner, head teacher, dancer, tiler, social worker, bank manager, soldier, TV presenter, pilot, gardener, caretaker, prison officer, beautician). Ask each pair to do some research and create an attractive, informative PowerPoint presentation that has no more than four slides. The title slide should state the job role, and the second, third and fourth slides should list the skills, qualities and qualifications needed for the job (one list per slide).
Each pair should then show their PowerPoint to the rest of the class. Other learners should check that the skills, qualities and qualifications have been listed on the correct slides.
Challenge any gender stereotyping, for example, if a nurse is automatically assumed to be female.
Differentiation: stretch and support / Stretch: more able learners could compile and print the PowerPoint presentations to form part of a careers display.
Support: explain any words that learners do not understand on the activity sheet, such as ‘empathy’.
Extra time available? / Learners could prepare a role play to show the skills, qualities and qualifications used in their given job role.
Summary / Ask learners to write down their own skills, qualities and qualifications. Remind the learners about the importance of using the correct terms.
Resources required / ● Activity 7. 1: Skills, qualities and qualifications (one copy per learner)
● Activity sheet answers
● ‘Traffic light’ cards (pieces of red, amber and green card for learners to hold up during the Verification activity; each learner should have one card in each colour)
● Computers with internet access and PowerPoint (or other presentation software)
● Printer