Human Skills Framework

For more than 50 years, George Brown Polytechnic has adapted to meet the evolving needs of students and employers, introducing new programs, partnerships and learning methods.

As the pace of change speeds up, GBC has identified human skills as critical to respond to external drivers like digitization, internationalization, climate change, the 4th industrial revolution, and diversity in demography.

The Human Skills Framework (HSF) will give our students and educators a common framework to cultivate skill development in a strategic and operationally aligned way through curriculum and co-curriculum. No one area of the college ‘owns’ skills – but instead, the whole college eco-system ought to be one that builds the strengths and skills of students to support their personal and career success.

The Human Skills Framework: Three Clusters

A three-cluster model of human skills was developed to enable growth, development, and lifelong learning; effective collaboration with others; and the ability to continually adapt in a changing world.

These skill clusters encompass a wide range of sub-skills, with fluidity and interdependence between skill categories in practice.

It should be emphasized that mastery in one skill or skill cluster will not necessarily position GBC students for future success. Instead increasing a student’s capability to apply an interplay of skill clusters in experiential and applied learning contexts will allow students to future-proof themselves for career success. For example, customer service skills require interpersonal capabilities, flexibility, and problem-solving skills.

Personalized Human Skill Pathways

Using a cluster framework as opposed to an inventoried list of skills list enables a nuanced and tailored approach to addressing skill development across academic and non- academic areas and allows for field-specific emphasis on certain sub-skills.

This will optimally occur in various ways through the student’s GBC pathway, including through: