Three skills hide in every task
A client asks you to plan a small app. You read their email. You work out the cost. You send a report with a chart.
That one job used English, maths and digital skills. The T Level names 22 of them. We take them in three parts: English, maths, then digital. Each part ends with a short check.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Competency | A skill that you can show by doing something. | work out a cost |
| Summarise | Say the main points in fewer words. | one sentence for a long email |
| Synthesise | Join facts from two or more sources into one message. | a survey and a price list |
| Audience | The people who read or hear your message. | a client or a teammate |
| Estimate | Work out a quick answer that is close, not exact. | 49 x 21 is about 1000 |
| Proportion | How big one part is compared with the whole. | 30 out of 120 |
| Optimise | Change a process so it uses less time or money. | remove a waiting step |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Quick check: which kind of skill?
Have a go
Quick check: which kind of skill?
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Part 1, English: the six skills
| Skill | In plain words | Where you practise it |
|---|---|---|
| E1 Convey technical information | Explain a technical fact to a reader who does not know it | Explain your work to a client; Communicating with your users |
| E2 Present information and ideas | Show your ideas in a talk or a report | Explain your work to a client |
| E3 Create texts for different purposes and audiences | Write an email, a report or a guide that suits the reader | Design so others can build it; Communicating with your users |
| E4 Summarise | Say the main points in fewer words | This lesson |
| E5 Synthesise | Join facts from different sources into one message | This lesson |
| E6 Take part in and lead discussions | Listen, share an idea and keep a talk on the topic | This lesson; Code reviews; pair work in the lesson notes |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Summarise: fewer words, same point
First ask: who is my audience? A client needs different words from a teammate. A summary keeps the main points and drops the small details.
Read this message: "The college Wi-Fi was down on Monday from 9am until 11am because a cable in the server room came loose. About 300 students could not log in. The IT team fixed it and checked every cable."
A good summary: "A loose cable stopped 300 students logging in for two hours. IT fixed it."
Which is the best summary?
Have a go
Which is the best summary?
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.