BTEC National Award

For ICT Practitioners

Communication and Employability Skills for IT

Unit 1 Assignment

Candidate’s

Name: Jaydeep Hasmukhlal

Date issued 6th September 2010

Date due for return 22nd November 2010

Teacher Mr MCJ Kennedy Date submitted

Teacher’s comments

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Interim grade Assignment

New submission date Grade

Internal Verifier Comments

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Name Signature

To be handed in on Monday November 22nd 2010 by 4:00pm. Your

work can be emailed to mkennedy@hillingdongrid.org.

Assignment Scenario

You are currently employed as a recruitment officer for a large IT company called

“ICT Business Solutions” You have been asked by your line manager (Mr Kennedy)

to give a presentation at a recruitment evening. Your presentation must include many

aspects of employability skills and will demonstrate what employers expect from

potential employees. You will provide a presentation and booklets that potential

employees may take away with them. Throughout the planning of your presentation

you will create and maintain a personal development plan which you will also share

on the recruitment evening to show potential employees that, once employed, you

must always strive to improve. Throughout the planning of the presentation you must

keep your line manager up to date with your plans via e-mail.

Learning Outcomes:

1/. Understand the attributes of employees that are valued by employers.

2/. Understand the principles of effective communication.

3/. Be able to exploit ICT to communicate effectively.

4/. Be able to identify personal development needs and the ways of addressing

them.

Task 1

You are to create a PowerPoint presentation that explains why employers value

particular employee attributes. Include a table in your presentation that summarises

your findings. The table must include at least 10 particular employee attributes and

follow the format below:

Insert the title of the presentation “Why employers’ value particular

employee attributes”. (Slide 1)

Include your own design for a logo for the company. (Slide 1)

Explain in your own words why employers value particular employee

attributes. (Slide 2)

Introduction to explain the purpose of the table. (Slide 3)

The table containing the 10 attributes and why they are valued, using the

format below. (Slide 3 and 4)

Employee Attributes Explanation of why this is valued

A brief (300 words) conclusion on why potential employees should be familiar

with the particular attributes employers require. (Slide 5)

This provides evidence for P1

The presentation must include a section 2. This must explain the principles of

effective communication.

Insert the title of this section “The principles of effective communication”.

Include your own design for a logo for the company.

Include a brief introduction that explains the purpose of this section.

Detail principles of effective communication.

This provides evidence for P2

Task 2

In preparation for the questions that you expect to arise from the potential barriers to

effective communication, you must prepare a FAQ (Frequently asked questions)

handout that explains the potential barriers that exist to effective communication (500

words). This handout must:

Detail at least 10 barriers to effective communication

Be A4 in size and portrait in orientation

Include diagrams and appropriate imagery

This provides evidence for P3

In addition your are required to produce a professional booklet of a minimum of four

pages that explains mechanisms that can be used to reduce the impact of

communication barriers.

This task also support P5

Task 3

As part of your presentation you wish to ensure potential employees are aware that

there is an expectation of continuing professional development. You must create and

maintain a personal development plan which you will share on the recruitment

evening.

This provides evidence for P7

P1 Explain the personal attributesvalued by employers

P2 Explain the principles of effective communication

P7 Produce a personal development plan

M1 Explain mechanisms that can reduce the impact of

P3 Discuss potential barriers to effective communication

P5 Use IT to aid communications

You must e-mail a copy of your plan to your line manager and demonstrate effective

communication interpersonal skills by discussing your plan with your tutor and also

with your peer group and amend accordingly. E-mail a copy of your amended plan to

your tutor. Your tutor and peers will complete observation/witness statements of

these discussions to generate the evidence required.

This provides evidence for M2

You must include evidence of proof reading, reviewing and amending your own and

other students’ plans with at least three appropriate witness statements.

Please note: you must keep copies of sent and received e-mail as part of the

evidence required.

This provides evidence for P5

Task 4

To help potential employees on the recruitment night, describe ways of identifying

and meeting development needs in an information booklet. The information booklet

must be:

Presented in an A5 booklet of at least four pages

Include a relevant title

Use a range of tools including different fonts and colours, imagery and

shading to improve the presentation.

It must be professional in its appearance and appropriate to the target

audience.

This provides evidence for M3

Explain in your booklet how individuals can use knowledge of their learning style to

improve their effectiveness in developing new skills and understanding.

This provides evidence for P5

Task 5

M2 review draft documents toproduce final versions

M3 Explain how an awareness oflearning style can aid personaldevelopment.

P5 Use IT to aid communications

P5 Use IT to aid communications

Create a poster that explains how a specialist IT communication channel can be

used effectively. The poster must:

Be A4 in size and portrait in orientation

Include diagrams and appropriate imagery

Give a demonstration of how this IT communication channel works. As you are

unaware of potential employees’ knowledge ensure that all technical terms are

explained in non-technical terms. You must provide evidence of planning your

demonstration to a target audience.

This provides evidence for P4

This provides evidence for P5

Evidence of using an IT communication channel effectively is required. A witness

statement from your tutor and member of your peer group is the evidence required

along with a 750 word explanation of the channel used and its advantages and

disadvantages as a communication method.

This provides evidence for P6

Task 6

Following the recruitment evening you and your colleagues are going to analyse

interpersonal and written communications, criticising and justifying particular

techniques used. Discuss with your peers the different interpersonal and written

communication skills used during this project. Then write an individual report (report

format required is detailed at the end of this assignment) that analyses the discussed

interpersonal and written communications criticising and justifying the different

techniques used.

This provides evidence for P5

You must include an analysis of the effectiveness of different communication types

used (1000 words).

This provides evidence for D1

P6 Communicate technical information to a specified audience

P4 Demonstrate a range of effective interpersonal skills

D1 Evaluate interpersonal and written communications techniques

P5 Use IT to aid communications

P5 Use IT to aid communications

Your personal development plan must include reference to skills you possess, skills

you may require on the career path you have chosen and clear identification on how

the acquisition of these new skills will be achieved.

This provides evidence for D2

Additional Requirements:

For P5 (Use IT to aid communications), your final work will generate the required

evidence. Coverage of this element is contained throughout the assignment.

For D2 (Independently use a personal development plan to undergo a process of

identification of skill need and related improvement), your personal development plan

that has been maintained throughout the assignment will provide the evidence

required. Please note: if you complete the plan at the end you will not be awarded

the Distinction criteria. You must maintain your plan throughout the assignment to be

awarded a Distinction.

Reminder:

To be handed in on Monday November 22nd 2010 by 4:00pm. Your

work can be emailed to mkennedy@hillingdongrid.org.

D2 Review progress on a personal development plan, identifying areas forimprovement.

Student Name: ___________________ Assessor Name: Mr MCJ Kennedy

Grading Criteria

To achieve a pass grade the evidence must

show that the learner is able to:

Evidence can be found Achieved

Yes/No

P1 Explain the personal attributes valued by

employers.

Deadline Date: 6th to 13th September

Task 1

P2 Explain the principles of effective

communication.

Deadline Date: 14th to 23rd September

Task 1

P3 Discuss potential barriers to effective

communication,

Deadline Date: 24th September to 1st October

Task 2

P4 Demonstrate a range of effective

interpersonal skills

Deadline Date: 4th October to 8th October

Task 5

P5 Use IT tools effectively to aid

communications

Deadline Date: 11th October to 15th October

Task 1

Task 2

Task 3

Task 4

Task 5

Task 6

This is satisfied through the assignment.

P6 Communicate technical information to a

specified audience.

Deadline Date: 18th October to 25th October

Task 5

P7 Produce a personal development plan

Deadline Date: 6th September to 22nd November

Task 3

M1 Explain mechanisms that can reduce the

impact of communication barriers.

Deadline Date: 28th October to 1st November

Task 2

M2 Review draft documents to produce final

versions.

Deadline Date: 29th to 5th November

Task 3

M3 Explain how an awareness of learning style

can aid personal development.

Deadline Date: 1st October to 22nd November

Task 4

D1 Evaluate interpersonal and written

communications techniques

Task 6

Deadline Date: 8th November to 15h November

D2 Review progress on a personal

development plan, identifying area for

improvement.

1st October to 22nd November

Task 6

What is Personal Development Planning?

Personal Development Planning has been described as “a structured and supported

process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance

and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career

development”.

The primary purpose of a PDP (Personal Development Plan) is to help you learn and develop more effectively and to be able to:

learn in a wider variety of ways and a wider range of contexts; recognise and be able to list evidence for your own learning and therefore the

progress you are making; draw upon and use your expanded personal knowledge to achieve particular

goals; review, plan and take responsibility for your own learning; recognise and define your training/learning needs.

Your Personal development Plan will help analyse your needs and:

define short and long term aims and objectives decide what is needed to achieve these aims and objectives be able to list, analyse and understand your strengths and weaknesses use the analysis of aims and objectives and strengths and weaknesses to

define your need for additional study, training, and further development of all kinds to enhance your skills, knowledge and competencies.

reflect on and take active part in planning and development of your own personal skills

be more effective in carrying out tasks (e.g. your research).

Appendix 1

Report Writing Tips

Why write a report? To inform, explain or persuade. To transmit ideas or information, facts or findings To research or define a problem and draw conclusions about it To make recommendations about ways of doing things, making improvements or changes To record information for other people to refer to

What you should do before you start. Think about the audience that will read the report, and write clearly in a way they will

understand and which demonstrates your knowledge Use key vocabulary and technical terms Be precise Write a plan detailing the information headings you need to include As you collect your information, note where it came from - author, title, date, publisher, place

of publication Do not write in the first person, and use the past tense to describe your findings -

e.g. 'It was found that'

Report Structure:1. Cover Sheet: Title / Course Title / Module Number & Title / Date 2. Title Page: Full Title of Project (refer to example below)3. Acknowledgements: Complimentary Text / Thanks to Contributors4. Contents page: Should be Comprehensive5. Introduction: (1/2-3/4 of a page) The purpose behind the report, outlining problems

investigated & any information necessary for an overview.6. Main Body: Include Methods used to get the information/your results/discussion

of results (conclusion) Summary Conclusions Recommendations

7. References: List of references used in main body of text.8. Appendices: Tables/Illustrations/Photos/Peripheral Material, which may not

necessarily be used in the main body of text.

Report writing check list:

Correct content and format, follow any layout specifications you have been given about font size, margin size, spacing etc

Clarity using correct technical vocabulary Good spelling, punctuation and grammar Sentences which are not too long Numbered pages Numbered illustrations or figures Caption titles under illustrations or figures