The assessment tool is designed to equip educators to identify best support strategies for their learners, to recognise competences, address challenges and acknowledge how those factors can improve or diminish chances of positive transition into adulthood and employment. The dual use of the Assessment tool allows the learner to co-pilot their transition where possible and safe. It enables educators to identify the best coaching and mentoring paths for the young person. In other words, this screening method serves educators in gaining more insight on their learners and supporting them in tailoring the best strategy for a learner to transition from education to employment based on the gathered data.
It was designed to help educators in assessing young people with learning difficulties and disabilities or other problems in their transition to adulthood. The tool may be used as a self-assessment tool directly by the person, in a form of an interview between the person and the educator or may be filled only by the educator based on previously gathered data. The assessment tool consists of four sets of questions and statements. In the first set, there are 5 questions (4 about demographic data, 1 about the user), followed by three sets with questions and statements about employability skills (17 questions), life skills and situations (17 questions), and interpersonal skills (15 questions). In total, the tool contains 54 questions and statements that are evaluated on a three-point scale (NO - WITH SUPPORT - YES) and a five-point Likert scale (1 – lowest rating, 5 – highest rating) depending on the questions or statements. Alternatively, some questions are formatted as multiple-choice questions. In addition, the tool contains two open-ended questions. Note that the answer “WITH SUPPORT” (on the three-point scale) means that a person may improve towards “YES” if subjected to the right guidance and proper support by their mentor. The given answers generate three schematic profiles (employability skills, life skills and situations, interpersonal skills) that serve as a visual aid and provide a clear picture of a person’s competences and challenges. In this assessment tool, Likert scale responses are the results of single questions and cannot be summed and averaged in a single underlying construct or result.
This assessment tool is not a validated and standardized test, and it should be only used as a screening method to help professionals and other parties who work with persons with disabilities / learning difficulties. (Please, refer to the disclaimer at the end of the document). The assessment tool may help educators and their students to identify and develop their existing skills that they can rely on. It enables young people to manage their individual pathways in education and employment, using the skills and abilities they have and minimising the impact of their disabilities.
