NIU’s EdSystems and P-20 Center help to develop essential employability skills in Peoria | NIU Today

While technical skills can be learned on the job, certain individual traits and interpersonal skills are essential for career growth by NIU Today.

The GPEAK kick-off event in November 2019 brought together employers, educators and community partners from the Greater Peoria area.

Teamwork, communication, accountability, critical thinking and problem-solving are a few of the 10 essential employability competencies identified by the state of Illinois in the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act. But how can these competencies be taught, measured and certified in a way that is meaningful for individuals and employers?

That’s the challenge NIU’s Education Systems Center (EdSystems) faced along with community partners in the Peoria area. Their answer came in the form of GPEAK – the Greater Peoria Essential Abilities and Knowledge system, which is being piloted this fall and released more widely in early 2021...

The NIU Center for P-20 Engagement includes NIU STEAM and the Illinois P-20 Network, which promote collaboration between educational entities and community partners to improve education and bring innovation to schools, community colleges, workplaces and other community settings. Learn more at niu.edu/p20.

Read more... 

Source: NIU Today