Cognitive skills

The authors of this document have used data from the International Adult Literacy and Skills Survey (IALSS) to analyse the role cognitive skills play in the fact that immigrants earn less than their Canadian-born counterparts.

People coming from different cultures and school systems have developed different ways of thinking and processing information. In some cultures significant use of memory is stressed more than in others. Decision making is discouraged in cultures where a top-down management style is favoured. In other countries secretaries still manage timetables and schedules with the result that some managers have not developed job task planning skills.

Essential Skills, as researched and defined by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), are the skills needed for work, learning and life. They provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change.