BTEC National Award

For ICT Practitioners

Communication and Employability Skills for IT

Unit 1 Assignment
Candidate’s Date issued 6th September 2010
Name: Jaydeep Hasmukhlal 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

 P1 Explain the personal attributes
valued by employers

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

P2 Explain the principles of effective

communication

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

P3 Discuss potential
barriers to effective
communication
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.

M1 Explain mechanisms that can

reduce the impact of
This task also support P5
P5 Use IT to aid communications

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
P7 Produce a personal development
plan
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
M2 review draft
documents to
produce final versions
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

P5 Use IT to aid communications

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
M3 Explain how an awareness of
learning style can aid personal
development.

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

P5 Use IT to aid communications

Task 5
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

P4 Demonstrate a range of effective

interpersonal skills

This provides evidence for P5

P5 Use IT to aid communications

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

P6 Communicate technical
information to a specified audience

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
P5 Use IT to aid communications

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

used (1000 words).
This provides evidence for D1
D1 Evaluate interpersonal and
written communications techniques
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

D2 Review progress on a personal

development plan, identifying areas
for
improvement.

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.
 Student Name: ___________________ Assessor Name: Mr MCJ Kennedy
Grading Criteria
To achieve a pass grade the evidence must Evidence can be found Achieved
show that the learner is able to: Yes/No
P1 Explain the personal attributes valued by Task 1
employers.
Deadline Date: 6th to 13th September
P2 Explain the principles of effective Task 1
communication.
Deadline Date: 14th to 23rd September
P3 Discuss potential barriers to effective Task 2
communication,
Deadline Date: 24th September to 1st October
P4 Demonstrate a range of effective Task 5
interpersonal skills
Deadline Date: 4th October to 8th October
P5 Use IT tools effectively to aid Task 1
communications Task 2
th th
Deadline Date: 11 October to 15 October Task 3
Task 4
Task 5
Task 6
This is satisfied through the assignment.
P6 Communicate technical information to a Task 5
specified audience.
Deadline Date: 18th October to 25th October
P7 Produce a personal development plan Task 3
Deadline Date: 6th September to 22nd November
M1 Explain mechanisms that can reduce the Task 2
impact of communication barriers.
Deadline Date: 28th October to 1st November
M2 Review draft documents to produce final Task 3
versions.
Deadline Date: 29th to 5th November
M3 Explain how an awareness of learning style Task 4
can aid personal development.
Deadline Date: 1st October to 22nd November
D1 Evaluate interpersonal and written Task 6
communications techniques
Deadline Date: 8th November to 15h November
D2 Review progress on a personal Task 6
development plan, identifying area for
improvement.
1st October to 22nd November
Appendix 1

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).
 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 Contributors
4. Contents page: Should be Comprehensive
5. 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