Core Abilities

Core Abilities, as defined by Moraine Park, are transferable skills, knowledge and/or attitudes essential
to an individual’s success regardless of occupation or community setting. All occupational programs and
General Education courses integrate core abilities into their curriculum. Students develop these seven
“core abilities” and are responsible for their application. Graduates have a greater chance of success,
because employers prefer to hire and promote individuals who:

Communicate Clearly

• You plan and organize communications according to the purpose and audience
• You summarize in a brief and concise manner
• You provide support materials (i.e. facts, reasons, examples, details, statistics, anecdotes and
  quotes) to aid in understanding your ideas and information
• You participate in discussions and group work modeling active listening and feedback skills
• You demonstrate mastery of grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, word usage and
  sentence structure
• You model professionalism and etiquette in all communications (letters, e-mail, voice mail,
  texting, etc.)

Act Responsibly

• You follow directions
• You follow safety procedures
• You meet standards for participation
• You meet deadlines
• You present a professional image in your work and your appearance
• You are accountable for your actions

Work Productively

• You stay on task
• You work independently, as needed, to complete work
• You ask for assistance when needed
• You set and attain goals
• You manage time effectively
• You prioritize work to meet deadlines
• You strive for continuous improvement in your work
• You use resources efficiently

Think Critically and Creatively

• You use active problem-solving techniques (Plan, Do, Check, Act)
• You are creative in exploring possible solutions
• You consider the human, interpersonal and factual dimensions of a problem
• You distinguish between fact and opinion
• You apply global perspective to decisions and actions

Adapt to Change

• You modify thoughts and actions as situations change
• You anticipate changes coming to, or affecting, the situation
• You approach change calmly and rationally
• You use positive behaviors to foster continual growth

Demonstrate Integrity

• You demonstrate pride in your work by striving for the highest possible quality
• You accept and provide feedback to further individual and group growth
• You credit others for their contributions and share credit for tasks requiring a team effort
• You demonstrate trustworthiness by being honest, dependable, confidential and reliable

Work Cooperatively

• You complete assigned tasks for team work
• You demonstrate collaborative strategies
• You exchange information, ideas, opinions, and solutions in a team/ group setting
• You respect others
• You encourage and offer assistance to team members