The Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSA) Study Guide is a professional development tool created to help individuals, organizations, and systems build the competencies of youth service professionals, those professionals who work directly with youth in the workforce development arena. The KSA Study Guide is organized by the 10 KSA Competency Areas for youth service professionals (click here to see a chart of the 10 KSA Competency Areas). The competencies listed within each competency area include the KSAs needed to serve all youth effectively, as well as the additional KSAs needed to serve youth with disabilities effectively (identified with a “D”). This study guide includes competency-specific learning objectives, selected activities, demonstrations of learning, and resources for each of the competencies identified in all 10 Competency Areas.
The KSA Study Guide can be used to: assess youth service professionals’ competencies – recognizing areas of strength and identifying areas for improvement; plan a professional development program or system – creating a list of desired competencies and a training opportunities calendar; or to discover new professional development strategies and resources. Select a competency area below to get started or go to the bottom of the page to see the entire list of competencies and study guide.
The Ten Competency Areas