2. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
The Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills Project
Developed by Literacy Victoria, with private sector employers and
community partners
A national, two-year pilot project
Goal: To develop a replicable model that will help Canadians with lower
literacy levels successfully prepare for a job, get a job and keep a job.
4. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Essential Skills—The HRSDC Framework
“Essential Skills 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.”
Office of Literacy and Essential Skills, Human Resource and Skills Development Canada
5. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Essential Skills needed for all occupations
1. Reading Text
2. Document Use
3. Writing
4. Numeracy
5. Oral Communication
6. Thinking Skills (includes problem solving)
7. Working with Others
8. Computer Use
9. Continuous Learning
6. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Literacy
“The ability to understand and employ printed information in
daily activities, at home, at work and in the community—to
achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and
potential.”
The Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, Statistics Canada
7. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Literacy Levels
Level 1-- Poor reading, writing, numeracy skills. Difficulty with
printed materials.
Level 2--Limited skills. Can find familiar words in simple text.
Level 3-- Minimum level needed to cope with today’s
knowledge-based, electronic world. Can read material that is
simple and clearly laid out.
Levels 4/5--Higher-order information processing skills.
8. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
In British Columbia
40% of working-age adults (16-65) are below level 3.
This includes 1 million Canadian-born adults and 300,000
immigrants.
9. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
A Hidden Issue
Most workers can read and write, but still may struggle to
complete forms and documents, understand memos, count
cash, use computers, communicate well, problem solve
Workers may not realize their skills are too low
Workers and employers usually adapt and work around it
10. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Why should business be
involved in literacy?
Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Low literacy costs Canadian
businesses $2.5 billion
annually in lost productivity.
Literacy Alberta, 2007
11. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
The Canadian economy is shifting from manufacturing and
natural resources to a knowledge-based economy.
Rapid changes in technology and global competition require
continuous learning and adaptation for all workers.
All of us struggle to keep up with the rapid pace of change,
but workers with low literacy struggle even more.
12. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Potential Benefits for Business
Improved safety
Improved productivity
Reduced wastage and errors
Training “sticks”
Ability to recruit, retain and promote the most promising
employees
13. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Stages of Corporate Readiness
Stage 1: Unaware and unready
Stage 2: Unaware and favourable
Stage 3: Aware of the need
Stage 4: Implementing solutions
14. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Trainees are supported for nine months
Phase One: Pre-employment training
Phase Two: Transition to employment—job search support
Phase Three: Mentoring while adjusting to a new job
15. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Program Delivery Model
Individual Training Plan
Weekly meeting with a tutor
40-60 hours of pre-employment
workshops
Monthly Training circle
16. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
1. Learners
Network Intake
•Application
•Interview
•Matched with a
tutor
•Benchmarking
•Goal Setting
workbook
2. Employment
Goal Identified
•Screen for WLES
eligibility
•If not yet eligible,
continue in LN or
refer to external
agencies
•If eligible, LN
coordinator makes
referral to WLES
3. WLES Intake
•Interview
•Skills assessment
•Accepted or
declined
•If declined, make
referrals out, or
continue in LN
4. Trainee Accepted
•Individual Learning
Plan created,
based on their goals
5. Required
Employment
Readiness Modules
•Qualities and Attitudes
for Success
•Essential Skills
•Career Exploration and
sectoral knowledge
•Specific Employment
goals
6. Search for
Employment
•Search skills
•Application letters
•Resume
•Interview Skills
7. Adjust to
Employment &
Engage Employer
•WLES contacts
employer, with
permission of trainee
•WLES staff engage
employer
WLES
Trainee
Flow
(Draft Pilot #2)
17. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Curricula
Self-paced learning modules
Based on National Occupation Standards
Adaptation of emerit’s Tourism Essentials
Includes:
Positive attitudes
Essential (transferable) Skills
Sector Knowledge
19. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
The Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills Program is
funded by HRSDC, Office of Literacy and Essential Skills.
20. Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Contact
Workforce Literacy and Essential Skills
Project Coordinator
info@literacyvictoria.ca
www.literacyvictoria.ca
Questions?
Notas do Editor
Many Literacy Victoria learners are highly motivated to work, but need to improve their literacy and essential skills in order to successfully keep jobs.
Corporate= Fairmont Empress (hospitality), Thrifty Foods (retail grocery), Victoria Shipyards (marine repair), Dockside Green (construction).
Community=Disability Resource Centre, Coast Salish Employment Training Society, (CSETS)
Knowledge=SkillPlan, ASPECT
Literacy and essential skills are measured on a continuum.
Most employees can read and write, but they may struggle to complete forms, comprehend written instructions, accurately calculate numbers or use computers.
Level 1--Find it difficult to manage tasks of daily living, such as reading instructions for taking medicine.
Level 3 is roughly the level required for successful secondary school completion. It requires the ability to integrate several sources of information and solve more complex problems.
Low literacy limits ability to adapt to change, to learn new skills as new technology is introduced, to re-train and advance.
See “How Basic skills Training Benefits Business”.
Schick, R. (2005). Employer investment in workplace literacy programmes, Auckland, New Zealand: Workbase, The New Zealand Centre for Workforce Literacy Development, Retrieved March 2008 from http://www.workbase.org.nz/Resource.aspx?ID=218
Stage 1: Employers are not convinced that literacy is a business issue and don’t consider it their problem to address
Stage 2: Companies have conditions that indicate a need to address literacy issues and invest in training.
Stage 3: Companies recognize that some of their HR needs can be addressed by focusing on literacy and essential skills. They are exploring solutions.
Stage 4: Companies are actively engaged in taking action to address skill gaps.