Integrating Essential Skills into the Workplace

New material now available!

The project summary report, Raising Awareness of Essential Skills with Employers Who Hire Apprentices, is now available.

Interested in learning more about how an Essential Skills program can be integrated into the workplace? Check out CAF-FCA's series on the step-by-step approach to integrating Essential Skills into apprenticeship training at the workplace:

For Essential Skills tools and resources from the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES), click here.

See also the seven new tools for the skilled trades as well as the What's in it for you tool for employers from OLES.

The College Sector Committee has developed an interactive Essential Skills website that helps existing and soon-to-be apprentices succeed at their training. Click here to check it out.

The benefits of integrating Essential Skills into the workplace are varied. Research and previous experience has demonstrated significant advantages to developing the Essential Skills of employees. These include:

• Improved workplace safety;
• Increased ability to complete numeracy and document tasks and communicate in writing and in spoken communication;
• Improved efficiency and accuracy in performing work duties;
• Increased morale; and
• Improved retention of training material.

For more on the benefits of Essential Skills for employers see The Business Case for Essential Skills in Construction, a study that the CAF-FCA completed with the Construction Sector Council and SkillPlan, the BC Construction Industry Skills Improvement Council.

Don't forget to check out our webpage on CAF-FCA's national dialogue that focused on Essential Skills in Apprenticeship. Click here for direct access.

And finally, click here to check out the Canadian Apprenticeship Journal's issue on Essential Skills in Apprenticeship.

For more information, please contact:
Danielle Matheusik,
Project Manager
613-235-4004 ext. 203 or danielle_matheusik@caf-fca.org