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Case Study: Keyano College – Essential Skills Programs1.0 IntroductionThe Keyano Community College in Fort McMurray, Alberta partnered with Syncrude Canada Ltd. to establish several Essential Skills programs: Effective Reading in Context (ERIC – which was later renamed Safety and Workplace Reading), Syncrude Applied Math (SAM), and Workplace Writing Fundamentals. Syncrude is the world’s largest producer of crude oil from oil sands and employs 5,000 people. The company uses state-of-the-art technology and therefore, requires a highly skilled workforce that is capable of lifelong learning. In 1987, while testing a group of employees for leadership abilities, Syncrude identified the need for a workplace reading program which focused on Reading and Document Use. Working with Keyano College, the partners created the ERIC (Effective Reading in Context) program. Ten years later, and in response to the demand from participants in the reading program, Syncrude partnered with Keyano College once again to develop Syncrude Applied Math (SAM). While Syncrude owns the copyright for the ERIC and SAM programs, Keyano College also markets and adapts the two programs to individual clients and has integrated the ERIC program into its pre-apprenticeship program for all students called: Preparation for Academic and Career Upgrading (PACE) program. ERIC has also been adapted to form part of an Aboriginal pre-trades training program.
2.0 Description of ProgramsType ERIC Effective Reading in Context (ERIC) was the first workplace reading program developed in Canada. It is a unique, customized program that was initially created for Syncrude and its employees. The program was piloted over a 6 month period following a comprehensive research process that included interviews with Syncrude employees, and a review and analysis of the documents that employees commonly employed in their work. An Advisory Committee consisting of employees was established to evaluate and suggest reading materials for the program, and to review the proposed curriculum. In the first year, ERIC was delivered to “potential team leaders”. After a two-hour assessment by a Keyano College instructor, participants completed the 12 to 28-hour program. Employees with more reading challenges were offered a longer program to provide more opportunity for practice. The program has since evolved and the assessment has been eliminated. A three day 21-hour workshop is now offered to everyone. The ERIC program was eventually offered to the entire Syncrude workforce, since it was well received in its first year. Apprentices were also permitted to take the training, although the program did not specifically focus on them. Participants registered for the program directly with the College rather than registering through a company training representative. This eliminated any stigma associated with enrolling in a “reading” program. Participation is voluntary and confidential. The program is treated as any other on-site training program. As a result, participants are released from their work to attend the program. Today, ERIC has been renamed Safety and Workplace Reading program. In response to the changing needs of the workplace, the program now has a strong focus on safety. The customized program:
The program’s core components include:
SAM The creation of the Syncrude Applied Math (SAM) program (originally named Working in Numeracy -WIN) followed a similar process to the one used to develop the ERIC program. An Advisory Committee of employees and supervisors was established to develop the company’s workplace math applications and evaluate the proposed curriculum. The research process also involved interviewing employees about the math skills they required for their work, and a review and analysis of the documents that employees commonly employ during the course of their work. The program was piloted with 10 people over a 40 hour period. Based on the results of the pilot, the proposed curriculum had to be revised to include science components. Today, SAM focuses on providing foundation skills for business literacy, trades-specific math, and everyday use. The program offers workplace-specific math applications grouped under the following themes:
Workplace Writing Fundamentals Syncrude partnered with Keyano College to develop a Workplace Writing Fundamentals program in response to the number of internationally-trained engineers who started to work at Syncrude in 2003, and who speak English as a second language. The program is a 2-hour writing consultation course that is used mostly by engineers to assist them in reading (writing) technical reports. The program is open to all Syncrude employees. Other Program Areas Keyano College integrates Safety, Workplace Reading, and SAM into a variety of programs and workplace training. Organizations that have been involved with the programs include:
The length of the programs is adapted to the needs of the participants. For example, Keyano College offers three-day reading and math workshops at Syncrude, while in the Mine Operations program, instructors cover reading in two or three days, and math in three or four days. Keyano College also integrates Essential Skills programs such as Safety and Workplace Reading into several Aboriginal pre-trades and upgrading training programs:
Generally, elements of the Essential Skills programs are introduced for 1 to 2 hours per day, over a period of weeks. An Essential Skills instructor delivers the courses and is available to work with students on an individual basis. Target Groups Keyano College adapts the programs to meet the needs of the target audience identified by the partner group. In its work with Syncrude, Keyano College offers its Essential Skills courses to all employees, including apprentices. Communication about the ERIC and SAM programs occurs mainly on the Syncrude intranet. All courses are posted on the intranet. This allows employees to register for ERIC or SAM in the same way they would sign up for computer, leadership, or other courses. The Essential Skills programs at Keyano College are part of the pre-apprenticeship programs at Keyano College. The College’s normal marketing and recruitment activities for all programs also help to recruit participants for these programs. Most participants in the SAM program at Keyano College are enrolled in an apprenticeship program. Since they have been out of school for a period of time they need to improve their math skills to be successful in apprenticeship training. Keyano College has also developed a math upgrade for third class power engineers who are applying for their second class ticket. Resources Required Keyano College employs two instructors to deliver the Essential Skills programs. The skills and attributes these people require include:
In 2004, the ERIC program was adapted for use in a hospital setting by the College. The cost for adaptation and delivery was $25,000.00. This included 10 three-hour classes offered over a period of three to four weeks at the College. Adaptations of SAM take longer and are more costly, because of the time needed to create the work-specific math problems.
3.0 Benefits of Essential Skills ProgramsAs a result of Keyano College’s partnership with Syncrude in 1989, the College has partnered with a number of other organizations to offer the ERIC and SAM programs. Some of these partners include:
Keyano College also sells the math curriculum to other colleges to use in a variety of applications. For example, Lethbridge Community College purchased the SAM curriculum to use in a pre-apprenticeship program for Mexican Mennonites who moved into the community. Keyano College views its activities as having an important impact at the individual and industry levels. Although there has not been a formal evaluation of ERIC and SAM, anecdotal evidence indicates that the industry benefits from these programs. Employee confidence is increased; there are fewer safety concerns; and the workforce is more productive. Some of the testimonials voiced by participants of the programs acknowledge that as a result of completing the SAM program they were able to pass apprenticeship exams that they had previously failed. These testimonials exemplify the usefulness of the ERIC and SAM programs to their participants. “This is an excellent program (ERIC). I wish I had taken it 3 years ago, before I started the OH&S certificate. I will use the strategies at work as well as in my studies.”23 “I learned new ways to approach reading. I will focus on being in the moment. I will read procedures differently.”24 “I will use these reading strategies on the job; it will help ensure the job is done right and safely.”25 “Just about every trade that I want to get into requires all kinds of math. This was an excellent course (SAM) to refresh my math skills.”26 Such testimonials and anecdotal evidence are important to industry partners who are interested in seeing a return on their investment of time and money in training.
4.0 Success FactorsMinimal barriers were encountered in developing and piloting ERIC and SAM. One of the reasons for this was the strong buy-in from senior leadership. “Essential Skills training ensures that Syncrude employees have the skills and confidence required for today’s workplace to prepare them to meet the challenges of the future.”27 Support from senior leaders is essential for the successful implementation of the programs in a workplace setting. The manner in which Essential Skills can be tied into workplace safety and other elements of the workplace is one way to demonstrate the importance and significance of Essential Skills to senior leaders. Companies need to consider reading as an element of regular workplace training, and as a key component of safety programs. One of the key reasons for the programs’ popularity with other partners is that program materials are relevant to the workforce. This is an essential ingredient; adequate funding is necessary to develop a workplace-focused curriculum. Ensuring that the course content is relevant to the workplace also requires continuous contact and communication by all parties. Regular contact occurs between Keyano College and senior Syncrude managers, enabling the College to adjust the programs to meet changing workplace needs. The continued support from industry is a strong vote of confidence in the programs’ efficacy and value. Keyano College believes that ERIC and SAM can be replicated in other provinces and for other industry sectors. The key to development is to ensure strong industry support, workplace-focused curriculum design, and excellent instructors.
5.0 ChallengesA number of challenges were identified in the delivery of ERIC and SAM. These included: overcoming resistance from participants, finding instructors, proper advertising, and meeting varying demand. Overcoming Participant Resistance Participants often feel uncomfortable acknowledging that they have problems with their reading skills. They more readily admit to problems with math. To address this issue, the instructor must be sure to help participants overcome reading or math fears they might have and help enhance their confidence by presenting material in a non-threatening way. Finding Instructors Finding instructors for the ERIC program has always been challenging. The course material is complex and the instructor must be prepared to know and manage a wide variety of workplace-related documents. With SAM, finding instructors is easier, though the instructor must be highly skilled at solving workplace-related math problems. Advertising Correctly In 2000, the ERIC and SAM programs were advertised as “Ad hoc Adult Literacy” programming rather than ‘Essential Skills”. Keyano College discovered that people did not want to be associated with a literacy program because it implied that they may be illiterate. As a result, the College modified its advertising. Varying Demand From 2000-2003 Keyano College could not keep up with the demand for on-site workshops at Syncrude. However, demand started to slow down, and in 2005 the College did not deliver a single workshop to Syncrude employees because of the company’s need to keep workers on the job during a period of major expansion. This trend is expected to change between 2006 and 2010 when approximately 40% of Syncrude’s workforce will retire. New employees will be recruited, and Essential Skills training will once again be in demand.
6.0 Future DirectionsKeyano College would consider it ideal if participation in Essential Skills programs were integrated into the Syncrude block program. Syncrude employees have the opportunity to progress through five levels or “blocks”. Each block is comprised of a series of courses. Completion of each block results in a raise for the employee. Keyano College will continue to adapt ERIC and SAM for use in other industries, as it has in the health care sector. As well, the College may further develop the SAM program so that it focuses on math for a specific trade.
7.0 Program ContactHildy Hanson, Coordinator, Workforce Training
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