On
the Road Again…
Delegates were introduced to destination integration via an evening social event with an international flavour. Participants spent several hours networking with colleagues and counterparts, learning about the various essential skills initiatives occurring at colleges and training institutes across western and northern Canada.
The evening was sponsored by Bow Valley College, and Sharon Carry, President and CEO of the College, was on hand to welcome delegates. Sharon spoke of Bow Valley’s long-standing relationship with WWestnet, and the importance of integrating essential skills into training curricula.
Brigid Hayes of the National Literacy Secretariat (HRDC) brought greetings from Ottawa and explained the Secretariat’s role in promoting workplace essential skills in Canada.
Ron Torgerson then welcomed participants on behalf of WWestnet and expressed his gratitude to the NLS (HRDC) for funding the workshop and to Bow Valley College for sponsoring On the Road Again.
Bow Valley College – a Backgrounder
Bow Valley College is a fast, focused and flexible educational institution serving more than 10,000 learners annually at its 3 campuses in Calgary and 13 centres throughout southern Alberta. Bow Valley offers credit and non-credit programs accommodating learners on a full-time and part-time basis. (Employment rates for Career Program graduates exceeded 98% on average last year.) In keeping with Bow Valley’s commitment to the social, cultural and economic vitality of the greater community, Bow Valley College collaborates with a wide range of community service agencies, governments, business and industry partners, and other learning organizations. Key programs include high-impact job training in health, business and industry, English as a Second Language and academic upgrading. Bow Valley College’s vision for the future is to be the choice for workforce preparation and workforce development by providing relevant and timely education to learners so that they will have the skills to succeed and become employed.
Bow Valley College enables businesses to offer employees professional development opportunities at any time, from any place and at their own pace. The College’s e-Learning Library contains 52 self-directed courses accessible from any computer with an Internet connection. These online courses are easy to navigate and offer a world of knowledge on subjects such as Web site design, frontline customer service skills and leadership. Bow Valley College has also been working with international communities on development projects for close to 20 years and partners with educational institutes, governments and agencies from around the world to offer expertise in literacy, English as a Second Language and employability skills.
Bow Valley has a proven track record in the area of Essential Skills. The College was one of the first institutions in Canada to embrace the Workplace Essential Skills concept.