Charting the Course

Jonas Sammons, on behalf of the Western Canada Workplace Essential Skills Training Network (WWestnet), welcomed delegates to destination integration: Workplace Essential Skills Across the Technical Curriculum. He explained that the workshop was aimed at college and institutional trainers, and would address the concept of workplace essential skills (what these skills include and how these skills can be incorporated into college and employment preparation programs). Specifically, the workshop would address:

• what workplace essential skills are and why it is important they be included in employment preparation, and college and training institution vocational programs
• how to navigate workplace documents and teach this skill to trainees
• how to integrate essential skills into employment preparation and technical curricula
• what Workplace Essential Skills programs and resources are available for instructors
• what the issues, challenges and needs around Workplace Essential Skills training are — a “front line” perspective

Jonas then reminded delegates of the workshop objectives:

• to provide participants with an understanding of essential skills as they impact workers’ jobs, learning for the job, and community lives
• to provide participants with information/data from critical sources such as the report “Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society” so that participants can promote the inclusion of workplace essential skills in career and vocational training programs
• to stimulate thought and discussion about the relationship between vocational training goals and essential skills as a training element
• to explore the various ways workplace essential skills can be integrated into employment preparation and college/institution training initiatives
• to showcase examples of proven WES resources that participants might want to use in their training initiatives

Jonas acknowledged the National Literacy Secretariat (Human Resources Development Canada) for its ongoing support and thanked the NLS (HRDC) for its sponsorship of the event. He then provided a brief introduction to WWestnet by reviewing their history, accomplishments and general goals, and introduced WWestnet committee members:

Lloyd Campbell, Syncrude Canada Ltd.
Rob Despins, Dunlop Standard Ltd.
Naomi Frankel, Canadian Union of Public Employees
Stacey Huget, Literacy BC
Greg Maruca, AB Union of Provincial Employees
Irma Mohammed, BC Federation of Labour
Jonas Sammons, University of Manitoba
Nancy Steel, Bow Valley College
Ron Torgerson, SK Federation of Labour
Sue Turner, Boeing Canada Technology