John Pahl & Roeland
Again, all assessments are based on real documents that workers are expected to use on their jobs. The last step is an interview process.
Workers who pass the minimum required to be safe on site, are then hired. After they have been hired, employees are given the G1 TOWES test to help determine gaps in essential skills proficiency so that the adult educators at the Diavuk site can design individualized training programs for those who choose to improve their education and increase their opportunities for advancement.
At Akita, the application process itself is viewed as a preliminary assessment tool. Prospective employees must complete an interview, fill out an application form, and submit to a vision test. The next step involves safety courses such as WHMIS, H2S0, and MSDS comprehension. In many ways, these courses serve as literacy screening tools in that all workers must obtain safety certification to work on site. The final step involves on the job training. Workers must be proficient in terms of their communication skills, mechanical abilities, measurement and estimation, and teamwork. They must also demonstrate a strong work ethic, responsibility and appropriate temperament. On the job training outcomes are assessed through observation and other informal means.
At Keyano College, there is some controversy around TOWES being used by corporations as an employment screening tool rather than as a training gap identifier. For example, those applying to work for Syncrude and Suncor as heavy equipment operators, office managers, and mine operators must score at a certain level to be eligible for employment. This sometimes means people with good potential are turned away with no options other than to write the test again at a later date. To assist those who do not pass the TOWES test, Keyano offers a short course in successfully completing a TOWES test. After taking the short course, the majority of people who did not achieve 85% the first time, are successful the second time. Those who are enrolled in Keyano programs such as Mine Operations perform well on the TOWES test because they receive integrated essential skills training as part of their studies.
Diavik uses TOWES solely as a literacy training placement tool and learners do not write TOWES until they have the literacy levels to succeed. Akita, on the other hand, uses no formal essential skills testing instruments.
John Pahl & Roeland