Course availability and accessibility

A barrier to taking certification training is the lack of available courses. There are "simply not enough of them". Employees said that "food safety courses are not offered or have never been offered" in their locale. When offered, they are not available at a convenient time and are often conducted during work time. In addition, there is a lack of accessibility to the few courses that are available. The distance to a facility that provides the training is too great for many in the rural areas. "The main centers (for food safety training) are Red Deer, Calgary and Lethbridge but they are not convenient". A few mentioned that they are not aware that there are other available alternatives in course delivery and format. When a course is available nearby, operations take advantage of the opportunity. One manager in a smaller Alberta centre said, "It was easy for him to sign everyone up for Food Safe training because the college is across the street. Convenience, availability and accessibility are important".

Other Issues

Managers, employees and trainers recognize the many mitigating problems around the reality of workers participating in a course. In the volume of information that came forth, numerous hurdles to taking training came forward.

Limited Essential Skills

• In formal training situations, essential skills' problems are more likely to become apparent. "Some courses could be a challenge for some employees" and more difficult for workers with limited essential skills.
• Materials do not support learners with limited essential skills.
• In some operations, the material is written to accommodate a grade eight level.

Availability of Refresher courses

• Refresher courses that review the main elements of food safety procedures and that update workers on regulatory changes in the industry are not available. In order to be involved in continual training, workers have to participate in the two-day course which becomes a barrier based on time, costs and convenience.

No need (felt by employees)

• They had "never felt the need to take a course and never asked to take it". "If his employer wanted him to go to a course, he would go".
• Food safety certification is not required to get a job in the industry or at their work location.

Busy Season

• It is difficult to organize a course during the busy season whether in the summer or winter time. In the off-season, workers are no longer employed with them.