In the coming years, the restaurant and food service sector will have to recruit and hire from non-traditional markets. The tourism industry has identified potential labour pools in new immigrants, Aboriginals, and seniors who wish to supplement retirement income. Importantly, for the future, proactive strategic planning should include the development of training provisions and user-friendly educational resources to meet the literacy and language need of this "new" group of workers. To overlook this would be shortsighted. Improved literacy skills and English communication skills provide the industry with more flexibility and more potential. The Conference Board (1999) research shows that improving employee essential skills creates employees who work smarter and better and who cope well with change in the workplace.

Future changes based on demographic trends will demand greater availability, versatility and variety to the training options. Food safety training in an era of constant changes will demand the promotion and the delivery of continual training that may include additional classroom instruction, worksite training, seminars and employee meetings. The industry is looking to offer training using alternative delivery systems and resources to allow workers to access training during down time at work or during split shifts. Literacy and language limitations may be more of a cause for concern as training opportunities and preferences expand. The alternatives to classroom driven training may be in a self-study, correspondence, or computer mediated format, all of which require self-direction and independent learning. Independent study of food safety course modules will critically demand the essential skills required to work autonomously. Considerations have to be taken to adapt and re-construct learning materials so that they are user-friendly and practical.

There are three paths to follow in order to ensure success in training workers who have limited essential skills. The first is to ensure that the materials used in training are not only relevant but written in clear or plain language so that workers can read and participate in class and also study independently as they wish. The second is that individuals who conduct training should become aware of essential skills issues and deliver training that supports learners with limitations. Finally it is vital to raise the language and literacy skills of those workers.

While the present findings do not point to large deficiencies in language and literacy among workers, changes that are occurring in the restaurant and food services sector may soon alter that. As operations increasingly hire from non-traditional markets, there may be an increase in essential skills gaps and limitations. More stringent requirements regarding safe food handling will also impact training success for workers. In the future, it will be essential to provide food safety training that integrates language and literacy skills for success in both the workplace and training.