The Test of Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES) is an assessment tool that offers individuals the chance to demonstrate their skills to potential employers. TOWES assesses three skills: reading, document use and numeracy. Test questions use authentic workplace materials and tasks so that the assessment reflects how these skills are used in the workplace. The test takes about two hours and costs $55. TOWES is now available in every province and territory in Canada. Since it was introduced, more than 25,000 individuals have written the test.
Although relatively new, support for TOWES is gaining momentum and is starting to pervade Canada’s institutional fabric. For example, as part of the Essential Skills Research Project, HRSDC assessed the typical skill complexity level required for every occupation listed under the Canadian National Occupational Classifications (NOC) system. This allows employers to use a job applicant’s TOWES scores as one component in assessing the applicant’s suitability for a given job. To help students improve their test scores, Bow Valley College in Alberta has developed training material that can be delivered by service providers or through independent study.
Although TOWES is a relatively new program, the test has been validated through extensive field-testing across Canada. In addition, a number of the employers who have delivered TOWES related training have conducted their own evaluations. Most of the evaluations to date have focused on benefits to employers in terms of increased safety and increased productivity. One of these evaluations is of particular interest because it suggests that under certain circumstances, learners who prepare for and write the TOWES may have better educational outcomes than learners who do not. In a recent study (TOWES, 2004) at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), TOWES-related training was administered to two out of five groups of apprentices in their first year of the Construction Trade Apprenticeship program in 2002/2003. Each group was enrolled in their program for 8 weeks and was tested by NAIT upon completion of the course. In addition to the NAIT exams, students were required to take provincial first year examinations after completing the course. The two groups that received essential skills training had significantly higher course pass rates than the three groups that did not (100 percent and 96 percent versus 76 percent, 71 percent, and 61 percent, respectively). The two groups that received training also had higher marks on provincial exams (81 percent and 81 percent versus 76 percent, 73 percent and 71 percent, respectively). The results obtained by the program at NAIT provide a convincing example of the link between essential skills assessment and training to succeed in education programs. Ideally, future research would track the educational and labour market outcomes of a random sample of TOWES test takers across Canada.
Each of the five options has different advantages and disadvantages. There is no one best option. The best option for potential learners will depend on their current circumstances, past academic performance, and future goals. What constitutes an advantage for one individual in one set of circumstances may be a disadvantage for another individual in another set of circumstances. Table 4.3 provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of each option.