Employers and employees most often mention the benefit of an increased ability to handle on the job training, but there are other benefits:

• Better team performance
• Increased quality
• Improved labour management relations
• Reduced error rates and time per task
• Better health and safety record
• Increased output of products and services
• More participation by workers in their jobs, families, and communities

Essential Skills Profiles are being developed for the National Occupational Classification (NOC). These profiles describe how each essential skill is actually used by workers in an occupational group. The profiles also describe how often these skills are used and how difficult the tasks.

These profiles are very detailed because when you really think about what a person does, all the tasks done in a day to get the job done, you realize how important essential skills are.

Take a sales clerk as an example…

Here is just a sample of how essential skills may be used in this position:

• Read product labels for information on the care of products and for instructions on the use of products
• Read bulletins and guidelines about health and safety and loss prevention