Introduction

Canadian organizations are becoming increasingly aware that they need to maximize the skills of their work force, in order to compete and grow, which often means enhancing or refreshing their employees’ Essential Skills.

Essential Skills help people perform the tasks required by their occupation, provide people with a foundation for learning other skills, and enhance people’s ability to innovate and adapt to workplace change. Essential Skills include:

The case studies presented examine outstanding workplace education programs and initiatives. They highlight best practices in developing Essential Skills in the workplace and provide an overview of benefits, outcomes and impacts of Essential Skills training. Learning partners include schools, colleges, universities, workplaces, communities and governments. A more detailed version of the case studies, as well as a more in-depth analysis of the methods used to develop, assess, implement and deliver education in the workplace, can be found on The Conference Board of Canada’s Web site (www.conferenceboard.ca).

Also included in this publication is a 10-step guide to implementing Essential Skills learning programs in the workplace. It provides information and advice to employers and their learning partners on ways to address challenges.