Syncrude Canada Ltd. is located in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The company is the world's largest producer of crude oil from oil sands and the largest single source producer in Canada. Syncrude employs 14,000 people directly and indirectly across Canada and currently supplies 13 percent of the nation's petroleum requirements.
Syncrude made a business decision to transform its management model and adopt a team-based management approach. The company realized that its work force was not ready for this change in operational style and that managers and staff would need to refresh their Essential Skills.
Management initially rolled out Essential Skills training for supervisors and subsequently included all employees as a result of the success of its Effective Reading in Context (ERIC) program.
Fort McMurray is a remote community that relies chiefly on the tar sands for employment. Syncrude and other petrochemical companies mining the tar sands have had to recruit large numbers of workers to the region, including Aboriginal workers and immigrants. The company also relies on groups of trades workers to build and maintain infrastructure. Given the nature of mining and refining oil sands, there is little tolerance for error—small mistakes can cause costly production delays and expensive repairs. Ensuring a common foundation in Essential Skills among all workers is a means of achieving safety and productivity targets.