The primary objective of National Silicates' workplace training program is to upgrade the skill levels of the plant operators and to enable them to be multi-skilled and competent in all areas of the plant’s operations. National Silicates is a small chemical company that is a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of the PQ Corporation. The PQ Corporation, in conjunction with its affiliates, is the world’s largest producer of sodium and potassium silicates, and operates in 18 countries on five continents.
National Silicates operates in a highly specialized environment requiring strong technical skills. To be competitive in the industry, it must update refining processes and employee skill sets on a regular basis.
National Silicates develops Essential Skills in order to recruit, build and retain a category of workers known as chemical process operators who are in short supply in the labour market, but whose skills are crucial to ensuring safety, productivity, competitiveness and growth of the industry.
National Silicates has shown a strong commitment to developing Essential Skills as part of its effort to meet quality standards and be competitive. The company’s belief in the value of developing these skills and its pragmatic understanding of the business imperative of “staying the course” on Essential Skills upgrading underscore the need to treat Essential Skills as “need to have” competencies in a competitive industry.