The Center for Literacy
Workplace Literacy and Essential Skills Links
The following links lead to resources related to the concept of essential skills as well as the theory and practices of workplace literacy and essential skills. We intend to add resources as we find them, and welcome comments and suggestions of relevant resources. Our intention in selecting and assembling these links is to provide an overview of the topic rather than a comprehensive listing.
- Essential Skills
- Essential Skills Assessment Tools
- Canadian organizations
- Canadian research
- Canadian resources
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- New Zealand
Websites and web pages that present the concept of “essential skills”
Literacy and Essential Skills – Office of Literacy and Essential Skills
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/LES/index.shtml
A portal featuring the skills that the Government of Canada, along with other national and international agencies, has identified and validated as key literacy and Essential Skills. These skills have been identified as being used in nearly every job and throughout daily life in different ways and at varying levels of complexity.
Includes information on why and how "essential skills" were developed.
Competences Essentials - CDEACF
http://www.competencesessentielles.ca/
Dans ce site, vous trouverez près de 700 ressources documentaires(textes, jeux, vidéos, présentations, etc.) dont 80% sont accessibles en ligne ; des animations interactives ludiques qui mettent en scène chacune des compétences essentielles dans un contexte quotidien; des textes qui permettent de mieux comprendre chaque compétence, de savoir comment elle se développe et s'évalue; une section dédiée à la notion de compétence et à la reconnaissance des acquis et des compétences au Canada.
Essential Skills Profiles – Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
http://www10.hrsdc.gc.ca/es/english/ES_Profiles.aspx
Essential Skills profiles describe how each of the nine Essential Skills are used by workers in a particular occupation.
Essential Skills and Work Habits in the OSP – Ontario Skills Passport
http://skills.edu.gov.on.ca/OSPWeb/jsp/en/OSPskillsandworkhabits.jsp
The skills presented in the OSP are not quite the same as those presented by HRSDC (see comparison here), although like HRSDC’s framework these skills are said to be those that enable people to perform employment and daily life tasks and are a foundation for learning other skills.
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The 9 Essential Skills – Workplace Education Manitoba (WEM)
http://www.wem.mb.ca/the_9_essential_skills.aspx
A presentation of the nine essential skills as defined by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Essential Skills Assessment Tools
Modus- National Adult Literacy Database
http://www.nald.ca/news/05311312814
A searachable and interactive database of essential skills assessment tools
Alberta Workforce Essential Skills (AWES)
http://www.nald.ca/awes/
AWES is a non-profit organization that promotes essential skills training for workers in Alberta
The Centre for Education and Training
http://www.essentialskillsthatwork.com/aboutUs.aspx
The Centre for Education and Training is based in Mississauga, ON and has satellite centres throughout the Peel region and the Greater Toronto Area. It offers a variety of local and international programs as well as language training, settlement services, career and employment services, computer training and diploma and certificate programs.
Centre for Workplace Skills
http://workplaceskills.ca/
A pan-Canadian business and labour organization that seeks toencourage better participation and investment in skills development in Canada’s workplaces.
Essential Skills for Work, Learning and Life - Deaf Literacy Initiative (DLI)
http://essentialskills.deafliteracy.ca/
An OLES-funded, fully bilingual (English & American Sign Language) website that introduces the concepts of Essential Skills and their link to employment, and provides resources to help deaf Canadians improve their literacy and essential skills as well as a directory of Canadian Deaf Adult Literacy programs
Education and Learning – Conference Board of Canada
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/topics/education/default.aspx
The Education and Learning Department of the Conference Board of Canada conducts research, facilitates dialogue, recognizes excellence and communicates results regarding educational issues and has published reports and case studies on workplace training.
The (Nova Scotia) Department of Labour Workforce Development
http://www.gov.ns.ca/lae/
The Department of Labour and Advanced Education works to protect the public and maintain and grow a safe and prosperous workforce in Nova Scotia with a strong focus on safety, skill development, regulation, education and building partnerships.
Skillplan (BC)
http://www.skillplan.ca/
SkillPlan is a joint labour and management initiative of the BC construction industry that develops strategies to improve the essential skills of people working in the unionized construction industry in British Columbia and the Yukon Territory.
Workforce Development Board
http://www.wdb.ca/
A community based, not-for-profit corporation that serves several communities in southern Ontario, working to identify trends and opportunities in the labour market environment which impact the local workforce
Workplace Education Manitoba (WEM)
http://www.wem.mb.ca/
Through original research, WEM supports business, labour and practitioners by offering workplace Essential Skills assessments and developing and delivering Essential Skills training and human resource solutions.
The Canada Job Fund: An overview of the federal transfer to provinces and territories- by Brigid Hayes, published by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
http://brigidhayes.wordpress.com/
A review of the recently introduced Canada Job Fund, undertaken at the behest of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
New study shows net benefits of Essential Skills training in the workplace- Social Research and Demonstration Corporation
http://www.srdc.org/news/new-study-shows-net-benefits-of-essential-skills-training-in-the-workplace.aspx
The results of the UPSKILL: Essentials to Excel project. The study used a randomized control trial, and the results make a business case for well-designed Essential Skills training programs delivered in the workplace.
Workplace Literacy – ABC Life Literacy Canada
http://abclifeliteracy.ca/workplace_literacy/home
Resources, case studies and testimonials
Literacy Fact Sheets – Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators http://www.camacam.ca/en/literacylearning/LiteracyFactSheets.asp
The CAMA Literacy and Essential Skills in Municipal Workplaces Project has developed a six part series of fact sheets on workplace literacy and essential skills.
Workplace Learning – Canadian Literacy and Learning Network (CLLN)
http://www.literacy.ca/workplace/
Resources for employers
Workplace Literacy Materials - Decoda (BC)
http://decoda.ca/resources/library/library-materials-by-topic/workplace-literacy-materials/
These are materials for educators, tutors, practitioners and anyone who is interested in workplace literacy. Many of them are available online.
National Adult Learning Database (NALD)
http://www.nald.ca/
Features many workplace literacy and essential skills resources
Learning for Work – Ontario Learning Coalition
http://www.on.literacy.ca/whatwedo/lfw
OLC (in conjunction with business, labour, literacy groups and with the support of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities) aims to provide effective workplace literacy and essential skills programming to support a productive workplace, an engaged workforce and a prosperous Ontario.
How Do Your Skills Measure Up? – TOEWS – SkillPlan
http://measureup.towes.com/
Pages of activities and resources to practice text reading, document use and numeracy skills
University & College Labor Studies Programs – Center for Labor Education and Research, University of Hawaii
http://clear.uhwo.hawaii.edu/LaborCenters.html
U.S. programs organized by state
Workplace Education: Twenty State Perspectives – National Commission on Adult Literacy (2007)
http://www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org/content/parkerpolicybrief.pdf
This paper describes aspects of workplace education programs in 20 states such as source of funding; connections, partnerships, and/or strategic plans implemented by workplace education programs; how states measure outcomes or determine success; the nature of workplace education outcomes achieved; challenges or barriers faced by states; what the states consider to be the key elements of success in their workplace education efforts, and; what future policy options states would like to consider.
Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE)
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/index.html?src=mr
Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) administers, coordinates programs that are related to adult education and literacy, career and technical education, and community colleges.
SABES Workforce Development Initiative
http://www.sabes.org/workforce/initiative.htm
The SABES Workforce Development Initiative was developed to help Adult Basic Education (ABE) programs engage in workforce development.
The State of Workplace Education in the States: A Policy Perspective (2004)
http://www.work-basedlearning.org/pdfs/workplace/StateofWorkplaceEducation.pdf
A report on the status of workplace education in the United States
Workplace Literacy Education: Definitions, Purposes, and Approaches, by Paul Jurmo (2004)
http://www.ncsall.net/?id=629
A brief overview of conceptualizations and approaches to workplace literacy in the United States
Being Functional – Learning and Skills Improvement Service
http://tlp.excellencegateway.org.uk/tlp/fs/fs-resources/index.php
This site aims to build on effective practice by using and repurposing proven resources from key skills and Skills for Life to support the planning and delivery of functional skills. They bring together existing key skills and Skills for Life resources that have been recommended by English, mathematics and ICT teachers and other experts, and suggest new ways in which they might be used and adapted to support the planning, delivery and assessment of functional skills.
National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER)
The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) is a not-for-profit company owned by state, territory and federal ministers responsible for training. It is a professional and independent body responsible for collecting, managing, analysing, evaluating and communicating research and statistics about vocational education and training (VET) nationally.
Skills Highway
http://www.skillshighway.govt.nz/index.htm
This New Zealand Department of Labour website profiles businesses that have tried and tested workplace literacy training.
Workbase NZ
http://www.workbase.org.nz/
A New Zealand literacy and numeracy service provider that works with business, unions, industry training and education to develop tailored literacy solutions to support government and company initiatives.
