Transcript towes “g series”

MEETING THE CHALLENGE
Essential Skills and TOWES
Workplace Skill Demands
on the Rise
FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING & EARNING
What are the Required
Workforce Skills?

Combination of:

Job/Workplace Skills (J S)
• Employer and Position
specific

Technical Skills (T S)
JS
TS
• Occupational specific

Essential Skills (E S)
• Foundational and
transferable
ES
Which of the following occupations demands the
highest level of writing skills?
a) Elementary & secondary school teacher
assistants
b) Security guards
c) Water & waste plant operators
d) Records and file clerks
Which of the following occupation’s typical
reading tasks rate highest in complexity?
a) Paramedics
b) Library assistants
c) Flight attendants
d) Glaziers
Which of these occupations demands problemsolving skills higher than the majority of
Canadians can demonstrate?
a) Mine service & support workers
b) Heavy equipment operators
c) Golf club managers
d) Human resources professionals
Canada’s Skill Deficit
• 22 country survey (IALS) determined the literacy
levels of adults and the impact of literacy on
economic success and global competitiveness.
Developed new 5 point scale to measure
proficiency.
• New survey – Adult Literacy & Life Skills Survey
results available May, 2005.
Comparative distributions of skills levels
Per cent of populations aged 16 to 65 at each skills level, 2003
A. Prose literacy scale
Per cent
100
80
60
40
20
0
20
40
60
80
100
Norway
Bermuda
Level 2
Canada
Level 1
Switzerland United States
Italy
Level 3
Nuevo Leon,
Mexico
Switzerland
Level 2
Norway
Canada
Level 1
Bermuda
Level 3
Norway
Level 4/5
C. Numeracy scale
Per cent
100
80
60
40
20
0
20
40
60
80
100
B. Document literacy scale
Per cent
100
80
60
40
20
0
20
40
60
80
100
Canada
Level 2
Italy
Level 4/5
Countries are ranked by the proportions in Levels 3 and 4/5.
Source: Adult Literacy and Life Skills Survey, 2003.
Switzerland
Level 1
United States
Level 3
Italy
Nuevo Leon,
Mexico
Level 4/5
D. Problem solving scale
Per cent
100
80
60
40
20
0
20
40
60
80
100
United States
Bermuda
Norway
Level 2
Switzerland
Canada
Level 1
Bermuda
Level 3
Italy
Level 4
PERFORMANCE OF CANADIANS
A significant portion
of Canadians are at
the two lowest levels
in three important
essential skill areas:
reading text,
document use and
numeracy.
Canadian Workforce Distribution by Level
35%
32%
30%
25%
20%
25%
23%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4/5
Source: Matching Canadians’ Literacy Attainment to
Actual Occupational Requirements, May 2001.
Canada’s Skill Deficit
Key Findings from IALS and ALL:
•
Literacy is firmly linked to economic success
and productivity
•
Levels 1 & 2 two to three times more likely to
be outside labour market 6+ months
•
Respondents scoring less than 3 out of 5 lack
the skills needed to transfer existing
knowledge to new environments.
ESSENTIAL SKILLS PROFILES
 Government has profiled the
Essential skill requirements for 200
NOC job classifications; by 2007
all job classifications will have
been profiled
 Each profile provides detailed
information about how Essential
Skills are used by workers in that
job classification.
 Research results are available,
free of charge
www15.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca
WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL SKILLS
 “enabling” skills that help people perform
tasks required by their jobs.
 skills that provide workers with a
foundation for learning other skills.
 skills that enhance the ability to adapt to
change.
Workplace essential skills are the
Velcro to which other training sticks
NINE ESSENTIAL SKILLS
1.
Reading text
2.
Document use
3.
Numeracy
4.
Writing
5.
Oral communication
6.
Thinking skills
7.
Working with others
8.
Computer use
9.
Continuous learning
Workplace Demands for Essential Skills
Jobs for which no
post secondary
education is
necessary
increasingly
require a minimum
of Level 3 (e.g.
cashier, security
guard or labourer).
100%
Reading
text
80%
60%
40%
Document
use
20%
Numeracy
0%
level 1 level 2
lowest
level 3
level 4/5
highest
Source: Matching Canadians’ Literacy Attainment to
Actual Occupational Requirements, May 2001.
IMPACT ON CANADA’S GDP
Research indicates
that a 1% (5 point)
gain in Essential
Skills scores, on a
per worker basis,
would increase
Canada’s GDP by
1.5 %. This gain
would be realized
year-after-year.
.
Relationship between GDP per capita and per cent at
Reading Text - Levels 1 and 2, population aged 16-65, 19941998
IMPACT ON SAFETY
Research conducted by
groups such as the
Canadian Trucking
Human Resources
Council shows that
workers with skills at
Levels 1 & 2 were
150% more likely to be
involved in a workplace
accident than those at
level 3 and higher.
Valid Measure of Workplace Skills ?
Employers may use academic credentials, such as
the Grade 12 Diploma, to screen job applicants.
Issues that arise from using Grade 12 to screen:
1.
There is no national, provincial, or even school
board-wide standard for a Grade 12;
2.
The academic nature of the content is different
from what is found in the workplace.
3.
May result in overlooking qualified candidates
Sample: Academic-Based Question
Question 1 - Alberta English 33 Grade 12 Diploma Exam
(1999)
In the phrase “a sorrow wandering in the halls
of memory” (line 5), the author effectively uses:
a) imitative harmony
b) personification
c) alliteration
d) irony
Sample: Workplace-Based Question
What is the catalog number and description of the part
from the 7700 series mask shown below?
Note: supporting document not shown
___________
Catalog number
____________
Description
NINE ESSENTIAL SKILLS
1.
Reading text
2.
Document use
3.
Numeracy
4.
Writing
5.
Oral communication
6.
Thinking skills
7.
Working with others
8.
Computer use
9.
Continuous learning
TOWES
TOWES “G SERIES”
 Three generic versions
 Compares test results to national
standards established by HRSDC
 Results comparable to more than 300
occupations using Essential Skills
Profile data
TOWES “G SERIES”
Three generic versions:
G1 – Levels 1-2
G2 – Levels 2-3
G3 – Levels 3-4
 Measure Up tasks can be used to
help select appropriate test
G SERIES… Employer Benefits
 Provides reliable hiring data
 Ensures employees have required skills
 Complements and enhances existing
job-screening tools and processes
 Assists in succession planning and
training
TOWES in Ontario





Saint Gobain (manufacturer of industrial fabrics) –
selection/hiring tool
TRW Vehicle Systems (manufacturer metal parts) – selecting
employees for promotion or apprenticeship training.
Ontario Northland Transportation Commission
Abitibi Consolidated – recall laid off workers/screening tool
for new hires
Tembec – screen employees for internal apprenticeship
program
Testimonials
“TOWES has become a standard for our hiring process
at Abitibi Consolidated. This measurement of essential
skills is one of the tools to ensure we are hiring the best
candidate.”
Janine Welch
Human Resources Supervisor
Abitibi Consolidated
“Over the last year, Ontario Northland has undergone a
significant reorganization which has resulted in the hiring
of roughly 125 employees, half in skilled trades positions,
out of a total employee base of 1,000. By working with
Canadore College and using the TOWES testing system,
we were able to evaluate skilled trades’ applications more
effectively and efficiently, in order to hire the best
candidates for the positions.”
Greg Stuart, Director of Human Resources - Ontario
Northland Transportation Commission
TOWES in ONTARIO
More Information…
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www.jobsetc.ca/equalizer/index.jsp
www.towes.com
www.towes.com/measureup
www.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca