Essential Skills. Introduction to Essential Skills. Introductory document 8/27/13

Transcription

1 Essential Skills Introductory document 8/27/13

2 Continuing Care Safety Association T: Vision Incident free workplaces. Mission To create safe workplaces through the provision of education, leadership & collaboration. Values Value safe work, and safe work behaviors. Value the right of each worker to have a safe, healthy and incident fee work environment. Value members input, feedback and direction. Disclaimer The information presented within this publication is intended for the general use of the members of the Continuing Care Safety Association. This is not a guide to government regulations and does not relieve anyone using this manual from their legal responsibilities under current or future applicable safety legislation. The Continuing Care Safety Association does not guarantee the accuracy of, nor assume any liability for the information within this document. Copyright 2013 Continuing Care Safety Association. This publication is the property of the Continuing Care Safety Association. Reproduction in any form, by any means, in whole or in part, or use of this publication for other than Continuing Care Safety Associationuses is prohibited without the express written consent of the Association. 1

3 Table of Contents What are Essential Skills?... 3 How are Essential Skills Measured?... 4 Why Essential Skills Testing?... 5 Signs of Low Essential Skill Levels... 6 Essential Skills in Canada... 6 Essential Skills Studies/Research... 8 Why Should Employers Invest in Essential Skills?... 8 Success Stories Works Cited

4 What are Essential Skills? Essential skills are the skills used by everyone for work, learning and life. The development of these skills is the foundation for which individuals are capable of learning other skills, and can greatly enhance an individual s ability to adapt to change. Nine essential skills have been identified: 1. Reading text 2. Document use 3. Numeracy 4. Writing 5. Oral communication 6. Working with others 7. Thinking 8. Computer use 9. Continuous learning *For a more thorough description of each of the identified skills, please see Summary and Review of the 9 Essential Skills. Reading, writing and numeracy are considered to be the foundational essential skills. These foundational skills are critical to the further development of the other essential skills; for example, a low reading level would make it difficult to develop a high level of document use, as reading is essential for using a document. An understanding of how these nine essential skills are applied in the workplace, through essential skills job profiles, will assist employers in ensuring that new and existing workers are able to meet the demands of their jobs, as well as will aid in assessing that any worker changing positions is equipped with the appropriate skill set for success in a new role. 3

5 How are Essential Skills Measured? In accordance with the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), most essential skills are broken down into skill levels referred to as complexity ratings. A complexity rating can range from Level 1 to Level 5; where Level 1 represents the lowest skill level and Level 5 represents the highest. Along with the assignment of a complexity level to each essential skill, each skill can also be broken down based on specific criteria, further detailing the skill. Each criterion can function somewhat independently; therefore, the final complexity rating assigned to an occupation is the best summary of its levels. Example of Essential Skills Complexity Levels: Reading Complexity Levels Reading text is broken up into five complexity levels that reflect various reading purposes: Level 1: Read relatively short text to locate a single piece of information or follow simple written directions. Level 2: Read more complex text to locate a single piece of information or read simpler text to locate multiple pieces of information. Need to be able to make simple interpretations from a single source. Level 3: Choose and integrate information from various sources or from several parts of a single text. Need to be able to make simple interpretations from multiple sources and be able to identify relevant versus irrelevant information. Level 4: Integrate and compile information from multiple sources or from complex and lengthy text. Need to be able to make complex interpretations and use general background knowledge to assist with those interpretations. Evaluate if information provided in document is accurate or sufficient. Level 5: Interpret dense and complex text using specialized knowledge if necessary, as well as make high-level inferences. Evaluate if information provided in document is accurate or sufficient. 4

6 Why Essential Skills Testing? Current economic times have created an environment where the ability to do more with less is highly valued in the workplace. The increased use of technology has also created a need for competent and highly adaptable workers who are able to use new skills to keep up with the current trends. At the same time, the focus on safety for both financial and ethical reasons has increased such that an understanding of basic skills is imperative. Employees must be able to do more with less, keep up with new technology, have the ability to adapt to an often everchanging environment and do it all while having a safety mindset. Hiring individuals with these proficiencies has become essential in the workforce. The continuing care industry has been no exception. As the continuing care environment has evolved, so too has the face of the continuing care workforce. According to the document, Alberta Labour Force Profiles: Immigrants 2011, immigration to Alberta has been steadily climbing. In the last ten years, Alberta s share of the immigrant 1 population has increased from 6.5% to 12.4%. Among those immigrating to Alberta, the rate of employment is the highest in the country at a rate of 66.2%, which is 9.8% above the national rate of 56.4%. 1 According to Alberta Labour Force Profiles 2011, Immigrant refers to people who are, or have been, landed immigrants in Canada. A landed immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to live in Canada permanently by immigration authorities. Canadian citizens by birth and non-permanent residents (persons from another country who live in Canada and have a work or study permit, or are claiming refugee status, as well as family members living here with them) are not landed immigrants. 5

7 Three quarters of Alberta s immigrants are employed in the Services Producing Sector. The highest rate of employment in this sector is in the healthcare and social assistance industries. In 2011, more immigrants than domestic Albertans were employed in the province. Individually, the health and service sectors employed 7.6% immigrants compared to 6% domestic Albertans (Government of Alberta, 2011). Industries employing a higher population of immigrants may be at a higher risk of employing staff with lower English language skills and therefore, limited essential skills, which may then result in a higher risk for safety concerns. What does all of this mean for continuing care? The injury rates and employee turnover rates in this industry are high, indicating a real need for investigation. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that staff is safe on the job. It is necessary for employers to ensure their employees are equipped with the basic essential skills required to perform their jobs in a safe and effective manner. Essential skills testing is the first step to a safer, healthier and less costly operation. Signs of Low Essential Skill Levels Essential skills challenges may often go unnoticed in the workplace. Employers have many competing priorities that require their attention and focus. These other business priorities may aid in hiding underlying essential skill problems. The following can be indicators of low essential skills in the workplace: High staff turnover rate High absenteeism Low motivation and/or productivity Employees who resist change On-the-job accidents Poor safety performance Misuse of equipment Lack of compliance with workplace procedures or policies Misunderstanding of information If you are experiencing any of these situations you may have an essential skills issue within your organization. Further investigation into the essential skills of your workforce could be beneficial to all aspects of your operations. Essential Skills in Canada According to the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), a Level 3 in essential skills testing is considered a suitable minimum for coping with the demands of everyday life and work in a complex, advanced society. (Campbell, 2008) A rating of Level 3 should be considered the minimum level required in literacy competency to be successful and perform in most jobs. Given that Level 3 should be considered the standard, how do most Canadians measure up? 42% of Canadians have literacy skills that are lower than the Level 3 standard. However, most of the individuals in this group are unaware of their skill level, and when asked, believe that their skills are good/excellent. 57.4% of individuals in the lowest Level 1 literacy level rate their skills as good/excellent and 89.6% of Level 2 rated individuals would say the same. 6

8 Alberta s immigration rates are on the rise and many of those immigrating to Alberta are active participants in Alberta s labour force, however low literacy levels may be preventing them from fully achieving their potential in the workplace. (Campbell, 2008) Self-Rating of Literacy Skills (percent, population aged 16 to 65) Level 4/5 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Self-rated as poor/moderate Self-rated as good/excellent According to legislation in Canada, employers are required to ensure employees are aware of and are able to adequately comprehend health and safety risks in the workplace. However, employees with low literacy rates may be limited in their capacity to fully comprehend and respond to these risks. This lack of comprehension can put both the worker and the employer at risk. As dictated by federal, provincial and territorial legislation, the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is Canada s national hazard communication standard. Comprehension of some of the documents in this system requires individuals to have literacy skills equivalent to the International Adult Literacy Survey, Level 4 or 5, the highest degree of literacy, and demonstrated by only 19.5% of the working age Canadian. (Campbell, 2008) Improper communication or comprehension of WHMIS can lead to very high risks and potentially life threating incidents. The stigma of having low literacy abilities may cause individuals to avoid asking for help, which can then increase the risk of harm to themselves and others. Attempting to convey information through simple pictures or words - whether written or spoken - is not always sufficient. (Campbell, 2008) Literacy implies comprehension based on vocabulary or prior knowledge. Without this vocabulary or knowledge, workers with a low literacy rate may still not be able to comprehend the resources provided, creating a higher probability of tasks being performed in an unsafe manner. Not only can low essential skill levels affect a worker s ability to understand health and safety resources, it can also affect the worker s ability to fully understand their rights as an employee. Testing for essential skills can help reduce the risk of on-the-job incidents, ensuring the safety of all involved. 7

9 Essential Skills Studies/Research In 2008, the Conference Board of Canada published a study entitled, All Signs Point to Yes: Literacy s Impact on Workplace Health and Safety. The central finding of the report is that low literacy skills can be dangerous-to the extent that it precludes access to health and safety information. (Campbell, 2008) It was reported in the study that on average employers spend 10% of their training budgets on occupational health and safety training. To make that training effective, employee literacy skills are essential; however; the study also found that out of that training budget, on average, only 2% is spent on literacy and basic skills training. (Campbell, 2008) In 2010, the Conference Board of Canada published a follow up study entitled, What You Don t Know Can Hurt You: Literacy s Impact on Workplace Health and Safety. The central finding of this report is that businesses and their employees realize health and safety benefits when literacy and/or language skills development is introduced in the workplace and that, workers with low literacy or language skills, who are assisted in raising their skills, are better able to act and react to workplace situations in accordance with approved health and safety measures. (Campbell, 2010) In March, 2004, the Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council (CTHRC), in association with the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute (CPPI), performed their own study to see if there was a significant correlation between the skill levels of their divers in Alberta and safety incidents. The study concluded that there was a correlation between essential skills proficiency and the likelihood of having an incident. The study focused on the foundational essential skills. It was found that those drivers that did not meet or exceed the reading text standard (Level 3) were 1.58 times more likely to have an incident while those that did not meet or exceed the document use standard (Level 4) were 1.69 times more likely to have an incident. The study also found that those drivers who had higher scores for reading text and document use were less likely to have had a spill incident. Those that had higher scores for reading text were less likely to have had an incident when returning from a delivery. Those individuals with higher document use were less likely to have an incident while unloading a delivery. Those drivers that scored higher on all three foundational skills were less likely to have had any type of incident. These numbers are significant given the number of individuals who did score below the standards; 50% of drivers scored lower than the standard for reading text while 95% of drivers scored lower than the standard for document use. (MacLeod, 2004) All three of these studies demonstrate that essential skills and health and safety go hand in hand. They also demonstrate the negative effects that low essential skills levels can have on all industries. The continuing care industry is impacted greatly by this trend and it is imperative that we learn more about what can be done. Why Should Employers Invest in Essential Skills? Employees who are lacking in the necessary essential skills could be placing themselves and others at risk, leaving employers vulnerable. Resident safety and quality of care is always a top concern in healthcare; however, the connection between employees working safely, resident safety and high quality care is often not seen as interchangeable, when in fact it is. With emphasis on quality of care and resident safety, low essential skills would not be seen as an acceptable cause for substandard work or for not meeting quality thresholds. (Campbell, 2010) 8

10 Workers must have the ability to work safely so as to ensure they can provide quality care for the residents they serve. Also, in these challenging economic times where employers have to compete to fill their work forces, improve quality but reduce costs and deal with rising skill requirements of many jobs, an investment in essential skills is both an advantage over competitors, as well as it is quickly becoming necessary for quality of operations. There are several benefits to be had from investing in essential skills. When workers have the ability to work safely and follow safe work practices, employers should notice direct financial benefits. Adequate essential skills should result in reduced lost time claims, reduced employee turnover, decreased WCB costs, decreased opportunity for damage to equipment and property, higher productivity and more effective service delivery. The worker s ability to adhere to safe practices requires more than just cooperation-it requires comprehension and communication skills among all. (Campbell, 2010) Workers with higher levels of essential skills are more equipped to access and understand instructions and therefore, are more likely to comprehend and practice workplace health and safety policies and procedures. There are also many indirect benefits to be had from investing in essential skills. The ABC Canada Literacy Foundations study on The Impacts of Basic Skills Programs on Canadian Workplaces investigated 53 workplaces throughout Canada that had participated in essential skills programming. All workplaces were asked a series of questions regarding demonstrable and measurable benefits of their programming. Here are some of their responses: 94% stated that basic skills programs positively influenced participants reading, writing and oral communication skills in ways that benefitted the workplace. 87% believed that the programming positively influenced participants abilities to solve problems. 90% indicated that the programming had increased employees abilities to work independently. 85% indicated that programming had enhanced participants abilities to work within a team-based model. 82% of respondents also linked increased health and safety to the basic skills programing. Two-thirds of respondents reported reduced error rates in people s work due to their participation. (Long) Impact on Workplace Success Confidence Increased ability to use technology Improved health and safety Employee morale Increased Independence at work Enhanced ability to work to work in a team Employee retention Quality of work 97% 91% 87% 85% 82% 63% 93% 84% % Improvement 9

11 Ensuring employees have the required skill levels for their jobs allows for workers to have the ability to acquire needed or new job-specific skills, to better understand their job tasks, to work as a team, to solve problems, and also to increase their self-confidence, their communication skills, and perhaps of greatest benefit, to perform with greater compliance with health and safety measures. Success Stories Employers of all sizes can benefit from essential skills testing and training. The following are examples of how other organizations in other industries have tackled the essential skills gaps in their workforces, and the benefits they have incurred by investing in essential skills training to become safety leaders in their respective fields. Omega 2000 Cribbing Inc. Omega 2000 Cribbing Inc. is a small Alberta-based company in the construction industry. Omega employs between workers at any given time. When incident investigations at Omega revealed that verbal instructions from management were not being fully understood, some pre-operational safety procedures were not properly followed and often paperwork, including safety forms, were being incorrectly filled out, management decided that essential skills training was necessary for the safety of their staff and the operation of their business.. In order for Omega employees to meet minimum required safety standards and to develop into a capable workforce, Omega decided to collaborate with local adult education centres. The onus was placed on the employee to attend and complete all course requirements and cover initial costs. After successful completion of courses, Omega would then recognize employee s achievements in personnel files as well as at performance reviews, and then staff would be reimbursed for all costs associated with successfully completing the courses, including for lost work time. Omega implemented essential skills training without the assistance of any additional funding from external or government sources. The cost associated with the additional training was viewed as essential for the growth of the business and the industry as a whole. The training provided by Omega increased the number of skilled employees in the construction industry and potentially made the entire industry that much safer. Omega has seen a significant decrease in accidents, greater precision in operations and more consistency in following health and safety practices. Employees have reported a higher degree of satisfaction with their jobs. The company is also now able to give workers opportunities to advance within the company because of their increased skill levels. The employees have gained a greater sense of commitment, understanding and sense of community in the workplace making Omega an employer of choice in Calgary. 10

12 Lilydale Inc. Lilydale Inc. is one of Canada s largest poultry producers, employing over 2300 employees across Canada and operating six manufacturing facilities and three hatcheries in the western provinces. Employees of Lilydale are required to follow strict food safety handling processes and production standards in order to provide Canadians with safe, wholesome, premium-quality products. (Scott, 2009) With the job boom in the West, Lilydale was experiencing a very high staff turnover rate, losing 70% to 85% of its employees within the first 100 days. (Scott, 2009) Further investigation into the turnover rate found that staff did not feel confident in their abilities to perform their jobs. With a large group of English as a second language (ESL) employees, a language gap was creating knowledge deficiencies and communication barriers, resulting in unsafe workplaces. Lilydale management then decided to revamp their orientation program and provide ESL training programs in efforts to improve their turnover and health and safety issues. Initially, the changes in training objectives did not directly focus on health and safety improvements; however, the positive impact on health and safety was quickly realized. Orientation now involved a maximum class size of 15 and consisted of 5 days of training comprised of both classroom and job-specific skills training. Along with the revamp to the orientation program, several critical changes were made to the orientation materials to address the language barriers, including altering the material to match the skill level of staff and the inclusion of multimedia depicting actual tasks in a familiar work environment. Additional opportunities to attend ESL classes were also provided to further language development. Following the implementation of the new orientation program and ESL classes, Lilydale saw a 69% increase in the retention of new hires. Employees are displaying an improved morale, sense of inclusiveness and higher ability to follow routine operations, including understanding health and safety practices and filling out paperwork properly. Communication has greatly improved between workers and their supervisors. With the increased literacy skills from the ESL classes, more employees are able to be promoted within the company and enhance their leadership skills. (Scott, 2009) De Beers Canada De Beers operates two mines within the Canada. The company can employ over 1000 individuals when mines are in full production. Since the success of the company is dependent on safe operation, health and safety is essential in everything the company does. Given the potentially dangerous work environment, it is critical that employees are able to follow verbal or written instructions, read and comprehend safety documentation and communicate quickly with their co-workers. Therefore, providing the resources for employees to improve their skills is critical. 11

13 To accommodate operation of shifts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including 12 hour shifts, a work-release program was offered where the company would match paid time off for personal time that is dedicated to learning. Basic skills training is customized and provided oneon-one to participants. Guided self-study is the most common method for basic skills training. A mentoring structure is used to mitigate risks during the basic skills development. The company also offers a variety of evening classes in English, math, computers and General Educational Development (GED) training. The skill development success of employees has not only impacted the company, but has also benefitted the northern community. With such a heavy emphasis placed on health and safety in the work environment, the community has seen the impact of that health and safety knowledge in the lives of the community members. De Beers is not only committed to providing training that will have short-term benefits in the work environment but wants to establish programs that will provide long- term benefits even outside of the work environment. If you would like to read more details regarding each of the companies stories, please visit the Conference Board of Canada and search under the company name at: 12

14 Works Cited Campbell, A. (2008). All Signs Point to Yes: Literacy's Impact on Workplace Health and Safety. The Conference Board of Canada. Campbell, A. (2010). What You Don't Know Can Hurt You: Literacy's Impact on Workplace Health and Safety. Conference Borad of Canada. Government of Alberta. (2011). Alberta Labour Force Profiles Immigrants Long, E. (n.d.). The Impact of Basic Skills Programs on Canadian Workplaces. ABC Canada. MacLeod, C. (2004). Essential Skills as a Predictor of Safety Performance Among CPPI-certified Petroleum Professional Drivers in Alberta. Scott, L. (2009). Hatching a Plan for Safety: Literacy Skills Developement at Lilydale Inc. 13