Browse by series "Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies"
1. Building Skills for a Safe Workplace: Competency Management at Keyera Energy (2009)
Series: Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies
Authors: Vadim Kukushkin, The Conference Board of Canada
Keyera Energy provides services and products to oil and gas producers in western Canada, and markets related products throughout North America.
To ensure a safe and healthy work environment, Keyera developed the online Competency Management and Development System (CMDS), which ensures that workers understand their job requirements and maintain reliable records of achieved skills. While the primary focus of the CMDS is industrial training, it also addresses such essential skills as reading, writing, computer literacy and interpersonal relations.
The system has not only met Keyera’s specific needs but has also received industry-wide recognition and is currently used by 38 energy companies, which together form the CMDS user consortium.
For more information on The Conference Board of Canada, please visit: http://www.conferenceboard.ca.
Added: 2010-11-23
2. A Clear View of Safety at Loewen Windows (2010)
Series: Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies
Authors: Alison Campbell
Loewen Windows, based in the Manitoba town of Steinbach, employs almost 1,700 people and is one of Canada’s largest producers of wooden windows and doors.
In 2001, the company developed a strategic growth plan and, in keeping with this plan, broadened its commitment to develop the skills of its workforce and those of the local community. The company’s Foundation Skills Program was designed to promote opportunities for workers to upgrade their English as a Second Language (ESL) skills and to improve their literacy skills.
After the successful implementation of the Foundation Skills Program, the company added a General Education Development (GED) component for workers interested in pursuing higher education.
In this document, the author looks at the objectives, impacts and benefits of the program and discusses how it can serve as a model for other companies.
For more information on The Conference Board of Canada, please follow this link: http://www.conferenceboard.ca.
Added: 2010-08-03
3. Dishing Up Quality at Atlantic Health Sciences Corp. (2010)
Series: Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies
Authors: Alison Campbell
The Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation (AHSC) is a regional health authority serving a catchment population of 200,000 people in southwestern New Brunswick.
In 1996, the corporation’s food services department made the switch from preparing food on site to using a meal service where food is prepared off site, then heated and served on site. However, workers weren’t trained to deal with the new system and, as a result, there were problems with customer service and job performance.
To overcome these problems, managers, supervisors and workers at AHSC developed a program to address five core competencies: customer service; food service; sanitation and safety; quality improvement; and other, which dealt with miscellaneous topics not covered elsewhere. They named the program SUCCESS, for Satisfaction, Unbelievable service, Comfort, Consideration, Empathy, Support, and Smile.
The author of this document looks at the program’s implementation and at how it can be used in other settings.
For more information on The Conference Board of Canada, please follow this link: http://www.conferenceboard.ca.
Added: 2010-08-03
4. English-Language Training at Robinson Paperboard Packaging: Learning for Safety (2009)
Series: Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies
Authors: Vadim Kukushkin, The Conference Board of Canada
Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Robinson Paperboard Packaging produces tubes, cans and boxes used in the cosmetics, confectionery and other industries. More than 90 per cent of its employees are recent immigrants from South Asia and Eastern Europe.
Management’s growing concerns about its poor employee safety record led to the introduction of an English as a Second Language (ESL) program. The goals of the program were to increase the English-language verbal and written skills of employees; reduce time lost due to accidents and increase hazard awareness by raising employees’ ability to understand hazard warnings, safety manuals, and other workplace documents; improve employees’ morale and confidence; develop employees’ problem-solving skills; and help immigrant employees to better function in the larger society by improving their ability to communicate in English.
For more information on The Conference Board of Canada, please click here: http://www.conferenceboard.ca.
Added: 2010-11-26
5. Hatching a Plan for Safety: Literacy Skills Development at Lilydale Inc. (2009)
Series: Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies
Authors: Linda Scott, The Conference Board of Canada
Lilydale Inc., one of Canada’s largest poultry processors, operates manufacturing facilities and hatcheries in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Lilydale’s major challenge was a high rate of staff turnover: the company was losing between 70 and 85 per cent of its employees within the first 100 days on the job. New recruits lacked adequate orientation and training to deal with their responsibilities. This, combined with language difficulties encountered by some employees, raised concerns about health and safety on the plant floor.
Management took the initiative to create in-depth orientation and ESL (English as a Second Language) programs to overcome turnover problems and health and safety issues. The authors of this document describe the challenges, solutions and benefits encountered in the process.
For more information on The Conference Board of Canada, please follow this link: http://www.conferenceboard.ca.
Added: 2010-11-23
6. Injecting Quality Into Production: Excellence at Abbott Point of Care (2009)
Series: Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies
Authors: Linda Scott, The Conference Board of Canada
Located in Ottawa, Abbott Point of Care (APOC) is a division of globally based Abbott Laboratories. APOC develops and makes products for rapid blood analysis.
Four hundred of APOC’s Ottawa-based employees must participate in a mandatory on-the-job microelectronics apprenticeship training program. Support is provided for employees who first need to upgrade their education to complete the mandatory program.
Participants range in age from 20 to 60 and come from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds.
All apprenticeship training is completed during work shifts, and classroom training takes place in four-hour time blocks once every two weeks over a three-year period. Training objectives include increasing literacy, numeracy and other essential skills; offering high school programming for those who need it; and advancing transferable skills.
For more information on The Conference Board of Canada, please click here: http://www.conferenceboard.ca.
Added: 2010-11-19
7. A Multi-Faceted Approach to Literacy Skills Development at De Beers Canada (2010)
Series: Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies
Authors: The Conference Board of Canada, Joanne Ness
De Beers, the international diamond mining company, has significant operations in the Northwest Territories. The company is dealing with the need to improve literacy and basic skills among its employees by addressing the issues both at the work site and within the local communities.
The company’s training programs emphasize customized instruction, flexibility and self-study. Within the local communities, De Beers introduced a “Books in Homes” program that has supplied about 21,000 new books to students. Employees visit the communities to promote the importance of reading and staying in school.
Operating in the Northwest Territories poses some particular challenges for the company. For instance, while English is the official language of work at De Beers, it is not the first language for many Northern residents. The company has responded by hiring two Aboriginal employees who speak Chipewyan and Tlicho and can help with any language difficulties.
For more information on The Conference Board of Canada, please follow this link: http://www.conferenceboard.ca.
Added: 2010-07-16
8. Omega 2000 Cribbing Inc.: Forming the Foundation of Safety (2009)
Series: Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies
Authors: Joanne Ness, The Conference Board of Canada
Based in Calgary, Alberta, Omega 2000 Cribbing Inc. builds foundations for houses. The company has a strong interest in workplace education, with training focused on three distinct areas: apprenticeship training for journeymen carpenters; health and safety specialization for company officers; and basic skills such as literacy and numeracy for those lacking a solid foundation in those areas.
Omega 2000 developed a partnership with the Calgary Board of Education that allows workers to take classes at a number of adult education centres operated by the board. While instruction generally takes place in formal classroom settings, there are also some distance education options available to the workers.
For more information on The Conference Board of Canada, please follow this link: http://www.conferenceboard.ca.
Added: 2010-11-26
9. Priority Communications Within the City of Vancouver (2010)
Series: Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies
Authors: The Conference Board of Canada
This document is a case study of the Vancouver Municipal Workplace Language Program (VMWLP). The program was established in 1990 to address the need to upgrade employees’ literacy, language, and communication skills.
For the City of Vancouver, the program's goals were to create a workforce that is able to communicate effectively; create an inclusive workplace that values and welcomes diversity; provide all employees with an equal chance to develop their potential; and become a leader in supporting diversity and change in the community.
Because of changing organizational needs, the program is not currently operating at the City of Vancouver. However, it has been implemented in other municipalities, Crown corporations, government departments and industrial settings.
Added: 2010-05-11
10. Safe Landings: Adult Basic Education at Bristol Aerospace (2010)
Series: Good Practices in Action – Conference Board of Canada Case studies
Authors: Alison Campbell, The Conference Board of Canada
In the 1990s, Winnipeg-based Bristol Aerospace launched a workforce skills upgrading program to help prepare the company to expand into new markets.
Bristol began with a workplace-based Adult Basic Education (ABE) program offering 80 hours of training over 20 weeks. From there, the company partnered with Red River Community College to develop and deliver technical training programs.
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) strategies were used to reduce the time workers needed to meet national training standards required for certification in their trades. Workers took part in just those training elements for which they lacked skills, rather than an entire course.
For more information on The Conference Board of Canada, please follow this link: http://www.conferenceboard.ca.
Added: 2010-11-19
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