Essential Skills - National Adult Literacy Database
Essential Skills - National Adult Literacy Database
Essential Skills - National Adult Literacy Database
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<strong>Essential</strong> <strong>Skills</strong> and the Northern Oil and Gas Workforce Final Report and Resource Guide<br />
Day 2 SESSION 6:<br />
ASSESSING LEARNING AND WORK READINESS<br />
Presenters: Hildy Hanson (Keyano College)<br />
John Pahl (Akita Drilling)<br />
Lana Roeland (I&D Management)<br />
Overview<br />
TOWES can assess proficiency in three of the essential skill domains, reading text, document<br />
use and numeracy but, there are other skill domains and attributes that also need to be<br />
considered in preparing for learning and work. The members of this panel, Hildy Hanson,<br />
Keyano College, Lana Roeland, I&D Management, and John Pahl, Akita Drilling, described some<br />
of the tools and approaches that can be used for determining learning and career paths,<br />
readiness for work, and occupational ‘fit’. Each panel member had a perspective that is<br />
informed by his or her own work. Hildy described some of the tools used in an education<br />
setting, Lana, those used by a human resource management company and John, assessment<br />
tools typical of the drilling industry. Delegates were encouraged to ask questions and discuss<br />
issues around assessment.<br />
Keyano College<br />
At Keyano College, anyone who wants to take a 3 day contextualized reading workshop can do<br />
so with no assessment expectations attached. However, if a learner requests a reading<br />
assessment, a two hour test can be administered. In terms of numeracy, a math assessment is<br />
used to screen learners into essential skills programs, although the college is moving away from<br />
the use of assessment scores as pre-requisites for essential skills courses.<br />
Keyano’s clients, Syncrude and Suncor, use TOWES as a pre-employment screening tool for<br />
three occupations. In these cases, job applicants write the test, and must achieve 85% to be<br />
considered for employment. In the mine operations program, TOWES is used as part of learner<br />
assessment procedures in response to employer demands. In this case, the program, itself,<br />
addresses the kinds of problem sets TOWES uses, enabling most learners to achieve passing<br />
scores.<br />
In terms of assessing English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, the Canadian Language<br />
Benchmarks are used. The Test of Basic English (TABE) is administered in the trades programs.<br />
I&D Management<br />
I&D Management screens and hires truck drivers for Diavik Diamond Mines Inc. I&D currently<br />
has 150 employees on the Diavik site. I&D does not use formal assessment tools or grade level<br />
attainment to screen individuals into employment positions. Instead, workers are initially given<br />
a verbally administered assessment based on three lists of word (single syllable, 2-3 syllable<br />
and 3-4 syllable) and a signage test targeting signs found on site. They must also pass<br />
document use assessments involving materials from safety manuals. These documents range<br />
from short text pieces with accompanying pictures to more complex forms.<br />
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