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ESSENTIAL SKILLS TRAINING AT THE WORKSITE The Steel Industry and Colleges Retool the Workforce

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Title: ESSENTIAL SKILLS TRAINING AT THE WORKSITE The Steel Industry and Colleges Retool the Workforce


1
ESSENTIAL SKILLS TRAINING AT THE WORKSITEThe
Steel Industry and Colleges Retool the Workforce
2009 Skill Plan conference Ottawa
2
AGENDA
  • Who are the participants?
  • What are we trying to do?
  • Why are we doing this?
  • How did we go about it?
  • What were the results?
  • Where do we go from here?

3
Who are the participants?
  • Evraz (Regina and Red Deer)
  • United Steel Workers (USW 5890)
  • International Association Of Ironworkers
  • SIAST
  • Saskatchewan Provincial Government
  • Federal Government
  • CSTEC

4
Participant EVRAZ
  • Evraz is one of the largest vertically-integrated
    steel, mining and vanadium businesses in the
    world.  Its North American operations, known as
    Evraz Inc. NA, is a diversified steel
    manufacturer, producing over 5 million tons of
    specialty and commodity steel products
    annually.  
  • Its Regina facility, formerly known as IPSCO,
    employs more than 1,000 people and is home to a
    steel mill, six pipe mills, a coil processing
    finishing facility and a state of the art
    research centre. 
  • The Red Deer Works is a pipe mill producing small
    diameter line pipe, and structural products.
    This facility is a valued supplier in the energy
    tubular and industrial pipe markets in North
    America.
  • Both facilities have teamed up with their unions
    and CSTEC to address some Essential Skills
    concerns.

5
Participant USW 5890
The United Steelworkers in Canada
  • The United Steelworkers today barely resembles
    the male dominated industrial union of the 1930s,
    40s and 50s. The increasing diversity of the
    membership has strengthened the basic principles
    on which the union was founded.
  • Workers employed in the steel industry and in
    mining total about 65,000 out of a total
    membership in Canada of 250,000. Steelworker
    members can be found in every sector of the
    economy from factories to offices, to
    hospitals, university campuses, hotels,
    warehouses, bakeries, banks, transportation,
    communication workers and many more. More than
    20 per cent of Steelworkers now are women, and
    there is a growing membership among visible
    minority workers.

6
Participant SIAST
  • Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and
    Technology (SIAST) is a diploma granting
    post-secondary institution that has four Campuses
    across Saskatchewan.
  • SIAST is a nationally and internationally
    recognized, pre-eminent provider of skills and
    technical training.
  • More than 12,000 students are enrolled in its
    programs and has approximately 28,000 additional
    individual continuing education registrations.
  • Provides contract training services to business
    and industry.

7
Participant CSTEC
  • The Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress
    (CSTEC) is a joint venture between Canadas steel
    producing companies and the United Steelworkers
    (USW). For over 20 years, we have been providing
    a wide range of important services to employers
    and to employed and unemployed workers in
    workplaces across Canada. We built our experience
    and expertise by helping the Canadian steel
    industry and its workers meet their evolving
    challenges.

8
Participant CSTEC
Common issues, Different needs The thread that
runs through all of CSTECs activities is Common
issues, Different needs. Whether the challenges
facing the industry are the result of external or
internal circumstances, in each case all the
stakeholders are facing the same issues in some
fashion, and all have distinct needs that have to
be addressed. As a result of 20 years of
experience, the Canadian steel producers and
their unions have learned to work effectively and
collaboratively on significant and shared areas
of concern.
9
What are we trying to do?
In the past Essential skills have been used to
  • Develop job descriptions and/or occupational
    standards
  • Decide what skills to look for when hiring and
    develop assessment tools accordingly
  • Develop staff training plans and/or curriculum
  • These all reflect workplace-centered needs.
    CSTECs course of action on Essential Skills is
    that we go beyond the limited definition of
    essential skills. We see industry employees as
    complete human beings with active roles in their
    communities, families, and unions, as well as
    their workplaces.
  • With this more holistic perspective, and with
    CSTECs consistent approach to active engagement
    of union and management, the objective facing the
    steel industry is to develop a more strategic
    approach to its training using essential skills
    as the building blocks to all learning.

10
Interesting ways of looking at Essential Skills
11
WHERE ESSENTIAL SKILLS FIT WITH TECHNICAL SKILLS
12
Where EssentialSkills Fit With OtherLife Skills
Work
Personal
Family
Community
Career Development
Planning Family Future
Building a Future
Democratic Participation
Employer Specific Skills
Occupation Specific
Skills
Collective Action
Active Enjoyment
Participatory Involvement
Understanding Sharing
Integration
Working with others Continuous Learning Oral
Communication Thinking Skills Computer
Use Document Use
Essential Skills
Numeracy Reading Writing
13
What are we trying to do?
  • Equip existing employees with the necessary
    essential skills that allow them to become more
    involved in family and community matters as well
    as tackle new technologies and assume jobs with
    larger responsibilities within their
    organizations.
  • Assess and identify where the Essential Skill
    gaps exist.
  • Address those Essential Skill gaps through on
    site classroom training.
  • Incorporate Essential Skills into the training
    framework.
  • Doesnt this sound simple ???

14
Why are we doing this?
  • The steel mill of today is integrating
    technology at a faster rate than ever before.
  • Baby boomers are retiring. One steel mill in
    Canada will see 51 of their employees become
    eligible for retirement within the next four
    years.
  • Colleges are equipping new students with the
    essential skills to tackle new challenges but
    individuals already in the workforce need their
    skills upgraded as well.
  • By giving individuals in the workforce Essential
    Skills training we are ensuring that no one gets
    left behind.

15
How did we go about it?
  • Pilot sites were chosen at steel mills in
    Saskatchewan, Ontario and Quebec.
  • Personnel from each location were selected and
    trained by CSTEC to become part of a Joint
    Training / Education committee. (JTEC)
  • CSTEC Coordinators working with these committees
    prepared intended goals for each of the pilot
    sites.
  • Measurement criteria were drafted to assess
    whether or not the intended goals were achieved.

16
Goals
Defined Success
17
How did we go about it?
Background
Evraz once had a JTEC committee but it was
discontinued several years ago. A new union
executive at the Regina facility lead by Bill
Edwards and forward thinking management on
Evrazs behalf concurred with CSTEC that
resurrection of the JTEC for the Essential skills
project was a good idea. Proper training of a
joint committee is an absolute necessity if the
committee wants to function successfully
18
How did we go about it?
CSTEC version of how to build a Joint Training
and Education Committee that incorporates
Essential Skills
19
How did we go about it?
The Joint Training / Education Committee or JTEC
is comprised of management and union personnel (
with assistance from CSTEC) that is committed to
developing and providing educational programs for
employees to enhance and improve their Essential
Skills. The JTECs role is to promote training in
the workplace and to initiate, evaluate, and
improve learning programs, including Essential
Skills. Through collaborative efforts, the JTEC
helps ensure that these programs become an
ongoing part of an employees training.
20
JTEC Responsibilities
The JTEC identifies the learning needs of workers
and sets out a strategy to address these needs.
Develops guidelines to focus the scope of the
work. Solicits and promotes commitment from all
necessary parties. Develops an organizational
needs assessment. Conducts an organizational
needs assessment. Designs the learning programs
and delivery method. (Technical institutions,
CSTEC, Union personnel etc.) Promote program to
participants, hire instructors, train
peers. Develop an evaluation strategy. Implement
changes based on the evaluation results.
Recognize success and celebrate the results.
21
What are the JTECs Relationship Barriers ?
  • Appreciate the goals and objectives of all
    parties.
  • All parties must learn to appreciate the needs
    of the workers.
  • Need competence to be part of the committee /
    good attitude.
  • Participants should be good listeners.
  • Respect others self esteem, no ridiculing.
  • Create a favorable environment for expression.
  • Once decisions are made, all committee members
    will abide by them.
  • There must be credibility and trust within the
    committee.

22
What are the JTECs Relationship Barriers
? continued
  • The committee must work within a clear mandate.
    (Sr. Mgt / Union exec.)
  • How are decisions made ? Consensus basis ?
  • How do we resolve difficult issues ?
  • Meetings need to be regular and all must
    participate.
  • Respect confidentiality.
  • All actions should be commonly determined.
  • Committee members should feel comfortable
    raising issues in the group.
  • Who runs the meeting, takes the minutes, sets
    the agenda ?

23
Decision making / communication within the JTEC
Joint committees make decisions by consensus.
Members discuss until everyone reaches a point of
understanding, agreement and resolution. Each
person must live with the decision.
Committee members also
  • support each other through open communication.
  • assign a note-taker who takes and distributes
    the minutes of meetings.
  • share the work among committee members.
  • caucus when necessary.
  • select a co-chair person for each side.

24
Tips for working together
Guidelines for working together Joint committees
follow these guidelines
  • Include everyone in the discussion, decision
    making, and activities of the committee.
  • Discuss issues with members who were not present
    at a meeting before making decisions.
  • Listen to each person and respect each others
    opinions.
  • Share responsibilities and accountability
    fairly.
  • Keep your principles and program goals visible.

25
Principles and program goals
The committee at Evraz developed their mission
statement or program goals
The mission of the Joint Training and Education
Committee (JTEC) is to provide the learning tools
and environment for all Evraz employees to reach
their full potential. The JTEC promotes personal
and professional excellence through continued
development of employee training programs that
support the current and future success of
employees and the Company. This committee is a
joint venture of Evraz, the USW and CSTEC.
26
How did we go about it?
Limits of a joint committee a joint committee
must work within established boundaries. They do
not have carte blanche or a blank
cheque. This means that the union members on the
committee are accountable to the union executive
and that management personnel are accountable to
senior management. Also, the parties involved on
the JTEC are accountable to each other. This is
a simple ground rule that is necessary as it
keeps all lines of communication open and helps
ensure that a JTEC has the support of the union
executive and senior management throughout all of
its endeavors.
27
How did we go about it?
  • The committee is now trained and functioning as
    an entity
  • The committee decided on a plan to start
    addressing essential skills in the workplace
  • Evaluation of TOWES as a possible tool for needs
    assessment was chosen as the first course of
    action for this plan

28
The First Trial
  • Enlisted the services of CSTEC to administer the
    TOWES test to 10 selected employees. (supervisors
    and union)
  • 4 of the 10 employees scored very well.
  • The TOWES tests indicated that 6 of the 10
    employees could benefit from some classroom
    training.
  • Enlisted the services of SIAST to create an on
    site classroom at the worksite and develop a
    curriculum that will address the skill gaps
    identified by TOWES .
  • Students were given 30 hours of instruction by a
    SIAST instructor using workplace documents that
    focused on individual requirements for reading,
    document use and numeracy.
  • A post TOWES assessment was administered by CSTEC
    at the end of the instruction period and the
    scores were compared.

29
EVRAZ Joint Training and Education
CommitteeTrial 1
30
TOWES IRT Score Gain AveragesEvraz Essential
Skills Refresher(April - May 2008)
31
The Second Trial
  • Evraz Red Deer has an apprenticeship program.
  • The Apprenticeship Committee wants to set their
    applicants up to succeed.
  • They want to test their applicants essential
    skills prior to admission into the program to
    find out if there are any essential skill gaps.
  • In the past the GATB was used to assess the
    applicants.
  • The committee felt this assessment didnt zero
    in on essential skills as much as they felt was
    necessary.
  • The TOWES assessment however zeroed in on the 3
    essential skills the committee believes to be
    most important for applicant success.
  • CSTEC was asked to administer the TOWES
    assessment to eight industrial electrician
    candidates.
  • The results are as follows

32
TOWESApprenticeship Essential Skills Assessment
EVRAZ (Red Deer)
33
TOWESApprenticeship Essential Skills Assessment
EVRAZ (Red Deer)
34
TOWES trial results at Evraz Red Deer
  • The apprenticeship committee believes that
    apprentices for the position of industrial
    electrician should be at a minimum level 3
    (IALS).
  • 6 of the 8 candidates evaluated met that
    criteria.
  • 2 of the candidates fell slightly short, however,
    they were given a chance to refresh their skills
    in areas of weakness and are currently enrolled
    and doing well in the Evraz Red Deer
    apprenticeship program.
  • The committee was very happy with the TOWES
    assessment regimen vs. the GATB.

35
The Third Trial
  • Enlisted the services of CSTEC to administer
    the TOWES test to 42 of the 50 volunteer
    employees. (supervisors and union)
  • 23 of the 42 employees fell outside of the
    scope set for this trial.
  • The TOWES tests indicated that 19 of the 42
    employees could benefit from some classroom
    training.
  • Enlisted the services of SIAST to create an on
    site classroom at the worksite and build on the
    previous curriculum to address the skill gaps
    identified by TOWES .
  • Students were given 20 hours of instruction by
    a SIAST instructor using workplace documents and
    10 hours of homework assignments that focused on
    individual requirements for reading, document use
    and numeracy.
  • A post TOWES assessment was administered by
    CSTEC at the end of the instruction period and
    the scores were compared.

36
EVRAZ Joint Training and Education Committee
Trial 3
37
TOWES IRT Score Gain AveragesEvraz Essential
Skills Refresher(October)
38
Post Test Analysis
Reading Scores showed a significant increase.
This may be attributed to instructional focus.
Review of pre-test results indicated Reading Text
as the area with the largest number of scores in
the 2 range. The facilitator therefore chose to
place more intense focus in this area. The time
and focus dedicated to reading skills, may
account for the overall rise in Reading Text
scores. Conversely the relative lack of increase
in document use and numeracy scores may reflect
the reduced emphasis in these areas. The course
outline produced as a result of this project has
increased focus on document use and numeracy in
an effort to provide a more balanced opportunity
for learning and practicing skills. Finally,
individual factors beyond the control or scope of
the program and the testing environment may
account for some variance in test results.
39
Trial Outcomes
  • Both facilities believed their trials to be
    successful.
  • Both the Red Deer facility and the Regina
    facility were happy with the outcomes they
    received from utilizing workplace documents to
    refresh skills and performing TOWES assessments.
  • The Regina JTEC believes that TOWES is a great
    tool for assessing specific jobs within the plant
    but need not be used for every job.
  • Trials continue at the Regina facility using
    other assessment tools to address gaps for some
    of the other nine essential skills not addressed
    with TOWES.

40
Benefits
  • This project provided employees and supervisors
    expanded essential skills in their home life and
    existing occupations enabling occupational
    growth, advancement potential and job security.
  • This project identified potential candidates for
    other and emerging Evraz Regina occupations.
  • This project provided a documented training
    curriculum that will be used in future Evraz
    Regina and CSTEC training initiatives across
    Canada.
  • Evraz Regina will benefit from increased
    productivity, improved safety statistics as well
    as workers that are more flexible and adaptable.
    These characteristics are inherent in
    organizations with improved levels of ES in their
    workforce and over time these benefits should be
    achieved.
  • Workers with the increased levels of essential
    skills have stated they are more confident in
    carrying out their daily tasks and activities.

41
Excerpt from the JTEC minutes
Discussion on potential perception issues of the
TOWES Essential Skill Evaluations that employees
may have and the importance of communicating the
process properly evoked the following comments
  • The number one question will be How will this
    affect my ability to bid on different positions?
    A standard concise answer must be developed and
    communicated to all employees.
  • The second question will be Will I get paid to
    do any training pointed out by the essential
    skills evaluation? The answer will be as with
    all training, you will receive pay as defined in
    the CBA.
  • Marketing is critical - Life skills improve a
    persons entire quality of life.
  • Shaping the presentation or the selling of the
    evaluation process must target the employees
    comfort levels.
  • Building their personal confidence and
    reflecting the process as a portal for personal
    improvement should be a key strategy.

42
Testimony USW 5890
Steelworkers 5890 Local 5890 participated in a
CSTEC pilot program on Essential Skills. The
results showed improvement in the areas of
numeracy, understanding documents, and reading.
This project has been expanded past the small
test group to being offered to the rest of the
members of this local. This has been one of the
most successful programs we have been a part of
and look forward to more of the same good
results. Bill Edwards President USW5890
43
Testimony Evraz
"Brian has provided a number of services for
CSTEC, including the delivery of Essential Skills
training for employees of Evraz.  The feedback we
have received from participants has been very
positive.  It is difficult to quantify the value
of this training to the volunteer employees and
the Company, but I have no doubt that the
measured improvements we saw will pay dividends
for years to come.  At minimum, those who
volunteered to improve their Essential Skills
feel much better about the Company who provided
them this opportunity to improve their skills.  I
have no doubt that these employees will provide
better service to the Company with a stronger tie
to the Company and better skills with which to do
their job.  I'm happy to voice my show of support
for Brian and the Essential Skills program that
he helped us provide." Marshall A.
HamiltonSenior Director, Human ResourcesEvraz
Inc. NA
44
Student Testimony (Evraz)
When I was first approached about taking this
course, I was hesitant as I had not been in
school since 1981 with the exception of taking
one night class in 1990.   I was under the
impression the everyday skills that I have,
i.e.... math, reading, writing, problem solving,
etc. were adequate in my current work
environment. After progressing through the TOWES
exam, I realized that my initial thoughts were
maybe not quite correct....in other words, "what
the hell have I gotten myself into".   I
realized at that point, I would have to dig
deeper into my past knowledge and really think
things through.  At the end of the first exam, I
was frustrated, mentally and physically
drained...as though I had just worked a 12 hour
shift and nothing went right.  As I progressed
through the Essential Skills course, I found the
skills that I had let slide throughout the years
had improved drastically.  On the final TOWES
exam, my marks improved higher than anyone else
in the class (even though there is no "pass" or
"fail").  I would like to stress that without the
company's allowance for me to take the time off I
needed for this course, I feel my score would not
have been at the level that I had reached.  I
would highly recommend this course to all
employees if their employer is willing to offer
it.
45
CSTEC Testimony
SIAST was great. The instructors made the
classroom interesting for the students and a
memorable experience. The evaluations I received
from the students all indicate that they were
very happy with the instruction and all felt
confident that they had learned a great deal.
The fact the instructors must deal with adult
students that have been in the workforce for some
time takes special skill and by all indications,
SIAST handles these situations very well. Margie
Gehl and Faye Cameron have both instructed
supervisors and employees on site at Evraz and
both have done a masterful job. Special mention
to Joan Patterson as well. Lou Charlebois from
SIAST has been a huge help with all of the
endeavours Evraz and CSTEC have undertaken with
regards to Essential Skills. He is a wealth of
information and a great resource. He knows who
you need to talk to, what you might need to try,
and of course, always asks the question, how can
I be of assistance?
46
Where do we go from here?
The next phase of this project will see select
personnel from Evraz and CSTEC trained by SIAST
to deliver the essential skills curriculum they
have developed. In essence, peers will be
training peers in a closed loop or self
contained system. Employees and supervisors can
receive this training right at the worksite.
The minimal cost and ease of performing a home
grown Essential Skills refresher training course
goes a long way towards ensuring that this good
work continues.
47
Questions
  • Nows the time
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