Literacy Link South Central

Skill Development in the Workplace

Before Covid-19, employers were experiencing a talent shortage. Thousands of fulltime jobs went unfilled in Elgin, Oxford, and Middlesex counties. And then the pandemic happened. Some employees were unable to work, some were afraid to work, and others left work and still have not returned. As a result, the talent search is even more difficult now than it was pre-pandemic.

Today, Ontario faces a labour shortage, and employers are focused on keeping the skilled and experienced workers they have (this is known as “retention”). They also want to hire good people they can train and retain, workers who can grow in their roles and gain skills as they learn their jobs. Currently, employers are hiring workers who sometimes lack the skills and experience they need.

There has been exponential growth among employers who need assistance with skills training in communication, numeracy, and soft and digital skills for their employees. In the 2021 EmployerOne Survey administered by the Workforce Planning and Development Board, ninety-six employers said they would be interested in hearing more about local adult upgrading programs. That is where our Skill Development in the Workplace Project comes into the picture.

Through this Skill Development project, Literacy Link South Central (LLSC) worked with several employers who signaled their desire to work with us and our project partner, Literacy Link Eastern Ontario (LLEO). No two employers are alike, so LLSC and LLEO conducted a needs analysis for each. Based on the results of these analyses, each employer identified a variety of training needs including but not limited to:

Individual employee discussion about skills
One-on-one tutoring
Communication/reading/writing training
Numeracy training
Soft skills training (e.g., interpersonal skills, time management skills, adaptability)
Leadership training
Digital skills training
Financial literacy training
English as a Second Language training
Foreign credential recognition
Overview of hiring practices/tools

LLSC and LLEO then partnered with Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) programs at Fanshawe College (London, St. Thomas, and Woodstock campuses), the YWCA of St. Thomas-Elgin, the Tillsonburg Multiservice Centre, and the London Learning Centre to design, develop, and deliver on-site skills training in both a group setting and an individualized manner. LLSC also worked with LUSO Community Services to deliver informational presentations on ESL to New Canadians looking to improve their English skills and work towards permanent residency.

To help LBS programs continue this work after the completion of this project, LLSC also developed and delivered training that shows LBS practitioners how to deliver literacy-focused learning to the workplace. We are pleased to help build capacity within the LBS community to market, assess, train, and evaluate training in the workplace through our Skill Development in the Workplace Project. Click here to view each of the training webinars!

Literacy Link South Central believes that building partnerships with local employers is the future of LBS and we are proud to have executed this project through the Skills Development Fund of Ontario.

Are you an employer interested in learning more about how we can help you build your staff's skills? Click here to learn more!