Demands of the work world are constantly changing, and employees who are versatile and able to learn have a distinct advantage in today’s labour market.
Friday, September 27, is Essential Skills Day, a day to bring attention to the importance of the many different skills that help workers to thrive, no matter what their job. Some of the nine essential skills that have been identified by the government may be obvious—such as reading, writing, numeracy and the use of digital technology. Others that are perhaps not so self evident include critical thinking, oral communication, working with others, continuous learning and document use.
Powell River Learning Centre, located above the Bank of Montreal on Marine Avenue, houses two programs that can help people to strengthen their essential skills. Community Adult Literacy and Learning (CALL) is a one-to-one tutoring program for adults. English Second Language Settlement Assistance Program (ESLSAP) provides tutoring and immigrant services for permanent residents, refugees, naturalized Canadian citizens, PNP (Provincial Nominee Program) applicants and people applying to stay in Canada.
“In a changing work world there might be gaps in a person’s education,” CALL coordinator Deb Calderon says. “Filling those gaps can make the difference for getting a job or promotion.”
“For ESL clients, strengthening essential skills can open up training or work opportunities,” says ESLSAP coordinator Kelli Henderson. “Any person can find themselves in a place where they need to have more training.”
A lot of people think that programs like CALL and ESLSAP are for people who can’t read, Calderon continues. “But all of us need a boost in our literacy at some point. We work with people with a range of literacy levels.” CALL and ESLSAP have helped people with tasks as varied as getting their high school diploma, upgrading to study at Vancouver Island University, studying for the FoodSafe exam, or getting their driver’s licence.
“It’s very gratifying to see people working to improve their lives,” Calderon says.
And students aren’t the only ones learning at the Learning Centre. Russ Morris has been tutoring with CALL for a number of years.
“The experience of being a tutor has been a very rewarding one,” he says. “I have learned much along the way with my learner, as well as getting the immense satisfaction of seeing someone progress towards a worthy goal.”
Besides ESLSAP and CALL, the centre is home to the Powell River Literacy Council, which is launching an Essential Skills Guide for Powell River this month. The guide contains information about the essential skills, why they are important to employers and employees, as well as local and online resources.
To celebrate Essential Skills Day and the launch of the guide, the centre will host an open house from noon to 1 pm on Friday, September 27. All are welcome to visit and enjoy refreshments, pick up a copy of the guide, and find out more about the centre and its programs. For more information, readers can contact Emma Levez Larocque at 604.485.2004.
