Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment & Training Association has determined a need to increase the use and implementation of Essential Skills in the workplace by engaging employers to recruit new students, and preparing the students to be confident, competent and work-ready employees of choice.
PGNAETA currently operates an Essential Skills Division with classroom space, computer laboratory and trained staff to facilitate industry based Essential Skills development. We are the first Aboriginal organization in Canada to possess the license for the Test of Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES) and the distributorship for the PLATO and ESKILON skill building tools.
Service Canada re-vamped the National Occupation code to support nine key essential skills in any workplace. Increasing literacy comprehension, retention, advancement and safety are the cornerstones that are foundational in the need to build Essential Skills:
PGNAETA’s Essential Skills Curriculum:
PGNAETA works as a team with industry to develop and deliver Essentials Skills programs. Success is attributed to the preparation of the participants through specialized curriculum.
Examples of curriculum developed and delivered include:
The Test of the Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES), developed through the Bow Valley Community College accurately assesses each individual based upon competencies from past experiences through education and/or working. PGNAETA holds the license for the northern interior for the TOWES assessment.
PGNAETA has been working with industry, federal and provincial funding agencies and the First Nations community to prepare a “going forward” plan for Essential Skills delivery in 2010 and beyond.