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WORKPLACE BASIC SKILLS

WORKPLACE EDUCATION PROGRAM

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Ability to Work

Ability to Work Smarter and Better

Improving their basic skills allows employees to complete the same tasks faster and more accurately: 

• Increased Output of Products and Services

• Reduced Time per Task

• Reduced Error Rate

• Reduced Wastage in Production of Products and Services

• Better Health and Safety Record

• Increased Quality of Work

Employees gain significantly by being able to work smarter and better. This means that employees, working with the same resources, materials and equipment, are able to work faster and more accurately. It also means that they can do their job with less effort, or conversely, do a better job with the same effort.

Working smarter and better further means improving the quality of their work experience. Improvement can come from something as simple as being able to read health and safety instructions to the pride and job satisfaction that comes from a job well done. The quality of employees’ work experience is further improved by their increased ability to carry out the full range of tasks and responsibilities inherent in their jobs without having to depend on others for remedial assistance. Ultimately, being able to work smarter increases job satisfaction and helps employees safeguard their jobs.

Many employees cited the ability to work smarter and better as a significant benefit to having participated in a WEPs.

Over 80 per cent of the employees interviewed said that the training helped them to improve the quality of their work. Of all the benefits noted by employees, improving the quality of work was the second most frequently cited benefit. An improved ability to do their job faster was noted by 70 per cent of employees and almost 60 per cent said that they were making less errors in their job. Less often cited, yet still important, was an improved their health and safety record (54 per cent), an increase in output of products and services (51 per cent) and a reduction in production wastage (46 per cent).

All of these benefits contributed to the employees’ sense of being able to work smarter and better. Trained employees are able to do their jobs more efficiently. No matter what type of basic skill the training is aimed at improving, the benefits of this training flow into a number of critical areas. At the most concrete level, employees find that they are able to take on more tasks and do them faster. One employee, a programming assistant at a health science center, commenting on the downsizing that occurred in her firm, said that while she now has more tasks assigned to her, the skills she has learned have helped her to manage them.

In other cases the improvement can come from training as straightforward as giving employees the job-specific vocabulary to be able to do their jobs. As one employee puts it: "Taking the medical terminology course means that I can now do my job better and faster because I have the right words to use." In other cases, an improved understanding of basic English helps to cut down on the amount of time needed to interpret written or verbal instructions.

"When I didn’t understand English, I needed to find an interpreter to understand what my supervisor was asking me to do. Now I don’t need one and I can do what my boss wants me to do faster."

Increased knowledge also means that tasks are done right the first time. The guesswork that often occurs when people do not understand their job is eliminated. Fewer mistakes means less frustrated employees who have an increased sense of pride in the quality of their work.

"If you don’t know how to read and understand, you guess. Sometimes you don’t guess right. With my improved language skills I was able to eliminate all those mistakes caused by guessing."

Fewer errors also means less wastage. One employee working as a meat grinder said that being able to read labels meant he could understand the difference between ‘edible’ and ‘inedible’ and different grades of meat. Before the training, he would mix different grades of meat and the batch would have to be thrown away. Workplace education also enables employees to make choices that reduce waste. For example, one hospital employee said that the training gave him the confidence and know-how to make decisions about whether materials in patients’ rooms should be thrown out or go back into stock.

Improved basic skills have direct benefits for employees in terms of health and safety. Being able to read and understand safety instructions reduces the risk of injury and allows employees to take on tasks in a safe and effective manner. In addition, many organizations require employees to pass annual safety comprehension tests. Those with limited reading and writing comprehension are at risk of losing their jobs.

"When new machines are brought in, many workers did not understand the instructions and there were lots of accidents. Now with understanding and reading the accidents have decreased tremendously."

Improved literacy skills enables workers to focus on the quality of their work, rather than worrying about whether they are doing the job right. One worker explained that the training gave him more confidence and allowed him to focus on the quality of his work rather than worrying about the math and whether he had done his calculations properly. Another, a set-up and line maintenance worker at an auto parts manufacturing company, stated that because he could now understand what the machine readings meant he could ensure that the machines are performing as they should and that the quality of the product is kept high. Ultimately, being able to work smarter and better increases employee job satisfaction.

"The training has helped because I now set up my day. For example, if I know that I have four discharges, I get all the linen done at one time rather than going back and forth four times. I am more efficient—doing the job smarter."

- Support Associate,
Large Eastern Hospital

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Last updated: February 23, 2001 .