Essential Skills for the Atlantic Fisheries (ESAF) is a pilot project created to help address difficulties faced by employers in the Fishing Sector by focusing on labour market and workforce challenges. The following is a brief update on the implementation of the project in Newfoundland.
In January 2019, Jennifer Brake joined Julia Dyke, Project Coordinator as the Essential Skills Facilitator for the Newfoundland component of the project. With many years of experience working to increase employability and essential skills of individuals and groups, Jennifer was the perfect fit for our Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council project team.
Beginning in February, five mentor/supervisors completed the Workplace Essential Skills Mentor training. They are ready to provide the extra workplace support for the project participants. Also during the last week of February, eleven individuals began the classroom component of the training. They are being provided with training that integrates essential skills and employability skills with job-specific skills in the fisheries sector.
It has been a busy 4 weeks for our ESAF participants! They have put in a lot of hard work with some fun built in. To-date they have completed training in the areas of Employability Skills, Essential Skills, Computer Use and Mentor/Mentee Relationships. They have completed their Emergency First Aid/CPR C and will be completing WHMIS in the near future. As well, participants enjoyed a presentation by Richard Chow, Labour Standards Officer with Advanced Education Skills & Labour. Lots of other training and presentations will follow in the next few weeks.
All participants will be offered 8 weeks of combined on the job training and a work placement. They recently took part in a tour of their workplace training site where they learned about crab processing and watched mussels being produced on site. All participants are looking forward to starting their on the job training in the coming weeks!
ESAF is managed through partnerships between the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick (LCNB), Newfoundland and Labrador Laubach Literacy Council (NLLLC), Literacy Nova Scotia (LNS), and the Prince Edward Island Literacy Alliance (PEILA) (with funding by ESDC). Locally, the project is guided by a Community Advisory Group and supported by an Atlantic Advisory Group and Steering Committee.
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