SkillsPlus at Work

Think Skills Training Costs Too Much? Think About the Costs of not Investing

How much does hiring the wrong person, or a person who can’t be promoted, cost your company now? The Conference Board of Canada calculates the average 2008 costs-per-hire as $13,300 for a technician and $3,300 for clerical support.

How much do lapses in safety and absenteeism cost your company? According to The Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council, drivers with essential skill levels below the recommended standard are over 1.5 more likely to have a safety incident.

How much more productive could your organization be? National Silicates' Chemical credits essential skills training for reduced overtime, reduced contractor hours, reduced plant down time, more versatile employees, improved efficiency, productivity, safety and overall work environment.

According to Statistics Canada, a 1 percent gain in the average literacy/ numeracy skill level in Canada would create a permanent increase of $18.4 billion per year in the country’s Gross Domestic Product. How much would that mean to your business?

For a look at how essential skills training has benefited other business sectors, please see the report from HRSDC - Sector Council Essential Skills Initiatives: Case Studies

Using a “Skills Lens” Enhances Recruitment and Retention

Essential skills assessments effectively screen in – not screen out – workers. Knowing that potential employees have the threshold skill levels needed and the skill levels to promote them into future opportunities, employers can hire with confidence.

Skills Training Supports Success and Succession

Different from traditional training, essential skills training reviews and links to the appropriate job profile resulting in a detailed analysis that provides a real work-based foundation for the training plan.

For a detailed review of the nine essential skills, please see Understanding Essential Skills