Milton, ON: Last week, employees at Kenco Logistic Services celebrated a special milestone in their careers?graduation from the Workplace ESL (English as a Second Language) program. Over the past 10 weeks, nine employees participated in classes designed to help them better communicate in English to meet the needs of their specific workplace. The program is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and coordinated by The Centre for Skills Development & Training.
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?Kenco is a forward-thinking company that recognizes the economic benefits of hiring skilled newcomers,? said Kathy Mills, The Centre?s CAO. ?They also recognize how important English literacy is to today?s workplace. By participating in the Workplace ESL program, they have demonstrated a willingness to invest in their workforce?and in their community.?
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Kenco?s Whirlpool Regional Distribution Centre is a state of the art facility that employs more than 100 people. Many of the company?s workforce are new Canadians, and, while they are highly skilled and trained in completing their job duties, some still struggle when it comes to communicating clearly in English. Kenco is the first company in Milton to take advantage of this specialized language training program, which is free to employers and employees.
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?Our Workplace ESL program is designed to help a company?s employees?particularly those who are new to Canada?become more proficient in their jobs, learn specific job functions, and prepare for more responsibility,? said Deborah Dennison, Coordinator of the program. ?At the end of the program, employees have more confidence, can work more safely, communicate more effectively, and better represent the company.?
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Many of the employees who participated in the program already had a high level of English language reading, writing and speaking skills, and all were university educated. The Centre worked closely with Kenco to develop a customized curriculum that included lessons on language specific to their work environment and on health and safety processes.
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?Employees who took the training are more confident, and they have improved spelling, grammar and pronunciation, which helps with problem-solving and teamwork,? said Gloria Chaumont, HR Manager at Kenco. ?We have also seen improvement in their understanding of health and safety policies and procedures, and knowledge of acronyms that are common in today?s business world.?
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?The classes were not only great learning experiences; everyone had fun!? continued Ms. Chaumont. ?There was always a lot of laughter coming from our training room when the classes were in session, which added to the team-building experience. We thank the folks at The Centre for bringing this to our company.?
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Companies interested in learning more about The Centre?s Workplace ESL program can contact Deborah Dennison at 905-333-3499 x231 or by email at dennisond@thecentre.on.ca. To learn more about the program and view video success stories, http://thecentre.on.ca/services-for-companies and click on the Training tab.
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About The Centre:
The Centre for Skills Development & Training is a not-for-profit incorporated affiliate of the Halton District School Board with seven locations in Halton and Mississauga. The Centre helps people at all stages of life get on a path to career success?from youth just starting out, to older workers who have been laid off; from newcomers to Canada who need to improve their workplace English, to people interested in the trades who need to work on their technical skills; and from small business owners looking to hire staff, to large companies who need help developing and transitioning their workforce. Learn more at www.thecentre.on.ca.
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Contact: ?????? ??????????? Deborah Dennison, Coordinator, Workplace ESL
Tel: 905-333-3499 x231 ?| ?Cell: 905-330-4668
dennisond@thecentre.on.ca
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Alternate Contact: ??? Maria McDonald, Manager, Communications
Tel: 905-333-3499 ext. 135
mcdonaldm@thecentre.on.ca
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The Centre for Skills Development & Training
860 Harrington Court, Burlington, ON? L7N 3N4
www.thecentre.on.ca
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