A Round Table With: Ken Georgetti - Canadian Labour Congress, Anne Golden - The Conference Board of Canada, and Nancy Hughes Anthony - The Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Below is an excerpt from “Practical Considerations,” a round table discussion with Canadian Labour Congress, The Conference Board of Canada, and The Canadian Chamber of Commerce, that appears in the second issue of Canadian CEO. If you would like to receive a copy of the full article for reprint in a newspaper or newsletter, please contact ABC CANADA by e-mail at info@abc-canada.org.

We asked representatives of employer and labour interests to assess the case for making essential-skills programs an integral part of business strategy and tactics.

A Round Table With:
Ken Georgetti, President, Canadian Labour Congress
Anne Golden, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Conference Board of Canada
Nancy Hughes Anthony, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Why do you think that workplace-literacy or essential-skills programs might be such a hard sell to Chief executives?

Anne Golden, President & CEO The Conference Board of Canada

Anne Golden: The problem is that many CEOs are not aware that they face a literacy problem in the workplace that affects their employees’ performance — and the bottom line. It is especially important for CEOs to know that upgrading employees¹ literacy skills yields clear economic benefits.

Individuals may also be unaware that they have low literacy skills, and that low literacy affects their job performance. If they are aware, they may hide their deficiencies to avoid being stigmatized or because they fear it might put their jobs in jeopardy. Even if management does know that literacy skills are below par, they still need to see and understand the return they will get from an investment in training. Once they grasp the benefits, there is no hard sell. Forward-thinking CEOs recognize that literacy skills are the foundation for advanced training.

Ken Georgetti, President Canadian Labour Congress

Ken Georgetti: I think CEOs are often far removed from the reality of life on the shop floor, and sometimes, as a result of their own backgrounds, they have little personal experience that resonates with the realities of workplace needs. Often, I talk to CEOs about the issue of literacy and they have a skeptical look in their eyes.

We know there is a long-standing tradition in Canadian workplaces of providing training to those with the most education. Most of the money Canadian employers spend on training is on senior management. That excludes workers with high school and less from learning opportunities. Often, blue-collar workers are hired for their brawn and not their brains, and little thought is given to the kind of training that those workers might need. We have in Canada a fragmented, piecemeal, non-system of delivering adult-learning programs, so employers don’t know where to turn for help. That’s why ABC CANADA is such an important organization.

Nancy Hughes Anthony, President & CEO The Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Nancy Hughes Anthony: I think business leaders do know the value of essential skills. We have a host of examples of larger companies that very much understand the importance of literacy. Whether it’s for people who came up through the Canadian education system or immigrants to Canada, there’s an all-out war for talent right now, and people understand that you have to put some of your own efforts into developing that talent.

I do think it is a more difficult situation for small-business owners, who often feel they may not have the expertise to even begin to deal with workplace education. This is where an organization like the Chamber can raise awareness and talk to our educational partners about how to make it easier for small business.