Two Workers Honoured as Education Ambassadors

TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC WORKS--Two Workers Honoured as Education Ambassadors

There's four new ambassadors in Nova Scotia, and two of them work for the Department of Transportation and Public Works.

Barry Romo, of Lower Sackville, and George Corkum, of New Minas, received workplace education ambassador awards today, Sept. 9, during a literacy day ceremony at Pier 21.

"These are exceptional honours for Mr. Romo and Mr. Corkum. They have worked extremely hard and deserve these awards," said Ron Russell, Minister of Transportation and Public Works. "It also reflects well on the department. We have made lifelong learning a priority for staff, and this shows that our program is working."

Mr. Romo, a mechanic at Miller Lake, receives the Alex MacDonald Ambassador Award for his commitment and contribution to lifelong learning, workplace education and the Nova Scotia labour movement.

Mr. Corkum, an operator/crewman, receives a Workplace Education Ambassador Award for achieving his learning goals and participation in workplace education programs.

This is the second year in a row that a one of the department's employees has received the prestigious Alex Macdonald award. The award was established two years ago in memory of Alex MacDonald, a workplace and literacy champion who founded the Federation of Labour's literacy program.

The Department of Transportation and Public Works initiated its workplace education program in 1998. Since then, more than 300 employees have participated in the program, which helps them improve their reading, writing and math skills and enables them to write their high-school equivalency exams.