Local Companies Win Top Conference Board Awards

Two Nova Scotia companies have received national recognition for their leadership in upgrading the education and literacy skills of their employees. Elmsdale Lumber (ELCO) and Minas Basin Pulp and Power Company Ltd. have won Conference Board of Canada awards of excellence for workplace literacy.

"These awards are a tremendous compliment to the managers and employees of these two companies," said Education Minister Jamie Muir. "Elmsdale Lumber and Minas Basin Pulp and Power have demonstrated real commitment to helping employees get the skills and training they need to be more successful in the workplace. It's great to see the Conference Board recognize their achievements as well."

ELCO launched its workplace education program four years ago in response to challenges facing the lumber industry. "International tariff and trades challenges made increased productivity essential," said Gennie Himmleman, office manager with Elmsdale Lumber. "New management techniques, computerization and programs required better trained employees."

Elmsdale Lumber was recognized by the province on International Literacy Day in September 2003 for their workplace education program. Mel Lively, a 57-year-old lumber mill worker who upgraded his reading and writing skills through the workplace program, had just launched his first book. He wrote Mel's Story, a chronicle of his life in the woods and the lumber mill, with his tutor, Kim Hutchison.

Minas Basin has been recognized for its innovation in training and scheduling workplace education in a production environment that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The company worked with partners to form a project team with the Department of Education, Communications, Energy and Paper Workers (CEP) Local 583 and employees. A full-time personnel scheduler now helps employees, including those who signed up to be personal tutors, to fit classes into their work schedules.

Mike Smith, a paper mill production worker, is upgrading his reading and writing skills. Mike dropped out of school in Grade 7, after teachers told him he had gone as far as he could. Now after working 26 years at Minas Basin, Mike says he is succeeding because of his workplace education instructor Ginny Shultz and tutor Jonathon Lowthers.

"Sometimes it's hard balancing work and studying, but being tutored by my co-worker Jonathon makes learning easier," said Mike. "This is a great place to work, and the things I am learning will help me move up in the company."

The Workplace Education Initiative creates partnerships between the Department of Education, labour groups and companies like Elmsdale Lumber, and Minas Basin Pulp and Power to help workers upgrade reading, writing and math skills.

More than 1,200 workers at 50 workplaces have taken advantage of the program in the last year. The Workplace Education Initiative is part of Skills Nova Scotia, which involves training and skills upgrading, from basic literacy to the use of the most sophisticated technologies.

Awards will be given to recipients on Nov. 30 in Toronto at a Conference Board Workplace Education and Learning conference called Investing in People.

Workplace Education Program information is available through the Department of Education by calling 902-424-0492.