Action Plan: Roadmap to Improvement

Now that you have done the assessment and see areas for improvement – don’t panic, we have you covered! This roadmap will help guide you through strategies and tools for improvement.

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 Steps	 Ideas for Action	 Tools and Resources	 Who to Involve
1. Identify Signs Essential Skills are impacting your business	Complete the checklist “Are you facing any of these challenges in your business?”. You may have already completed the checklist. It is included here for use with others in your organization.	Checklist: “Are you facing any of these challenges in your business?“	Managers / Supervisors HR Staff Safety Compliance Officers
	Complete the questionnaire “Are Essential Skills impacting your business?” You may have already completed the checklist. It is included here for use with others in your organization.	Questionnaire: “Are Essential Skills impacting your business?“	Managers / Supervisors HR Staff Safety Compliance Officers
2. Things to know about Essential Skills	Learn about Essential Skills and the benefits of introducing Essential Skills into your organization. Help others in your organization to do the same.	Video: Introduction to Essential Skills and the benefits Essential Skills 101 PowerPoint: Introduction to Essential Skills	Managers / Supervisors HR Staff Safety Compliance Officers Trainers / Coaches
3. Engage Employees	Work with employees to complete the workplace needs analysis surveys for managers / dispatchers and professional drivers to: identify specific Essential Skills gaps and needs of your organization identify priority areas for action identify a range of activities build support and buy-in from employees	Instructions for conducting a Workplace Needs Analysis Manager / Supervisor survey (this can also be used with HR & Safety Compliance staff) Dispatcher survey Professional driver survey Worksheet for analyzing survey results	Managers / Supervisors HR Staff Safety Compliance Officers Dispatchers Professional Drivers
4. Take Action	Revise Documents There are many ways to make your manuals, procedures and forms easier to read and understand. Use results from surveys to determine documents professional drivers are finding most difficult. These should be your priority. Refer to the Clear language guidelines.	Clear Language Guidelines	Anyone in your company who creates or revises workplace materials Seek input from dispatchers and professional drivers
	Create job aids Develop jobs aids for different workplace tasks to ensure “how to” knowledge is available when needed. It can be as simple as samples of completed forms and instruction sheets. Use results from surveys to determine what tasks professional drivers are finding most difficult and ideas for actions. Refer to “Tips for developing job aids”	Tips for developing Job aids	Managers / Supervisors HR Staff Safety Compliance Officers Trainers / Coaches Seek input from dispatchers and professional drivers
	Build Essential Skills into training Professional drivers will be at various skills levels for Reading, Document Use and Math when they arrive for training, whether it is formal or informal. Building Essential skills development into training helps employees to: get the most out training get training that sticks transfer training to the workplace Refer to “Tips for building Essential Skills into training and workplace mentoring guidelines”.	Tips for building Essential Skills into training Workplace mentoring guidelines	Managers / Supervisors HR Staff Safety Compliance Officers Trainers / Coaches
	Work with local Resources Partner with literacy groups, school boards, colleges and provincial government workplace Essential Skills programs to access skills upgrading or ESL training for employees.	Tips to help employees engage in upgrading activities Resources Characteristics of Essential Skills Advisors and trainers Sample questions to ask Essential Skills Advisors about services and training Essential Skills initiatives: Roles and responsibilities	Managers/ Supervisors HR Staff Trainers
	Create a culture of learning Building and supporting a learning culture from the beginning provides employees with a safe environment and fosters opportunities for continuous improvement. Refer to “Tips for building a learning culture”and “Workplace mentoring guidelines”	Tips for Building a Learning Culture Workplace mentoring guidelines Posters	Managers / Supervisors HR Staff Safety Compliance Officers Trainers / Coaches
	Offer Essential Skills training Training emphasizes the important role Essential Skills play in day-to-day work and for the business. Essential Skills training will bring professional drivers up to the skills levels they require.	Steps to developing company specific Essential Skills and ESL training	Essential Skills advisor Managers / Supervisors HR Staff Safety Compliance Officers Professional drivers Dispatchers
5. Evaluate Success and Adjust	Evaluate the success of actions to see if they have been effective and to determine next steps.	Instructions for Evaluation	Managers / Supervisors HR Staff Safety Compliance Officers Others involved in ES activities

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Essential Skills Resources Pack

For your convenience, you may download all the resources files linked above in a single zip file download here. You can also view and download posters here.

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Additional Resources