AWES has been dedicated to ensuring opportunities for skills training and development by creating sustainable, high-quality essential skills solutions for more than 30 years. Through collaboration and the development of targeted and contextualized training, innovative content and materials, and strong industry relationships, AWES strives to support Canada’s workforce and fulfill its mission to create opportunities for people to develop the skills they need to remain resilient and successfully engage at work, home, and the community. AWES has always pushed itself to expand its volume of services and increase capacity. Since AWES started in 1989 the number of projects implemented has risen steadily over time, growing from one or two projects every few years, to an explosion of new projects in 2013, to now consistently running multiple projects each year. With more than 50[CM1] successful projects — and counting — at the local, provincial, and national levels, AWES has positively impacted hundreds of organizations and thousands of Canadian-born and immigrant workers.
We look forward to expanding our services to reach even more Canadians and to another 30 years of workplace training!
Timeline:
1989The Alberta Workplace Literacy Advisory Committee is launched!
Under the leadership of Director Carolyn Dieleman, a group of nine representatives from business, labour, education, and government unite to raise awareness of workplace literacy issues in Alberta.
Under the leadership of Director Carolyn Dieleman, a group of nine representatives from business, labour, education, and government unite to raise awareness of workplace literacy issues in Alberta.
1990 to 1996The Alberta Workplace Literacy Advisory Committee promotes workplace literacy initiatives to interest groups throughout the province and develops partnerships with the oil and gas sector and steel and roofing industries to implement its first sectoral training and development programs.
1997 to 1998To match a new vision for a strategic sectoral approach to essential skills, the committee changes its name to the Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Steering Committee and begins using its famous acronym, AWES.
1999The six billionth human being is born, the earth experiences a total solar eclipse, and AWES celebrates its 10th anniversary to close out the millennium!
2000AWES welcomes the turn of the century by developing a Sectoral Needs Assessment process model to assess industry needs, allowing for a more strategic contribution to skills development.
2001AWES works with the forestry industry to develop a plain language safety training CD for up to 53,000 occupational health and safety instructors in the industry.
2002 to 2003Another name change! Dropping “ Committee”, AWES becomes the version of itself you all know and love, the Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society.
2004New food safety certification regulations bring AWES, Alberta Restaurants and Foodservices Association (ARFA) and Alberta’s Training for Excellence Corporation (ATEC) together to examine essential skills needed for food safety training and to provide solutions for successful training and certification for those with low literacy, language, and essential skills.
2005AWES is officially incorporated as a society on September 20!
2006Alberta Food Processors Association (AFPA) partners with AWES for an industry-wide essential skills needs assessment and innovative strategies to increase workplace essential skills in the food processing sector.
2007AWES partners with the Construction Owner’s Association of Alberta (COAA) to identify the essential skills needed in the industry.
Over 80 service providers, associations, and employers participate in AWES’ review of workplace language, literacy, and essential skills programs in Alberta.
The Broaden the Base project works with the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program (ALLESP) to introduce and build training around a new safety poster concept with visuals on the front and training content and teaching tips on the back.
Over 80 service providers, associations, and employers participate in AWES’ review of workplace language, literacy, and essential skills programs in Alberta.
The Broaden the Base project works with the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program (ALLESP) to introduce and build training around a new safety poster concept with visuals on the front and training content and teaching tips on the back.
2008Cindy Messaros joins as the new Executive Director, bringing with her a new vision for the future direction of AWES.
The Forging Links project delivers workshops to practitioners and instructors in rural Alberta and integrates essential skills into the literacy program at an Alberta-based college.
The Forging Links project delivers workshops to practitioners and instructors in rural Alberta and integrates essential skills into the literacy program at an Alberta-based college.
2009Picking up momentum in the province, AWES delivers workplace skills training to three local companies in Alberta:
All Weather Windows improves safety communication.
Pockar Masonry increases workplace safety and productivity.
Meridian Manufacturing Group receives 200 hours of essential skills training and boosts productivity and quality of work.
All Weather Windows improves safety communication.
Pockar Masonry increases workplace safety and productivity.
Meridian Manufacturing Group receives 200 hours of essential skills training and boosts productivity and quality of work.
2010 to 2011AWES develops new training resources for the construction sector: Working with Newcomers: Tips for Culturally Diverse Canadian Organizations, Giving Safety Talks: A guide for the construction sector, and Best Practices for the English in the Workplace Trainer
2012Six literacy practitioners become Workplace Essential Skills specialists and each deliver workplace essential skills training to an Alberta business as part of the WorkUP! project.
To help practitioners build employer relations, advocate for training, and market benefits, AWES releases the best practices guide, Getting Through the Door: How to Market Workplace Essential Skills Training to Employers.
AWES works with Sodexo to create a workplace essential skills training framework and provide 30 hours of intercultural communication and essential skills training to 32 frontline workers and supervisors in housekeeping services from Rockyview and Lethbridge Regional Hospitals and Peter Lougheed Center.
To help practitioners build employer relations, advocate for training, and market benefits, AWES releases the best practices guide, Getting Through the Door: How to Market Workplace Essential Skills Training to Employers.
AWES works with Sodexo to create a workplace essential skills training framework and provide 30 hours of intercultural communication and essential skills training to 32 frontline workers and supervisors in housekeeping services from Rockyview and Lethbridge Regional Hospitals and Peter Lougheed Center.
2013A pivotal year and the biggest to date !
The Government of Canada’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) invites AWES to join a national study on the return on investment of workplace skills training under which AWES launches the five-year Skilling UP and delivers essential skills training to more than 250 workers at three Canadian companies to test a social finance model never before used in Canada!
AWES works with water and wastewater operators in rural Alberta to identify skills-related learning needs in the sector and introduce workplace skills training as a solution.
The Alberta Construction Association (ACA) retains AWES to analyze industry recruitment and retention and support the development of a new approach focused on skills development and long-term career growth.
With funding from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Government of Alberta, AWES initiates Bridge to Supervisors and upskills immigrant front-line workers into supervisory positions at construction sites throughout Alberta.
The Government of Canada’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) invites AWES to join a national study on the return on investment of workplace skills training under which AWES launches the five-year Skilling UP and delivers essential skills training to more than 250 workers at three Canadian companies to test a social finance model never before used in Canada!
AWES works with water and wastewater operators in rural Alberta to identify skills-related learning needs in the sector and introduce workplace skills training as a solution.
The Alberta Construction Association (ACA) retains AWES to analyze industry recruitment and retention and support the development of a new approach focused on skills development and long-term career growth.
With funding from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Government of Alberta, AWES initiates Bridge to Supervisors and upskills immigrant front-line workers into supervisory positions at construction sites throughout Alberta.
2014AWES launches the Driving Investment employer-awareness campaign and provides professional development to essential skills practitioners.
Medicine Hat Construction Association (MHCA) commissions AWES to deliver essential skills training and develop five new workplace essential skills training workshops and courses for the construction sector.
AWES delivers workplace essential skills training and an intercultural specialist course to 197 employees from 22 Alberta Council of Disabilities Services (ACDS) member organizations and releases the Intercultural Intelligence: Working with Cultural Diversity in the Community Disability Services Sector handbook and trainer manual.
Medicine Hat Construction Association (MHCA) commissions AWES to deliver essential skills training and develop five new workplace essential skills training workshops and courses for the construction sector.
AWES delivers workplace essential skills training and an intercultural specialist course to 197 employees from 22 Alberta Council of Disabilities Services (ACDS) member organizations and releases the Intercultural Intelligence: Working with Cultural Diversity in the Community Disability Services Sector handbook and trainer manual.
2015Pikani Employment Services contracts AWES to develop 12-week workplace essential skills programs for construction and healthcare aide occupations.
AWES hosts Workplace Essential Skills workshops for practitioners working at Community Adult Learner Programs (CALP).
The Bridge to Frontline Leadership training program and four-module course are released to support immigrant workers transitioning into leadership roles.
AWES releases the English for Workplace Safety e-learning Moodle course and workbook for newcomers needing language and workplace safety training.
AWES hosts Workplace Essential Skills workshops for practitioners working at Community Adult Learner Programs (CALP).
The Bridge to Frontline Leadership training program and four-module course are released to support immigrant workers transitioning into leadership roles.
AWES releases the English for Workplace Safety e-learning Moodle course and workbook for newcomers needing language and workplace safety training.
2016The Bridge to Project Management project delivers language and essential skills training for project management to 42 immigrant workers.
2017Community organizations in seven locations throughout Alberta participate in the Building Community Capacity project to receive training and resources to help newcomers access training and find employment, and AWES releases two Workforce Participation workbooks and Workplace Resources for English Language Learners: An Annotated Guide!
2018Paving the way for a future national project, AWES provides Essential Skills Practitioner training to 57 employment counsellors in Edmonton, Calgary, and Red Deer to increase their ability to support clients and integrate essential skills tools into their practice.
The Newcomers and the Workplace 10-video series and a quick-reference resource guide, Online Self-Study Resources for Newcomer Integration: An Annotated Guide, are released.
The two-year Working Faster, Working Safer project provides essential skills training to 101 practitioners, pilots integrated resources for improving workplace skills with 47 CLB level 1-2 workers in the hospitality industry, and releases a series of learning resources and 10 videos.
EMC contracts AWES to deliver content and provide training to manufacturers in Alberta for their Manufacturing Essentials Certification program, which was implemented across Canada
The Newcomers and the Workplace 10-video series and a quick-reference resource guide, Online Self-Study Resources for Newcomer Integration: An Annotated Guide, are released.
The two-year Working Faster, Working Safer project provides essential skills training to 101 practitioners, pilots integrated resources for improving workplace skills with 47 CLB level 1-2 workers in the hospitality industry, and releases a series of learning resources and 10 videos.
EMC contracts AWES to deliver content and provide training to manufacturers in Alberta for their Manufacturing Essentials Certification program, which was implemented across Canada
2019AWES says goodbye to its 20s and celebrates 30 years of workplace essential skills education and training initiatives!
Sixty immigrant workers and 40 managers in the food processing industry receive language, essential skills, and intercultural training and resources for better newcomer onboarding.
Trajectory IQ Software (TIQ) partners with AWES for two years to create AWES’ first gamified resource, Skills for Work, an online, 18-course workplace essential skills training platform for CLB 3-8 learners.
AWES announces Guided Pathways: Integrating Essential Skills, a national five-year project that will teach over 900 career development practitioners about the applications of essential skills and benefit at least 700,000 workers.
Marking AWES’ 30 years of essential skills expertise and leadership, the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) invites AWES to join a national initiative to update the essential skills framework and assist in developing the new Skills for Success model.
Sixty immigrant workers and 40 managers in the food processing industry receive language, essential skills, and intercultural training and resources for better newcomer onboarding.
Trajectory IQ Software (TIQ) partners with AWES for two years to create AWES’ first gamified resource, Skills for Work, an online, 18-course workplace essential skills training platform for CLB 3-8 learners.
AWES announces Guided Pathways: Integrating Essential Skills, a national five-year project that will teach over 900 career development practitioners about the applications of essential skills and benefit at least 700,000 workers.
Marking AWES’ 30 years of essential skills expertise and leadership, the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC) invites AWES to join a national initiative to update the essential skills framework and assist in developing the new Skills for Success model.
2020A year no one will ever forget.
AWES begins Newcomers to the Trade with 11 newcomers who complete contextualized essential skills and hands-on training, online learning, work placements, and trades entrance exam preparation to increase their ability to find gainful employment in the trades.
The Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership (CIIL) and AWES begin Partnerships for Workplace Inclusion to break down segmented learning and make workplace integration more seamless for newcomers by connecting key stakeholders and developing integrated essential skills resources on workplace rights, psychological health and safety, and diversity and inclusion
AWES begins Newcomers to the Trade with 11 newcomers who complete contextualized essential skills and hands-on training, online learning, work placements, and trades entrance exam preparation to increase their ability to find gainful employment in the trades.
The Colbourne Institute for Inclusive Leadership (CIIL) and AWES begin Partnerships for Workplace Inclusion to break down segmented learning and make workplace integration more seamless for newcomers by connecting key stakeholders and developing integrated essential skills resources on workplace rights, psychological health and safety, and diversity and inclusion
2021Between May and November AWES facilitates 22 sessions of the online Guided Pathways course for more than 350 career practitioners from all 13 provinces and territories, as well as Belize and St. Lucia.
AWES reaches 100,000 views on YouTube and releases the Diversity and Inclusion video series.
AWES and the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) partner on a creative sentencing initiative to create contextualized language and essential skills course content for English as a Second Language (ESL) workers in the aggregate hauling and trucking industry.
Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) connects with AWES to develop a new online module for increasing digital skills.
AWES reaches 100,000 views on YouTube and releases the Diversity and Inclusion video series.
AWES and the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) partner on a creative sentencing initiative to create contextualized language and essential skills course content for English as a Second Language (ESL) workers in the aggregate hauling and trucking industry.
Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) connects with AWES to develop a new online module for increasing digital skills.