Overview of Project

The  project used the principles of Recognizing Prior Learning (RPL) to develop and pilot an entry-level curriculum for Essential Skills and employability skills for the heavy construction industry.

Needs/Opportunities

Employers, trainers and government stakeholders had done collaborative work in finding solutions to skill and labour shortages in the heavy construction industry. This project looked at ways to better link potential workers to the industry, to effectively assess potential workers for their readiness to move into entry level positions, and to identify training needs and assess the quality of training options.  

Applying RPL

RPL  practices and principles were applied to:

• Document entry-level requirements
• Develop a field assessment
• Develop pre-training and assessment for heavy construction workers, and
• Build consensus among stakeholders for recruiting heavy equipment operators and skill labourers in times significant skill shortages

Impact

The project developed a model to:

• Assess (at the field level) overall suitability of individuals for work in the Heavy Construction industry
• Identify potential workers who were ready to move directly to entry level employment and those requiring pre-training and assessment
• Assess proposed training curriculum and options.

Lessons Learned

Pre-screening and recruitment are a valuable investment both for employers and potential workers, particularly given the extraordinary cost of on-equipment training.

RPL can be an effective tool in identifying specific training needs and is consistent with meeting work and training standards.