VISION, MISSION & VALUES

Our Vision

A full transformation of Canada’s labour market processes and workforce development practices for non-regulated entry and mid-level skilled jobs, particularly in growth-oriented, high value-added sectors.

Labour market processes and workforce development methods will be:

  • competencies-based and evidence-driven,
  • led by groups of employers within a sector working together collaboratively and in partnership with WBLC, and
  • well supported by governments, training providers, employment service providers, and other essential players.

These processes will follow the proven WBLC Principles for highly effective and efficient hiring, training, and certifying of skilled employees.  See below.

Employers, their employees, and job seekers will have a better future and enjoy a higher standard of living.

  • Employers who adopt these principles will have skilled employees who are highly proficient in their current job and who will adapt quickly as new technologies and work practices are introduced, thus significantly improving their business performance and agility.
  • Diverse jobseekers, especially underrepresented groups, will have equitable and inclusive opportunities to be hired and learn in-demand skills that they could not access otherwise.

Our Mission

To bring together groups of employers and/or work individually with large/complex companies in any sector anywhere in Canada who have common skills challenges, to work together collaboratively and in partnership with WBLC to build and implement skilling / upskilling / reskilling programs that bridge their employees’ skills gaps for today’s and tomorrow’s business success – rapidly, reliably, and cost effectively, including:

  • competencies-based technical job standards for non-regulated entry- to mid-level skilled jobs
  • ‘blended learning’ programs (mostly ‘on-the-job’)
  • certification standards and methods

These processes will follow the proven WBLC Principles for highly effective and efficient hiring, training, and certifying of skilled employees.  See below.

Our Mission includes continually building WBLC’s expertise and leadership to establish competencies as the accepted tool for informing every HR transactional decision.

Our Values

  • Builders and enablers
  • Mindful[1] and respectful
  • Agents of progressive change
  • Authentic [2]  and transparent
    • Results-driven and evidence-based

     

    [1] Mindful:  Being deliberately aware and considerate in the present moment of our thoughts and feelings, and those of others, before taking action.  Insightful, open-minded, and non-judgemental.

    [2] Authentic:  True to our values and principles regardless of pressures to do otherwise.  Genuine, real, and trustworthy. Tell it like it is.

    WBLC Proven Principles for Effective Labour Markets and Workforce Development
    for Entry- to Mid-Level Skilled Jobs

    1 Use objective, evidence-based, competencies-based processes as the foundation for all selection, hiring, and training decisions and activities
    2 Be strongly industry-driven, with active employer engagement in defining competency-based job profiles/standards for each skilled job position and in delivering ‘on-the-job’ technical learning activities to achieve the defined technical learning outcomes
    3 Match job seekers with skilled jobs on the basis of the job-specific non-technical competencies required for job success, and provide competency gap coaching for those job seekers who are close to being a good match
    4 Be demand-driven – build and/or deliver training programs to fill actual current job openings and require that employers hire Trainees as full-time, permanent employees at the start of their learning program (‘earn while they learn’) and/or nominate current employees as Trainees, to meet the company’s skills shortages
    5

    Use a blended learning method for technical training for job-specific technical knowledge and skills, which includes:

    • effective ‘on-boarding’ of Trainees and Company Trainers to the learning program
    • effective use of advanced learning technologies (e-Learning, VR/AI learning, micro-learning)
    • use e-Learning to carry the principal load for training but support as required with instructor-led coaching on ‘hands-on’ skills e.g., use of hand and power tools;
    • closely align e-Learning ‘knowledge’ content with ‘practical skills’ learning on the job
    • provide Trainees with structured experiential (on-the-job) learning guided by company job experts, who are trained and well supported in effective job instruction methods and have access to easy-to-use online tracking of Trainees’ progress
    6 Compensate employers for their key role in providing the Trainee with ‘on-the-job’ learning – subject to the Trainee’s successfully achievement of all required job-specific technical learning outcomes
    7 Use independent, valid, and reliable certification methods (competencies-based) to confirm Trainees’ successful mastery of all required technical learning outcomes; use Remote Assessment technology, as required, to make WBL programs available to employers everywhere in Canada.

    These are the proven principles by which all WBLC’s Work-Based Learning programs operate, consistently achieving success rates above 90%.