But only 3 in 10 want to provide training in this area: Poll
While employers realize the importance of essential skills to their business, not many are willing to invest and provide training for such skills for employees, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of ABC Life Literacy Canada.
Given a list of different workplace skills, three in four (74 per cent) Canadian employers consider essential skills — defined as skills pertaining to different forms of literacy and workplace needs, such as computer use, thinking, oral communication — as strategically relevant to their business, placing it third out of a list of 10 different workplace skills.
But far fewer are actually willing to provide training in these skills, found the survey of 808 employers. Given the opportunity, and based on the skills needed in their workplace, just 31 per cent of employers would like to provide training in essential skills.
The difference between employers that believe essential skills are strategically relevant to their place of business and would actually like to provide training in these skills reveals one of the largest gaps (43 points) based on these different workplace skills.
Strategically relevant skills and training:
| Workplace skill | Strategically | Would like | Difference |
| Thinking, problem-solving | 80% | 36% | 44 |
| Customer service | 77% | 42% | 35 |
| Essential skills | 74% | 31% | 43 |
| Oral, communication, presentation skills | 74% | 38% | 33 |
| Work-related reading, writing, math | 72% | 29% | 43 |
| Digital literacy | 69% | 43% | 26 |
| Fluency in English, French | 63% | 34% | 29 |
| Health and safety | 63% | 43% | 20 |
| Project management | 58% | 43% | 15 |
| Using machinery, equipment | 49% | 39% | 10 |
