Holland College | College signs MOU to develop essential skills
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College signs MOU to develop essential skills

Holland College and PLATO Learning (Canada) Inc. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will see the two organizations team up to develop a suite of e-learning packages designed to help adult learners develop and hone skills essential to success in the workplace, Holland College President Brian McMillan announced today.

Essential Skills are the skills and attributes that all workers need to participate in the knowledge economy. According to Human Resources Skills Development, Essential skills include the obvious, such as reading, writing and mathematics, as well as others, such as good oral communication, critical thinking and problem solving, decision-making, job task planning and organization, the ability to find salient information, and the ability to work well with others.

"Holland College has an international reputation for its expertise in the provision of training and instruction for adult learners and a strong commitment to providing Islanders with the opportunity to develop the skills they need to enter the labour market." Dr. McMillan said.

"The college has done a great deal of work toward establishing transition programs for high school students and adults who want to enrol in post secondary training, and a key component of that training includes essential skills. PLATO Learning Inc. has been at the forefront of the education technology market for more than 40 years, providing computer-based and e-learning instruction for learners of all ages, from kindergarten through to adult. Working together, I know that we can develop a product that will be of value not just to Islanders, but to adult learners worldwide."

PLATO Learning (Canada) Inc.'s General Manager, Grant Bishop, agreed.

"This is a key business relationship for PLATO Learning," said Mr. Bishop. "PLATO Learning is committed to offering technology options to enhance traditional education and training methods that in turn enhance the essential skills learning experience. Holland College brings strong leadership, quality programs and a highly qualified staff to the relationship. We are excited to see the results we can achieve together to open more employment opportunity doors for young adults, and adults, across Canada and around the world."

Dr. McMillan noted that, given the recent emphasis by the federal government to support workplace learning, the partnership with PLATO will provide the college with greater capacity to deliver essential skills and technical skills training in the workplace.

The Memorandum of Understanding will enable each party to benefit from the other's expertise in order to develop, maintain, and implement an essential skills portfolio management training system that can be incorporated with existing products to be delivered to learners online either via the Internet or through local area networks. Potential markets include programs for employment preparation, school-to-work transition, workplace education, adult and juvenile correctional education, pre apprenticeship, college preparation, college program graduation augmentation and immigration orientation and support.

For more information about this release, please contact:
Sara Underwood, Media and Communications Officer
Tel: 902-566-9695
Date: Thursday, September 15, 2005