Training for excellence nominations now open

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Nominations are now being accepted for the Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board's (SLFDB) 6th annual Training for Excellence Awards, designed to recognize the best in workforce training within the province.

The awards will be given out in six categories: promotion of Aboriginal participation, promotion of equity participation, human resource planning, career laddering, basic skill development and educational partnerships.

This is the second year the promotion of Aboriginal participation category has been included as part of the awards. Last year, the award was given to the La Ronge Motor Hotel and Lac La Ronge Indian band, in recognition of their workplace learning for hotel workers program. Through the program, hotel workers use an on-site learning centre to work toward certification.

Dean Hall is communications assistant with the Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board. The promotion of Aboriginal participation category was created in response to the large number of Aboriginal nominees in the promotion of equity participation category, Hall explained. With promotion of Aboriginal involvement being important to the board, the decision was made to divide the award into two separate categories, with one specifically to recognize Aboriginal participation programs.

In 1998, the winner in the equity participation category was SaskEnergy, for its Aboriginal management development program. SaskEnergy was also recipient of the equity participation award in 1995, for its program Aboriginal people and SaskEnergy - a formula for the future.

The training for excellence awards were started in 1995, the year the Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board was formed.

Receiving one of the board's training for excellence awards, Hall said, means an organization is recognized as being one of the best in Saskatchewan in the area of training programs.

Al Loustel, business co-chair of the SLFDB, said the training in excellence awards allow the board to celebrate achievements in training and human resources, and to provide other organizations in various stages of training development with ideas of how they can better address their specific human resource issues.

He said businesses are beginning to realize that, with the technology, equipment and raw materials available to just about anyone who wants them, what sets one company above the others is its employees.

"The last competitive area is the people that work in your organization," he said.

The deadline for nominations for the awards is April 28. The awards will be handed out in Regina on June 15.

For information about how to nominate an organization for an award in one of the six categories, call 1-800-394-3899, e-mail the board at slfdb@dlcwest.com, or visit the SLFDB website at http://www.dlcwest.com/~slfdb.