DEVELOPING ESSENTIAL SKILLS IN THE GAMING/CASINO INDUSTRY

DAYNA HINKELBusiness Development OfficerCanadian Gaming Centre of Excellence

Monday, April 18, 2011 2:45 pm – 3:35 pm

AGENDA

• The Canadian Gaming Centre of Excellence

• Essential Skills

• DESIGI Project Overview

• Project Outcomes

• How are the Website & Tools Useful?

• Next Steps

Canadian Gaming Centre of Excellence (CGCE)

The CGCE offers:

• High quality development tools and training events designed specifically for the casino and gaming industry

– Canadian Gaming Education Forum

– E-Learning Customer Service program

– Developing Essential Skills in the

Gaming/Casino Industry Project

Essential Skills

Essential Skills are the skills that

people need for work, learning and life.

Essential Skills

– Reading Text

– Document Use

– Numeracy

– Writing

– Oral Communication

– Working With Others

– Continuous Learning

– Thinking Skills

– Computer Use

The Nine Essential Skills are:

DESIGI Project Overview

• To increase the essential skills level of

current/prospective gaming employees across

Canada

• Highlight on developing tools and resources

for use by individuals, job assistance

organizations, and gaming/casinos

• Focus on development for Aboriginal and new

Canadians for the gaming industry

Rationale:

DESIGI Project Overview

• 2 year project (April 2009 – April 2011)

• Federal government: $495,000

• Total (including in-kind contributions): $720,000

Funding:

DESIGI Project Overview

DESIGI PROJECT

AdvisoryCommittee Research

Study

EssentialSkills

Profiles

ESCurriculum

PilotProgram

ES GamingSpecialists

Website

Project Evaluation

National report on

ES in the Gaming

Industry

9 trained

Essential Skills

Gaming Specialists

56 completed

ES Gaming

profiles

7 ES manuals/

teachers guides

Highlight skills

for gaming

careers, free

downloadable

resources

(English &

French)

Curriculum review in

Manitoba

To be done at

project completion

National Committee

DESIGI PROJECT OUTCOMES

• National Advisory Committee

• Research Report

• Gaming Essential Skills profiles

• Essential Skills manuals

• DESIGI website

National Advisory Committee

Research Report/Findings:

Three Areas of Focus:

• Essential Skills – Frontline Level

• General Skills Training in Gaming

• Senior Level Skill Requirements

Tools:• Surveys

– Job placement agencies

– ES Skills from Organizational perspective

– ES Skills from Frontline perspective• Focus Groups

– 8 across Canada

Research Report/Findings:

• Job Placement agencies wanted more info on gaming/ casino positions and ES required

• Planned organizational changes in the next 5 yrs will

require increased Essential Skills in gaming/casino employees

• over 89% said they had staff that would benefit from

improved reading, writing and math skills

• Most important on the front line are Thinking Skills, Working with Others and Oral Communication

• 78% said employee’s reduced communication had a

negative impact on productivity

• Aboriginals and new Canadians appear to be faced with greater challenges in being included in the

succession planning process

• Clear desire for Leadership Development training in the gaming casino field

Research Report/Findings:

Job Families

Essential Skills Profiles

56 Essential Skills Position Profiles:

• Describes how each essential skill is actually

used by workers in one of 11 Job Families

• For each Essential Skill, a profile generally contains:

– Complexity ratings that indicate the level of difficulty of the tasks related to that skill

– Examples that illustrate how that skill is actually used

Essential SkillsManuals

7 Essential Skills Manuals:

Website

• Exciting one-stop-shop

• Free downloadable

resources

• Will have English and

French

www.gamingcentreofexcellence.ca/essentialskills/

Who Can Use These Tools

• Human Resource professionals

• Organizational Development

• Casino Managers

• Training professionals

• Employment agencies

• Gaming/casino employees

• Potential gaming/casino employees

Next Steps

• DESIGI Phase II • Health & Safety component

• Website Enhancement

• ES Assessment tool

• Building Inclusion - Multicultural Approaches to Customer Service in the Gaming/Casino Industry

Gaming & CasinoLeadership Program

Questions