TOWES

Test of Workplace Essential Skills

CONNECT is the Ontario license holder for the Test of Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES), and with the exclusive right to market and administer TOWES in Ontario,  CONNECT and its college partners continue to enthusiastically promote the use of this valuable tool among Ontario employers.

TOWES is Canada’s Essential Credential; a nationally accepted test that measures workplace essential skills and an effective testing and training tool, using workplace documents to accurately measure three primary essential skills: Reading Text, Document Use and Numeracy.

TOWES measures workplace essential skills, which differ from the academic skills measured by academic credentials such as grade 12 diplomas—highly valued, yet research shows that many people who have not graduated have the essential skills required for many jobs.

TOWES provides a uniform national standard that will help enhance productivity and our overall quality of life.

What makes TOWES different?

TOWES uses authentic workplace documents, unlike many academic tests that assess grammar, composition skills and factual knowledge. Through rigorous reviewing and testing, the TOWES test effectiveness has routinely shown that TOWES is the best measure of essential skills in Canada.   Based on International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) levels, TOWES has also several variations, and can be customized to your own sector, since the IALS levels are consistent across Canada.  Other services are also offered by the Ontario TOWES consortium, including in-depth results analysis and interpretation, multiple-location coordination and Essential Skills improvement, training and upgrading programs.

But I have a job – or more to the point, I know what I can do. Why take TOWES?

TOWES can help you improve your job prospects. Your TOWES score shows employers that you have workplace essential skills. They will feel more comfortable hiring you- and paying you accordingly.

If you already have a job, TOWES will identify gaps in essential skills that can be addressed to improve your career options, since higher accident rates and lower productivity are two common traits of employees who lack essential skills.

With TOWES, employers can provide focused training that improves their bottom-line and decreases the skill gaps found amongst employees. The purpose of the test is not to pass or fail; instead, it is to find your level of proficiency in handling common tasks needed in the workplace. TOWES is not an academic test. It will feel familiar as the tasks are just like situations you encounter in the workplace everyday.

For more information about TOWES, Canada’s Essential Credential , in Ontario, please contact:

Margaret Moran
Manager, Projects
416.351.0330 x2260
moran@collegeconnect.on.ca

Or visit – www.towes.com