Putting safety first with language training

The ABCs of safety

Clear and effective communication is critical for employees in safety-sensitive jobs, says Lesley MacDonald, Manager of Diversity and Top Employer Strategy at BC Hydro. With more and more skilled talent coming from outside Canada, BC Hydro offers occupation-specific language training for employees who have identified their language skills as a barrier to communicating effectively with team members.

To make language training as successful as possible, MacDonald has the following tips:

• Provide employees with opportunities to practise what they have learned in language classes to maintain and build their new skills.
• Integrate language and cross-cultural communication training into the organization’s larger strategic context.

Learn more about BC Hydro’s language and cross-cultural communication training programs in this Success Story.

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