What is TOWES?

TOWES (Test of Workplace Essential Skills) is effective testing and training that uses workplace documents to accurately measure the three essential skills that are needed for safe and productive employment: Reading Text, Document Use and Numeracy.

(http://www.towes.com/pdfs/towessampletestbooklet.pdf)

Why TOWES?
Employees who lack essential skills have higher accident rates and are often less productive. With TOWES individuals, trainers and employers can zero in on skill gaps and focus training that improves industry and career objectives.

Effectiveness of TOWES
TOWES has undergone an extensive psychometric review and nation-wide field-testing involving thousands of Canadians.

Occupations Chart
Click here to view a chart (http://www.towes.com/pdfs/occupationschart.pdf) of the essential skills requirements for different occupations as determined by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (PDF). The chart also includes the recommended version of the TOWES G-Series Test.

Measure Up!
CLICK HEREto test your skills Measure Up! is a free web-based tool that tests your essential skills. It has problem sets similar to the ones used in TOWES. Each problem set is based on a document - a memo, catalogue, regulations, work order - associated with workplace contexts. The self-assessments found in Measure Up! have not been subjected to the rigorous validity and reliability standards of TOWES. It is an informal tool which demonstrates the power of TOWES. (http://measureup.towes.com/)