Click to enlarge the supervisor section of the LRF
Competency-based learning.
Our Learning & Recognition Framework (LRF) is a documented model developed by industry that defines each and every qualification included within a comprehensive occupations structure. While no national governmentally-administered qualifications exist for the food and beverage manufacturing industry in Canada, FPSC has identified a need to clearly articulate the recognition levels for jobs.
This framework is unlike a national qualifications framework in that it is not tied to typical educational designations such as diploma or degree, but instead has organized nationally-validated industry competencies into a logical structure with a training focus. The framework includes levels customized to the food and beverage processing sector, and includes several microcredentials at the lower levels. Visit FPSC’s website to learn more about the LRF.
Micro-curriculum
| Crossroads to Greatness | 1 hour | Producing this report in these challenging times has been a moving target. The world has changed, and it’s hard to know how history will reflect this time. A tectonic shift in every sector and everyday life has occurred virtually simultaneously across the globe. This report outlines what we observe to be the immediate economic and financial consequences of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The report provides information about the food and beverage processing industry, government decision-makers and other stakeholders. It details who the industry is, where it could go, and what’s standing in its way. |
| Webinar 1 | 1.5 hours | Webinar 1 is a mandatory component of the Acahkos Program that is designed to provide an introduction and onboarding into Social Emotional Learning (SEL). No courses are required before taking this webinar. Register for this right away to reserve a spot. You must register for, and attend, 3 webinars to complete this program.
During this webinar, you will discover the concepts of Emotional Intelligence and the challenges that arise in the workplace. We will explore how social-emotional learning can help you overcome these challenges and thrive as a supervisor.
We will then provide an overview of the Acahkos Learning Journey, outlining what you can expect from the eLearning courses and the remaining webinars. We will walkthrough the Acahkos toolkit and tips to help you navigate the program successfully. Finally, we will wrap up the webinar by outlining the next steps in the program and answering any questions you may have.
By the end of this webinar, you will have a clear understanding of what the Acahkos Program entails and the tools you need to succeed in your social-emotional learning journey. |
| Introduction to Emotional Intelligence | 1 hour | This course will give an introduction to the concepts, skills and tools you need to develop to be more successful in the workplace. Emotional Intelligence skills are shown to contribute to 80% of your success with your career and life. People with high emotional intelligence are aware of their emotions and can manage feelings, impulses, communicate effectively with others, solve problems and build rapport in tense situations. Emotionally-smart individuals remain optimistic in the face of adversity, bounce up quickly from setbacks and strive to perform. |
| Knowing and Handling My Emotions | 2 hours | Handling My EmotionsWelcome to this course on recognizing and handling your own emotions. In this course, you’ll continue learning about some important emotions that everyone experiences and you’ll practice tools to help you handle your emotions, which will put you on the path to developing self-mastery! By knowing yourself better, you will become more able to interact calmly, independently, and confidently with other people, both at work and at home. By applying the self-mastery skills that this course discusses, you will experience improved satisfaction with your job, career, and life, and your contributions in the workplace will be more professional and have a greater positive impact. |
| Adaptability in the Workplace | 2 hours | The future of work will be human. This will demand from us the ability to interact more effectively and intuitively with consumers to differentiate ourselves from machines. This also means organizations and the workforce must move away from fixed, predictable and rigid ways of working and become highly adaptable, flexible, innovative and solution-oriented. As an emotional intelligence skill adaptability have to do with being open to change (positive or negative) and to seamlessly make adjustments as challenges arise. Employees with high adaptability are able to modify their old ways of thinking and course of action to meet unexpected circumstances while driving high performance. They are also able to change their work style on the fly when necessary to take advantage of new technologies or methods, which drive continuous learning and innovation. The purpose of this course is to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and tools to become more adaptable in the workplace and life as adaptability is a transferable skill. |
| Empathy at Work | 2 hours | One of the key insights from emotional intelligence and research on successful people is that our own personal happiness depends heavily on our relationships with others. By adapting into the needs of other people, we enhance our own emotional well-being and physical health. This is also true in the workplace as people who foster empathy, trust and cooperative relationships are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, engaged and more productive. As a result, organizations can realize greater employee and customer loyalty and retention. Empathy is also the key to creating a meaningful life and making a real difference within and beyond the workplace. This is because empathy is a transferable skill that empowers us to do the right thing for others not only at work but also in our communities. The purpose of this course is to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to develop and harness empathy at work, which will help you harvest better relationships and contribute to creating a more productive, inclusive, and satisfying modern workplace. |
| Interpersonal Relationships for Workplace Success | 1 hour | An African proverb says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. While it is often easy to assume that going “solo” will make us more successful, the truth is that there is no such thing as a self-made person. As human history reminds us through our multiple cultural, social, economic and technological advancements, anything worth accomplishing has been made possible through and with others. Dreams, goals and work-related projects can be realized more successfully when we combine our unique strengths and talents with those of other people. This is why interpersonal skills, also known as Social Skills, are key to help us multiply our success in the workplace and life in general. These skills are one of the building blocks of emotional intelligence and are highly demanded in the workplace. Interpersonal relationships skills allow people to create and keep good and satisfying relations with others. Employees with strong interpersonal skills are highly valued for their personal leadership, pleasant positive demeanor, solution-oriented attitude and effective communication. Moreover, they are seen as team players who get along and work well with others to achieve organizational goals. The purpose of this course is to equip you with knowledge, tools and strategies that will help you strengthen your interpersonal relationship skills and leverage them effectively at work. |
| Webinar 2 | 1.5 hours | Welcome to the second (required) webinar of the Acahkos Program for Supervisors. During this webinar, you will have the opportunity to engage in various activities, reflections and discussions that will support your social-emotional learning journey.
We will start the webinar with an Acahkos Check-in, where you can reflect on your progress and share your experiences with your peers. This will be followed by a peer discussion, where you will have the opportunity to learn from others and gain valuable insights into the challenges and successes of your fellow supervisors.
Next, you will be introduced to the topic of giving feedback. You will learn about the OFTA model, a proven approach to providing effective feedback that is both constructive and actionable.
Then, we will take a break before moving on to a practical scenario about the OFTA model and provide a quick overview of the EI-Coach model, which will help you develop your emotional intelligence skills and provide guidance on how to maintain an open conversation and communication at the workplace.
Finally, we will wrap up the webinar by outlining the next steps in the Acahkos Program and answering any questions you may have.
By the end of this webinar, you will have gained valuable insights into emotional Intelligence, received practical examples for feedback, coaching and guidance, and learned how to provide effective feedback as a supervisor using the OFTA model. |
| The Spark Within | 2 hours | In this course, you will learn how to manage your mindset, behaviours, and workplace relationships to help you stand out in your organization and in your industry as a motivated, energized and committed person to your own success and the growth of your team. You will learn how to set goals based on your values, how to commit and track those long-term goals. Plus, learn tips for motivating yourself, leading your peers, and managing your boss. Self-actualization is the culmination of peak performance and commitment to your personal goals. The drive to achieve them and to realize your full potential. Self-actualization embodies the essence of striving to be the best you can be and achieving your goals and aspirations in life and at work. Together with taking the initiative and optimism, self-actualization generates the motivation and energy to drive the other elements of emotional intelligence. This is the fuel trio behind emotional-social intelligence. |
| Coaching for Success | 2 hours | Emotions are a critical driver of human performance. Leaders are expected to deliver results by guiding, inspiring and developing their teams. Therefore, they must learn to lead each person as a human being, not just a worker. Emotions, feelings, and thoughts are the heart of every human being. These are manifested at work every day through behaviours and interaction with others, although it is not always clear to others what emotions, feelings and thoughts are triggering them. As leaders, people managers are expected to uncover these so that they can reinforce good behaviours and support employees in changing unproductive ones. While many coaching approaches are often generic, the EI-COACHING is professional coaching with the added value of intelligent use of emotions. It aims to fine-tune, build deeper connections, and explore goals that stem from their core values and independent choices. Through the quest for coaching and helping others grow personally and professionally, it is crucial to listen fully, never interrupt, be observant of the whole body (non-verbal communication), ask insightful questions and pick up on emotional signals. At the end of this learning course, supervisors will be able to use practical coaching skills and aim for peak performance through their actions. They will inspire others through learning support skills, knowledge, and effective coaching techniques combined with the science and power of Emotional Intelligence. |
| Positive Attitudes in the Workplace | 3 hours | Attitude is everything! You may be the most skilled or competent person at work, but if you do not accompany your ability to do your job well with a positive attitude, your success will be limited. Your attitude is about “how you do your job” and how you choose to behave in all circumstances. It is how you convey yourself to others. Most employees with positive attitudes display several favorable behaviours in the work environment. They are resilient, resourceful, flexible, and open-minded. They radiate inviting energy that positively affects everyone and everything around them. If you can display to your employer, customers and colleagues a sense of positivity, you will quickly become someone they will want to deal with more. The purpose of this course is to equip you with knowledge, tools and practical strategies that will help you develop and maintain a positive attitude so that you can elevate both your professional and personal success. |
| Problem Solving | 1 hour | Everyone experiences problems from time to time. Some of our problems are big and complicated, while others may be more easily solved. There is no shortage of challenges or issues that can arise in the workplace. Logical reasoning to problems and decisions is the foundation of practical problem solving and decision making. Critical thinking enables us to avoid common obstacles, test our beliefs and assumptions, and correct distortions in our thought processes. Critical thinking also enables us to gain confidence in assessing problems accurately, evaluating alternative solutions, and anticipating likely risks as well. This topic provides you with the competencies to solve problems effectively by using various techniques including critical thinking. |
| Webinar 3 | 1.5 hours | Welcome to the third and final required webinar of the Acahkos Program for Supervisors. During this webinar, we will focus on coaching and wrap-up, providing you with the personalized support and guidance you need to succeed in your social-emotional learning journey.
We will start the webinar with an Acahkos Program Check-in, where you can reflect on your progress and share your experiences with your peers. This will be followed by revisiting the engaging activity that explores the topic of humans’ vs robots in the workplace, providing you with valuable insights into the changing nature of work and the importance of collaboration and social-emotional skills.
We will then take a break before moving on to an EI Coach Demo, where you will have the opportunity to observe emotional intelligence coaching in action and gain a deeper understanding of how to apply these skills in your own work as a supervisor.
Finally, we will wrap up the webinar by answering questions, outlining the key takeaways from the Acahkos Program, and will provide you with guidance on how to continue your social-emotional learning journey beyond the program.
By the end of this webinar, you will have gained valuable insights into emotional Intelligence, received training on practical tools like the feedback OFTA model and EICOACH coaching model, and learned how to apply these skills in your role as a supervisor. |
| Allergens Level 1 | 3 hours | This course covers the priority list of allergens in Canada as well as sulphites and gluten sources. You will be able to identify the sources and describe the best practices and regulations to prevent allergens related food safety incidents. |
| Food Safety Culture and You | 2 hours | This course discusses the importance of following food safety procedures and practices when working in Canadian food companies, as these are part of food safety culture. It outlines the role of governments and food companies in protecting the food supply and identifies how consumers can be negatively affected by improper practices. It covers the important role food workers have in following procedures and telling supervisors and coworkers of food safety problems. Participants will learn the important role of food workers have in supporting their workplace food safety culture. By following food safety practices, food workers help their employer to protect the consumer, meet government regulations and address business needs. |
| Sanitation Level 1 | 2 hours | This course covers the cleaning and sanitation of food contact surfaces, equipment and utensils. You will be able to describe the steps to clean and sanitize effectively, choose and prepare cleaning and sanitizing solutions, as well as learn the best practices to protect yourself while doing it. |
| HACCP Essentials | 2 hours | This course provides background information on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) technique, describes the pre-requisite programs that provide the foundation for the HACCP system and explains the purpose and scope of HACCP training within the food processing industry. As part of this, the course reviews the causes of food contamination with emphasis on the prevention of biological contamination and identifies and explains the seven HACCP principles. |
| Introduction to Preventive Control Plans | 3 hours | Many businesses and governments around the world are moving towards implementing food safety systems that are preventive controls based. As one of the top performing food safety countries in the world, Canada is also adopting this initiative! Once you have completed the Introduction to Preventive Control Plans (PCP) course, you will: understand the impact of the proposed Safe Food for Canadians Act and Regulations, be able to develop, implement and maintain a Preventive Control Plan. |
| Introduction to Quality Assurance and Quality Control | 2.5 hours | This course covers the roles and responsibilities of Quality Assurance and Quality Control in developing a Quality System. Participants will go through the background of the roles as well as what is important to understand when implementing Quality Systems. This course is applicable to all personnel in a food processing plant with roles in determining quality: owners, supervisors, quality manager, quality technician, production personnel, sanitation team, plant manager, food safety team, etc. |
| Respectful Workplace | 3 hours | The purpose of this Respectful Workplace course is to help all levels of employees understand their personal responsibility for the creation of a respectful work environment, why this is beneficial to themselves and others, how to identify and respond to disrespectful behaviours, and how they can contribute to respect in the workplace through their personal actions and behaviours. |
| Supervise Employee Performance | 3 hours | Working with people is one of the most important factors of team environments. This is especially important for supervisors, management or anyone responsible for the time, performance and talent of others. This course will provide tools and strategies to better supervise, motivate and manage your teams effectively. |
| Introduction to the Regulatory Environment | 3 hours | This course covers the regulatory requirements for a food manufacturer or food processor in Canada. It also covers the United States requirements as it is Canada’s largest trading partner. Participants will be able to learn about the basics of the regulatory requirements all the way from the government levels to the global level. |
| Monitor OH&S and Security | 3 hours | Supervisors have the front-line responsibility to keep the workplace safe and to protect workers. In this course you will learn how to recognize hazards and take effective preventive actions to foster a safety culture at your workplace. The information needed to Exercise Due Diligence, Identify Hazards and Develop Plans to reduce or eliminate them, and many other topics is included. Topics range from : Legislation, Hazard Identification, and Leadership in Developing and OHS Program. Upon completion of this course you will be able to Maintain the desired level of Safety Compliance through the practical and theoretical understanding of OHS basics. |
| Monitor Budget Performance | 3 hours | This course provides the food and beverage processing industry supervisor with the knowledge and skills to monitor budget performance within a department or unit, and to communicate with the manager or financial consultants on budget performance. |
| Building Team Resilience | 3 hours | The purpose of this Building Team Resilience course is to provide team leaders with leadership and workplace practices that build the resilience of members of their work teams in order to positively contribute to workplace productivity and engagement, create a work environment where employees feel connected, supported, and safe, and reduce employee stress levels. Participants will also learn tips for becoming a more resilient leader. |
| Employee Training & Development |
1 hours |
This course will provide Human Resources and Supervisors with the knowledge, skills, tools, and approach when Training and Developing employees through their employment. We will focus on the overall approach for Training and Development, what is included, how to engage employees in their own development and how to influence business leaders to encourage employee development. This course will also provide an overview for identifying training needs, developing learning objectives, delivering training, and evaluating your training and development effectiveness. We will review the types of training and development from Orientation and Onboarding programs for new employees to formal and informal training approaches during their employment. You will learn to accurately assess for training gaps and clearly identify the needs of your company, to developing robust training plans for teams and/or individuals. You will also learn to design the framework and a series of resources for Employee Training & Development for your organization, including a selection of templates, tools, and guidelines for leaders to follow. |
| Facilitate Employee Departures |
1 hour |
This course will provide Human Resources and Supervisors with the knowledge, skills, tools, and approach when employees depart your organization voluntarily or involuntarily due to a termination, layoff, resignation, or retirement. This course provides an overview for each of the types of employee departures, the role of Human Resources and Supervisors in the process, detailed tools with specific steps to be applied when employees depart organizations, insight into the legal and contractual considerations of some departures, and the social impact of employee departures in your organization. We will review the types of departures in detail, the approach for each, discuss how to effectively plan and prepare for departure meetings, understand the importance of building an effective communication strategy for departures, and reviewing the potential legal implications of some departures and how to prepare for these challenges. You will also learn to design an Employee Departure process for your organization, including a series of templates, tools, and guidelines for leaders to follow. In addition, this course will provide the framework for establishing a process flow for Supervisors, guided by Human Resources for all Employee Departures |
| The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conscious Organization | 1 hour | Where the DEI Workplace Starts
Creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) workplace starts with a strong understanding of,
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| Race & Culture in the DEI Workplace | 1 hour | Whether you are working to lead a multicultural and/or multilingual workforce or exploring your own attitudes and unconscious biases around racial diversity and inclusion as a manager or supervisor, this course will assist you in learning more about yourself and the possible racial and cultural perspectives within your organization.
To begin we will explore:
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| Growing Your Gender-Friendly Vocabulary | 1 hour | Growing Your Vocabulary
Gender-related terminology is steadily growing in the academic world, pop-culture, and in the DEI conscious workplace. Key to understanding these terms, their usages, and the thinking behind them is, distinguishing between three key concepts:
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| Multicultural & Multilingual Leadership | 1 hour | The Multicultural and Multilingual Workplace Managers working with multilingual and multicultural teams face unique challenges but are also presented with exciting opportunities to elevate diverse knowledgebases and cultural identities to produce high-functioning teams. This highly practical course will look at meaningful and transformative ways to engage your multilingual team and offer key supportive techniques when managing English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers on your team, notably in team meeting settings. |
| The Disability-Friendly and Neurodiverse Workplace | 1 hour | Disability Friendly & Neurodiverse
Virtually all organizations have employees who live with visible and invisible disabilities, as well as individuals with neurodiverse exceptionalities. This course will focus on modern terminology and strategies that are evolving to better support these individuals, along with identifying 4 models of disability:
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| Planning and Organizing for Results | 1 hour | This course will assist you in seeing how your production area and functions contribute to company goals and results. It will also help you in determining what resources are required to get the job done. |
| Budgeting 101 | 1 hour | The content covered in this course will assist participants in understanding how the control of budget items can positively contribute to the bottom line. |
| Preventing Production Problems | 1 hour | The content covered in this course will help participants understand how preventing & solving common production problems can avoid downtime & contribute to meeting production goals. |
| Maintaining Quality | 1 hour | The content covered in this course will explain why quality is so important & how to maintain quality on the production line. In this module, quality is relating to food safety not workmanship. |
| Ensuring Employee Safety | 1 hour | This course will explain why safety is so important in the workplace, and how safety policies and procedures can ensure employee safety. |
| Monitoring for Control | 1 hour | In this course we will present and discuss how monitoring and controlling the production process can be a preventative measure. |
| Leadership Personality Types | 1 hour | This course will help you to identify and learn more about your personal leadership type and its impact on your leadership style. |
| Leadership Practices | 1 hour | This course presents key drivers of employee engagement and productivity as identified through research. |
| Manage & Performance & Give Feedback | 1 hour | This course defines the performance management cycle and how it is applied to build employee competence and confidence. It also defines the principles, guidelines, and steps for giving positive and constructive performance feedback to employees. |
| Train Employees & Give Performance Feedback | 1 hour | This course identifies methods for developing and tracking employee competence. |
