One of the biggest problems faced by food service professionals and food safety trainers alike is the issue of how to capture and hold attention when teaching...
Since 1997, the mission of FoodSafetyMarket has been to help businesses protect themselves and their customers through food safety education. Over the years, we’ve seen more than 100,000 food handlers receive certification through our programs. One of our absolute favourite parts of having created so many strong business relationships over the years is being able to hear how our team helped another business take its operations to a whole new level. Everybody loves a success story, and we’re very happy that we’ve been able to generate more than a few ourselves.
One of our favourite success stories is that of PTP Adult Learning and Employment Programs, a Toronto-based adult learning and employment-focused organization which aims to deliver high quality programs that create positive pathways to employment. Pathways to Possibilities (PTP) and FoodSafetyMarket have enjoyed a fruitful relationship for over a decade, one that has seen the launch of an exciting training program by PTP which makes use of FoodSafetyMarket’s virtual classroom to deliver training even when face-to-face learning isn’t possible.
The Elevate Program gives students the skills needed to thrive
PTP established the Elevate Program to help Canadians find a place in Ontario’s thriving food and beverage manufacturing sector. The free 10-week training program is specifically designed to help newcomers to Canada and Ontario Works participants learn the skills needed to thrive in the food manufacturing sector, covering everything needed to build confidence and build essential skills necessary to succeed in the sector. At the end of the 10-week training program, students get to experience a two-week job placement to prepare them for a career in the field.
Elevate provides students with sector specific training which includes Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), safe food handling, preventing food contamination, WHMIS and more, as well as employability and soft skills like effective workplace communication, appropriate workplace behaviour and expectations, teamwork skills, and problem solving.
At the end of the Elevate program, students will be armed with the skills, confidence and emotional support needed to thrive in the Ontario food and beverage manufacturing sector, allowing learners to better manage challenges, overcome adversity and thrive in a rewarding new career.
How the virtual classroom transformed Elevate
Faced with the inability to deliver in-classroom training to students at the onset of the pandemic, PTP turned to FoodSafetyMarket for assistance. FSM had been a trusted partner of PTP’s for well over a decade, and the company’s new virtual classroom offered a solution to their training difficulties. With face-to-face learning out of the question, the virtual classroom environment would allow PTP’s trainers to continue offering the Elevate program to eager students looking to make an impact on the food and beverage manufacturing sector.
With a solution in mind, PTP trusted the FSM team to advise them on how to best use the virtual classroom to deliver a compelling and engaging distance training experience. Shahina Suleman, Program Manager at PTP, worked closely with our team to learn the many interactive tools provided through the FSM virtual classroom. Since the virtual classroom was implemented in the Elevate program, students have been able to enjoy a seamless distance training program that remains both engaging and challenging.
Students have been able to retain information learned in the virtual classroom, and have enjoyed the use of workbooks and interactive elements made possible by the platform. The transition to remote learning has allowed many students to earn their food handler certification, opening many doors to them and impressing future employers with the quality of skills and knowledge brought by graduates of the Elevate program.
Since the remote learning elements were implemented in 2020, the Elevate program has seen dozens of successful graduates who have been able to seamlessly enter the job market using the skills and confidence provided by the program. The e-learning platform provided by FoodSafetyMarket has allowed PTP’s Elevate program to continue effectively preparing new Canadians and Ontario Works participants to successfully enter the workplace, be it at a nationally-recognized food manufacturing plant or small and medium-sized businesses around the province.
The evolution and continued success of the Elevate program is another example of the incredible things made possible by successful business partnerships. The decade-long partnership between FoodSafetyMarket and PTP Adult Learning and Employment Programs has seen many exciting moments, with the Elevate program’s transition to a virtual classroom being a true standout, and something our team can take great pride in.
Our customizable virtual classrooms are the perfect way for teams to earn food handler certification in a fun and engaging way, with pre-loaded base courses to get you started, course workbooks for all students, digital quizzes, and professionally web proctored exams to make certification seamless. To learn more about how FoodSafetyMarket’s virtual classroom can transform your team’s food handler certification experience, get in touch with us today at service@foodsafetymarket.com.
