One of the biggest takeaways the pandemic has taught us is that more than ever employees and organizations need to be adaptable. The effects of the pandemic have caused work pattern shifts, and customer behavior changes resulting in the loss of jobs in some industries and growth in others.  In an ever-changing world, it has become necessary for companies very survival to adapt and upgrade the skills of their existing staff. 

 A McKinsey and Company report revealed that many leaders believe skill building (more than hiring, contracting, and redeploying employees) is the best way to close skill gaps that are needed.  It is estimated by 2025 half of all employees will need reskilling.

 President Anne Thomson has worked for over 25 years in career development and training. As a Director of Placement, and as a Recruitment Manager,  her roles have included finding good jobs for professionals, blue-collar workers, or those leaving the military who simply wanted a change in their career trajectory. Anne realized the importance of meeting with industry throughout the province to gain a good understanding of what skills employers required in their workplace so she could link her clients to them. 

Later she spent time at both a private and public college as a Manager of Industry Development and Continuing Education to develop training programs in response to skill shortages many employers were facing. This included a Health Care Aide program and a Paralegal program aimed towards marginalized women to help them achieve financial stability. This later expanded to include trades training.  

Anne founded Thomson Training Solutions in 2005. Her goal has been to help those achieve success by building on their work experience and developing many sought-after skills employers depend on.  Every TTS instructor is a specialist with expertise in adult learning. All have recent or present experience working in the areas they teach and recognize that there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to how students comprehend information and every learner is different. In fact, the average age of learners is 42 years old.  Anne states that we know many of our students have not had positive classroom learning experiences and may find the idea of learning a bit scary.  But a respectful, encouraging approach that builds on a student’s strengths makes every goal an achievable one.