Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course

In Saskatchewan, if you are 14 or 15 years old and able to work, you must do the following before starting to work:

1. Complete the YWRCC and obtain a Certificate of Completion;
2. Provide your employer with a copy of your Certificate of Completion; and
3. Provide your employer with proof of age and written consent from a parent or guardian.

Employers are required to keep a copy of the young worker's Certificate of Completion, proof of age, and consent from a parent or guardian on file.

If you are 14 or 15 years old and have completed the YWRCC, you will also need to be aware of the employment standard restrictions for 14- and 15-year-olds, which include:

• You cannot work after 10 p.m. the night before a school day;
• You cannot work before classes begin on a school day; and
• You cannot work more than 16 hours in a school week.

During school breaks such as Christmas holidays or summer vacation, these restrictions do not apply and you can work the same hours as other employees. However, all other employment standards apply to you.

There are also industries where you can and cannot work if you are under 18 years old. See Minimum Age and Workplace Restrictions for Young Workers.

The YWRCC will help prepare you for joining the job market for the first time. You will learn workplace health and safety and minimum legislation (e.g. for safety, pay and hours of work) you and your employer must follow. You will also learn about workplace rights and responsibilities for employees and employers and where to go for help.

To complete the YWRCC and obtain a Certificate of Completion, you can take the course online or use a paper and pencil version. It is recommended that the YWRCC be completed online.

To complete the YWRCC online, you must:

1. Have access to an up-to-date desktop or laptop computer with speakers (or headphones). The course can also be taken using a tablet. Please be aware that if you try to take the course on your smartphone, all of the content may not be compatible. While the course may work on some smartphones, we recommend using a tablet, desktop or laptop computer for best results.
2. Ensure that your computer has the following technology:
   • Up-to-date internet browser. We recommend Google Chrome or Safari.
   • Access to the internet.
   • Acrobat Reader.
3. You must have a current and working email address to create your account.
4. You will need a printer to print your Certificate of Completion at the end of the course. If you do not have access to a printer, you can save your certificate as a PDF and print it elsewhere. You will have access to your Certificate of Completion through your course account for up to 1,095 days.

Once you have all of the technical requirements, you must:

1. Click the link Take the YWRCC.
2. Decide if you would like to take the high bandwidth or low bandwidth version of the course. The low bandwidth version is recommended for slower internet connections.
3. Create an account and login. Course accounts will be active for 1,095 days. You can logout and return to the course where you left off by logging back into the course using your account information and the course resume feature.
4. Complete the three course modules.
5. Complete each of the three module tests with a mark of 75 per cent or higher. Your final mark will be based on your score for the module two and module three tests. You will need to score 75 per cent or higher on these two tests in order to receive a Certificate of Completion.
6. Print your Certificate of Completion.
7. Once you have passed these two tests and received your certificate, you can access the certificate by signing back into your account. We recommend printing extra copies of your certificate and saving it to your computer or a USB flash drive. Keep copies for your own records and provide a copy to your employer.

If you cannot take the course online, you can complete the YWRCC using a paper and pencil version. To obtain a copy of the YWRCC Guide and Workbook, you can download a PDF copy or contact the Employment Standards Division at 1-800-667-1783 to request a copy be mailed to you.

Once you have a copy of the YWRCC Guide and Workbook:

1. Complete the Guide and Workbook and take the three module tests.
   • Take the YWRCC tests by going online, creating a course account and clicking the 'Test' tab (see online steps six and seven once you have completed the online tests); Please note the three online module tests must be completed in order starting with module one, then module two and finally module three or;
   • Obtain a hard copy of the three tests from the Employment Standards Division at 1-800-667-1783.
     • Mail the completed hard copy tests back to the Employment Standards Division following the instructions included with the tests.
     • If you pass the tests with a mark of 75 per cent or higher, the Employment Standards Division will mail you a copy of your Certificate of Completion. If you do not pass the tests, you will receive a notice in the mail stating that you will need to re-write the tests.
2. Make extra copies of your Certificate of Completion. Keep copies for your records and provide a copy to your employer. Make sure to have a parent or guardian sign your certificate before giving the certificate to your employer. Students who created an online account to write the three module tests will be able to access their certificate by signing back into their account. Please note: For those students who write the three paper tests, if you lose your Certificate of Completion or change jobs and do not have any copies, you will need to retake the tests to obtain another Certificate of Completion.

If you are an educator administering the course in your classroom, it is recommended you use the online version of the course. Each student will need:

• A computer or tablet with an up-to-date browser;
• Headphones, if the device speakers can't be used;
• Access to a printer; and
• A current email address to create their course account.

Important: If your students are taking the course at school, please check with your IT support service to ensure the course's website and confirmation email address are whitelisted as a safe with your school's firewall security. The course can be taken using the high bandwidth or low bandwidth version depending on the internet connection your school has. The low bandwidth version is recommended for slower internet connections. The content in both versions is identical. Each student will need to create a course account and login to the course. Accounts will be active for 1,095 days. Once an account has been created, your students will be able to take the course, write the tests and obtain their certificates.

The course can be taken using a high bandwidth or low bandwidth version depending on the internet connection your school has. The low bandwidth version is recommended for slower internet connections.

Each student will need to create a course account and login to the course. Accounts will be active for 1,095 days. Once an account has been created, your students will be able to enter the course.

The YWRCC is separated into three modules:

1. Understanding the World of Work
2. Workplace Health and Safety (Occupational Health and Safety
3. Rules for Fairness at Work (Employment Standards)

The first module is an introduction to the world of work. Modules two and three focus on the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers under Part II – Employment Standards and Part III – Occupational Health and Safety in the Saskatchewan Employment Act. Throughout the course, students will be actively engaged through the use of videos, interactive course activities, quizzes, animations and workplace scenarios. At any time throughout the course, students can log off and then log back in to resume where they left off. Students can also login and finish the course at home if unable to complete during class time.

The course Resume feature will return the student to where they stopped in the course even when the student is using a different computer or tablet from a different location.

The course will take approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Students must complete the three module tests in order to advance to the next module or print their certificate.

Students must obtain a mark of 75% or higher in the module 2 and module 3 tests in order to receive their certificate. If they do not pass the tests, they can take the tests again. Students also have the option to challenge the three module tests once they sign in without having to navigate through the entire course.

If you do not have the resources (e.g., access to internet, a computer, or tablet) to administer the course using the online version, a paper and pencil version is available. To use the paper and pencil version within your classroom:

1. Download and print the YWRCC Guide and Workbook.
2. Have students complete the guide and workbook.
3. Have students complete the test online by creating an account and logging into the online version of the course. Students can go directly to the test by clicking the 'Test' tab.
4. A hard copy of the test is also available for those unable to complete the test online. To obtain hard copies, contact the Employment Standards Division at 1-800-667-1783. Please ensure to advise us how many copies of the tests you will require. All tests are different to ensure copying of the tests cannot occur.
5. Once your students have completed the test, you can send the completed tests back to the Employment Standards Division for marking. A Certificate of Completion will be sent to each student who receives 75% or higher on the test.
6. For students that do not pass the test, the Employment Standards Division will send a notice advising that the student will need to re-take the test.

Le Cours du Certificat de préparation des jeunes travailleurs - Guide et cahier d’exercices est aussi disponible en français.

Ready to take the Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course?

If you do not receive a confirmation email after creating your account, please check your junk mail or Spam folder. Before contacting us, we advise teachers and students to check with their network administrator to see if their confirmation email was blocked by the school's security system. For assistance with course account concerns, contact us at ywrcc@gov.sk.ca. Also, remember to check the spelling of the email address used to set up the account.

Take the YWRCC Now

To complete the YWRCC using the paper and pencil version, download a copy of the YWRCC Guide and Workbook or contact the Employment Standards Division at 1-800-667-1783 to request a copy be mailed to you.

Le Cours du Certificat de préparation des jeunes travailleurs - Guide et cahier d’exercices est aussi disponible en français.

Employees and employers should work together to ensure their workplace is fair and safe. As a young worker remember:

• If it feels wrong, it probably is wrong.
• Just ask.
• There is no such thing as a stupid question.

There are many additional resources that you can view to help ensure you are treated fairly and work safely.

• WorkSafe Saskatchewan provides health and safety information for young workers as well as employers, parents and teachers of young workers.
• Employment Standards provides information on the rights and responsibilities related to wages and pay, vacations and holidays and how to file an employment standards complaint if you believe your employer is not following minimum employment terms and conditions.
• Occupational Health and Safety provides information on the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers under the health and safety legislation and how to raise possible safety violations.
• If you are injured at work, the Workers' Compensation Board provides information on the steps you need to take if you are injured, including filing an incident report.
• Many additional sources of employment and health and safety information are available in the Resources tabs on each screen in the course.

If you have any questions related to the YWRCC, please contact us at ywrcc@gov.sk.ca or call 1-800-667-1783.