Employment Readiness ScaleTM
This policy describes the Employment Readiness ScaleTM (ERS)'s practices regarding personally identifiable information and data ("personal information"). This policy applies to our websites and email communications (the "Platforms"). When you use the Platforms, you agree to the terms in this policy.
Privacy Protection Built Into the ERS
The ERS does not solicit or retain any personally identifiable information. The programming for the ERS was purposely designed so that no client answers to Scale questions are kept. The Scale is taken in temporary memory and, when the last question is answered, factor scores are computed and the answers to specific questions are permanently deleted.
The ERS was developed under the supervision of a Steering Committee comprised of Canadian Federal and BC Provincial officers. Both the questions asked in the Scale and the privacy protection structure of the ERS database were reviewed and cleared by the British Columbia and the Canadian Federal privacy commissioners.
We save and retain in our database only clients' total scores by Scale factor but not responses to individual items. Both the client and the Agency, but not Sponsors, may access an analysis of a client's results by Scale factor. Agencies also have access to the aggregate total scores of their clients by Scale factor for analysis in reports, but without any personally identifying information, and we assist with the analysis of those aggregate data. We may also analyze and publish aggregate data generated by use of the Employment Readiness ScaleTM for the purposes of professional research and publication, without disclosing personally identifying information.
The ERS Does Not Track User Information
We respect the privacy of users of this site and do not track visitor statistics or information on how the website is used. We do use cookies within the ERS websites to ensure that you are able to move around the website as needed.
The ERS Does Retain Account Information
We do maintain account information in our databases so that we can determine whether or not your access codes are valid, ensure that you receive the training support that your license guarantees, bill you for the use of our service, and contact you in the event of upgrades.
Licensee Support
When you correspond with members of the ERS team, we record inquiries and our responses to ensure excellent licensee support.
The ERS Adheres to Canadian Privacy Laws
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)
FIPPA defines personal information as "recorded information about an identifiable individual." While a specific ERS Feedback Report can be retrieved by use of an access code (user name and password) in order to assist an individual client, no other individually-linked information is collected or accessible.
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
PIPEDA is intended to ensure that information about an "identifiable individual" is not revealed without consent. Again, the ERS does not collect any data that could be used to identify a particular individual. Rather, based on answers to questions, the ERS computes factor scores that are available in a password-protected file to describe the employment readiness profile of an individual.
How We Store and Protect ERS Data
The ERS application and database servers are co-located with a tier 1, ISO27001 certified, Internet service provider and monitored 24/7. The ERS data reside on a secure server cluster that is connected to the web application servers but not to the Internet. All ERS servers sit behind redundant firewalls, and run the latest anti-virus and associated application security software. The personnel responsible for the database and applications hold a Government of Canada security clearance, and the ERS application undergoes a quarterly internal/external PCI scan by an external agency.
Your Rights with Respect to Personal Information
Each Agency may choose ways to code ERS data records for purposes of analyzing patterns of need and which interventions are most effective, selecting variables such as family composition, highest education, time unemployed, housing stability, etc. Such coding is not linked to your individual factor scores. The coding is baseline coding, i.e., your status when you first took the ERS so there is no reason to update it if it changes later. That coding makes no difference in the assistance you receive. If you have any questions or concerns about whether or how your ERS data record was coded, please contact the Agency through which you took the ERS.
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Do not reproduce.