Essential Skills for Ontario’s Trades

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

Report prepared by: Rideau-Ottawa Valley Learning Network & Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation

April 30, 2019

Executive Summary 4

Project Partners 5

1. Introduction 6

1.1 Overview 7

1.2 Locations 8

1.3 How to Read this Report 8

2. Program Design 9

2.1 Logic Model 9

2.2 Program Goals 10

Short-term goals 10

Medium-term goals 11

Long-term goals 11

2.3 Program Curriculum 12

Planning 13

Program Delivery 14

3. Methods 15

3.1 Evaluation Questions 15

3.2 Data Sources 15

4. Implementation Findings 16

4.1 Program Enrolment and Completion 16

4.2 The Need and Value of Rural Trades Programming 17

4.3 Challenges and Enabling Factors 17

Challenges 17

Managing client expectations and clarifying course objectives 18

Financial accessibility 19

Enabling Factors 19

5. Lessons Learned 21

7. Summary 23

References 24

Executive Summary

Career Access to the Trades (CAT) is an innovative program designed to provide training opportunities and

trades career exploration to unemployed and lower skilled individuals. The pilot program was led by the

Rideau-Ottawa Valley Learning Network (ROVLN). It was launched in April 2018 and ended in June 2018.

The CAT training tested the proposition that essential skills training, alongside job-specific credential

training, could provide participants with an avenue into the Trades while addressing core business issues in

the region such as low skilled labour and poor recruitment prospects, by equipping potential employees to be

better able to absorb technical training and to adapt to a full range of trades-related job tasks.

CAT tests an integrated approach to designing essential skills training. By focusing specifically on essential

skills for the trades, the curriculum development team aimed to design a high-quality core curricula that

could be efficiently delivered in 8-weeks. Integrating industry feedback into the curriculum about perceived

gaps in the workforce ensured that participants received coaching and skills that would aid in long-term

employment retention. Exploration of various trades available in the region allowed participants to self-

identify a niche and explore the realities of that trade before approaching an employer thus cutting down on

early exit or discovery of incongruent expectations.

This project was conducted in partnership with the Ontario Centre for Workforce Development (OCWI).

OCWI is a bilingual (English and French) research centre based out of Ryerson University’s Office of the

Vice-President of Research and Innovation committed to driving change in Ontario’s employment and

training sector.

The project was developed with industry, employment services, and literacy and basic skills partners in the

Renfrew and Lanark Counties to evaluate the effectiveness and viability of the CAT model. The evaluation

focused on the process of implementing the CAT training program, including in relation to key challenges

and enabling factors.

Manufacturing and Trades businesses were engaged in the process through a needs assessment that helped to

inform the design of the curriculum. Anecdotal evidence of participant readiness was collected by

Employment Services through follow-up interviews once the participants were in job trial placements or

employed.

The project would not have been possible without the collaboration, time and dedication of the Employment

Service organizations, LBS organizations, industry partners, and the Labour Market Group in the Renfrew

and Lanark Counties.

Project Partners

This Employment Ontario service is funded in part by the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.

1. Introduction

Ontario’s manufacturing sector is experiencing a severe shortage of skilled tradespeople. An aging population and declining labour force participation present significant challenges to Ontario’s manufacturing intensive regions ([CME & CSTEC], 2017). Manufacturing in Renfrew and Lanark Counties presents unique challenges and opportunities for employers, job seekers, apprentices, and workforce development professionals. Working with a group of partner agencies, the Career Access to the Trades program is an attempt to address these challenges with a new employment and training model. Manufacturing is an area of strength in Renfrew and Lanark counties, with estimates that it makes up 8% of the regional workforce and consists of an ecosystem where over two-thirds of employers have operated in the region for over 20 years. This suggests a significant degree of stability in what is often an unstable sector of the North American labour market. As the Future of Manufacturing report (2017) argues, the manufacturing sector in the region is poised at the present to rebound from the economic downturn of a decade ago. In particular, the region has a strong reputation in the area of advanced manufacturing. It includes both large and small enterprises, including original equipment manufacturers, component manufacturers, and specialized services (Town of Renfrew website, Sectors). Recruiting the next generation of skilled tradespeople is a huge challenge for manufacturing in Renfrew and Lanarck Counties. With a higher proportion of more mature employees than other regions in Ontario, 10.3% of businesses expect to decrease their workforce due to retirements (LMG Employer One Survey 2016 – 2017, p.5), with an estimated 25% of the decrease occurring solely in the trades. Factor in the province-wide issue of low apprenticeship completion rates, and it is little wonder why employers in Renfrew and Lanark are having difficulty finding skilled workers. As outlined by the Labour Market Group of Renfrew and Lanark Counties (2017), the challenge is that “manufacturers are reporting difficulty attracting journeymen and apprentices for trades positions such as electrician, millwright, and stationary engineer” (p. 1).

More than 14% of employers state that applicants do not meet basic skill requirements. Approximately 20% of Lanark and Renfrew residents have not graduated from secondary school, and less than 5% hold a trade certificate or diploma. (LMG Employer One Survey 2016-2017). Educationally, Renfrew and Lanark numbers rate among the lower end of provincial standards. Three percent of the population have less than a grade 9 education, and 11.9% have between a Grade 11 and 13 level education. Essential Skills for Ontario’s Trades aims to address these regional employment and training challenges by creating a contextualized training and education program that will help bring greater stability to the labour force in the sector.

To evaluate lessons learned in the implementation of this novel program, a process evaluation was undertaken. This evaluation focuses on program implementation challenges, successes, and enabling factors. It also includes enrolment and completion numbers, as well as jobseeker perceptions of key program components.

1.1 Overview

The Essential Skills for Ontario’s Trades pilot project developed an 8-week training program called “Career Access to the Trades” initiated by the Rideau-Ottawa Valley Learning Network (ROVLN). ROVLN is a regional Literacy and Basic Skills Support organization as part of the Employment Ontario employment and training network, a provincial government program dedicated to connecting workers with employers. ROVLN strengthens literacy and essential skills programming, research and public education to support adult literacy in Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley, including the counties of Renfrew, Lanark and Prescott-Russell. ROVLN provides a range of services, among them:

● Information and referral services; ● Professional development for literacy instructors; ● Resource development; ● Community service planning; and ● Outreach.

The 8-week Career Access to the Trades training program piloted the program. It ran out of four Literacy and Basic Skills organizations five days a week for six hours per day. It responded to documented and reported challenges faced by job seekers and employers in the manufacturing industries in Renfrew and Lanark Counties in Eastern Ontario. The main goal of the Career Access to the Trades program was to offer individuals who had an interest in a career in the Trades a free, non-committal opportunity to gain essential skills, explore various local trades, and receive support regarding their next steps – apprenticeship, employment, skills upgrading, or application to a diploma or certificate program. The pilot program aimed to fill job vacancies through the collaboration of industry, employment services, and literacy that would bring greater long-term stability to the labour force in trades and manufacturing in Renfrew and Lanark. This pilot program had the idea that an essential skills program that was developed with employer input could create a pipeline of committed and skilled people with basic communication, numeracy, digital, and literacy skills to fill vacant skilled trades jobs in the local manufacturing sector. With a more stable and more highly trained workforce, employers manufacturing in Renfrew and Lanark Counties hoped to be better able to accept contracts and to expand to meet demand across Eastern Ontario.

1.2 Locations

The Career Access to the Trades training program ran in four locations throughout Lanark and Renfrew Counties. Classes were operated out of college campuses, adult learning training centres, and continuing adult education facilities. Classes were designed to accommodate up to 15 learners. Locations and final class sizes included: 1. Pembroke (Renfrew County, population 13,882):7 2. Smiths Falls (Lanark County, population 8,780): 7 3. Arnprior (Renfrew County, population 8,795): 7 4. Eganville (Renfrew County, population 1,022): 9

1.3 How to Read this Report

Section 1 includes an overview of the workforce challenges facing Renfrew and Lanarck Counties and

introduces the Career Access to the Trades training program.

Section 2 reviews the design of the Career Access to the Trades training program. The logic of the program

is reviewed in relation to program goals, curriculum design, and activities.

Section 3 reviews the approach to this program evaluation, including evaluation questions and sources of

data.

Section 4 reviews the challenges, successes, and enabling factors in implementing this innovative approach to

training. It includes a review of program enrolment and completion numbers. It also reviews findings on

jobseeker and instructor perceptions of the program. We review the extent to which jobseekers and

instructors saw the program as meeting local needs, including in relation to skilled trades training and related

career choices.

Section 5 highlights lessons learned in the implementation of Career Access to the Trades.

A summary anddiscussion is offered in section 6 of the report.

2. Program Design

2.1 Logic Model

At the program design phase, the Rideau-Ottawa Valley Learning Network (ROVLN) worked with a

consulting firm called Blueprint to create a program vision. This vision is illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 1. The Logic of the Essential Skills for Ontario’s Trades project

The program vision outlined key inputs or resources necessary for program implementation. Funding and

research support was offered by the Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation. Partnerships were central to

the program vision, including the expertise and training capacity of key partners, as well as connections

between literacy and basic skills and employment service providers. To support ongoing monitoring and

performance measurement, the program was dependent on accurate local labour market information on the

manufacturing section in Renfrew and Lanark Counties. Most importantly, the program relied on a pool of

jobseekers and employers.

Planned activities focused on recruiting and enrolling participants, engaging local employers, and delivering

the eight week curriculum. Resulting from these activities, the program aimed to engage employers, recruit

and enroll job seekers, and support all jobseekers on the pathway to completion. The short, medium, and

long-term objectives associated with these outputs are outlined in section 2.2.

2.2 Program Goals

The Essential Skills for Ontario’s Trades exploration project’s aim was to create a pipeline of committed and skilled people with the basic skills in communication, numeracy, digital and literacy for vacant jobs and further training in the Trades in Renfrew and Lanark. Through the Career Access to the Trades Training program, it had a goal to pilot a strategic response to challenges faced by both job seekers and employers in the region. With a more stable workforce, employers hoped to be better situated to accept contracts and expand to meet demand.

The Essential Skills for Ontario’s Trades had short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.

Short-term goals

The following short-term goals were expected to materialize between 1 - 3 months after the completion of the program.

● Through guided discussions, self-directed research, guest speaker talks, and site visits, previously underemployed or unemployed clients will develop a clear roadmap of further education to achieve their career goals, or the choice of employment in a trade position;

● The project will lead to a greater understanding of what hard and soft skills employers are specifically looking for in new hires which will allow LBS and ES to tailor future training and workshop development; and,

● At the completion of the program, it is anticipated that there will be an increase in employable workers who have the right skills for entry-level trade positions and a hardened interest in pursuing a career in a specific trade.

Medium-term goals

The following medium-term goals are expected to materialize 4 – 6 months after the completion of the program.

● Successful delivery of the program and favorable feedback from both participants and employers will result in subsequent training programs that produce a steady pipeline of skilled workers that employers are highly motivated to hire for available positions in Renfrew and Lanark counties;

● Employers in the region who have hired graduates from the program will appreciate the committed and skilled individuals in their workforce, and will look to ES & LBS as a source of committed and skilled workers; and,

● Knowledge among ES and community stakeholders about the depth of support LBS can provide, the kinds of training offered, and the degree to which LBS can affect apprenticeship completion rates, will increase.

Long-term goals

The following long-term goals are expected to materialize 7 - 12 months after the completion of the program.

● Through increased engagement with employers and schools as well as positive exposure of the careers in the trades, it is anticipated that this project will help combat misperceptions about careers in the Trades (that they are a fall back career, or pay poorly), and ensure that a career in the trades will be perceived in a more positive light.

● Clients who have participated in the program and register as an apprentice will know that LBS Service Providers can provide tailored support throughout the Standard of Qualification completion as well as examination preparation because they will have a positive relationship with providers and feel comfortable accessing LBS supports when they find a particular skills or task to be challenging. Additionally, clients who want to challenge the Certificate of Qualification will know that LBS can assist in their examination preparation.

● Over time, this project will help contribute to an increase in the number of people entering the trades in Renfrew and Lanark by allowing a diverse group of clients to explore their interest in the trades in a risk-free environment, addressing some of the barriers to participation that exist in mainstream pathways into the Trades.

● Through the research findings from this project, it is hoped that a set of recommendations regarding apprenticeship completion in rural areas can be submitted to the Ontario College of Trades to support lower ratio rates and increased remote apprenticeship learning opportunities.

2.3 Program Curriculum

The curriculum of the Career Access to the Trades training program was designed by Literacy Link Eastern Ontario. It was adapted to the needs of the Essential skills for the Trades program. There was also a huge part of the Soft Skills Solutions program integrated into the curriculum. The goal of this curriculum was to prepare unemployed and under-employed clients with:

● The skills needed for a career in the trades; ● A cost-free opportunity to explore an interest in trades; ● A direct pathway into a job; and/or, ● Career pathways to academic upgrading, an apprenticeship, or a certificate/diploma program.

This program involved six components: 1. Contextualized essential skills: clients learn foundational digital, communication, numeracy, literacy and soft skills, which are taught in the classroom. Developed by Literacy Link East Ontario, this curriculum is designed to be combined with hands-on experiential learning, where clients can apply foundational skills in practice. 2. Credentials: clients complete various certifications of use to jobs in trades and manufacturing, including (but not limited to) Health and Safety, First Aid, WHMIS, Fall Protection, and soft skills certification. 3. Trades exploration: clients conduct labour market and online research, information interviews, and consult online job postings in one trade of their choice. This research culminates in an in-class presentation, and is complemented by guest speakers from the local trades and manufacturing sectors, demonstrations by industry professionals, and a visit to the Ottawa Tool Lending Library. 4. Career pathway support: the instructors and the project coordinators provide individual and in-class guidance to assist clients in making choices about pathways into careers in the trades. This includes assistance with direct employment, apprenticeships, academic upgrading, or entry into a certificate or diploma program. 5. Industry input: during employer advisory group sessions, local employers highlight soft skills that are required for successful career paths into trades and manufacturing, which are blended into the classroom curriculum or offered as stand-alone workshops. These employer advisory group sessions ensure that local needs in trades and manufacturing are being met by the curriculum that is developed. 6. Job trial: interested clients are offered a job trial in their target trades career after completion of the Career Access to the Trades training program. Local employers seeking to fill permanent vacancies have

access to financial grants to help offset training and orientation costs. Clients and employers who take part in job trials are supported by Employment Services job developers.

2.4 Program Activities

Planning

As part of the OCWI Contextualized Essential Skills portfolio, service providers from employment services and literacy and basic skills in Lanark and Renfrew counties as well as the Labour Market Group came together for the first time around an idea to offer an essential skills training program that would offer unemployed individuals an opportunity to explore a career in the trades while also meeting labour market shortages. A working group composed of the Executive Director of ROVLN, service providers from Lanark and Renfrew in literacy and employment services, the Executive Director from the Renfrew Industrial Commission, the Labour Market Group, and OCWI representatives met to design and develop the scope of the research project - including a single research question – in addition to the overall framework of the training program.

Input and engagement of the local businesses was an integral component of the project to ensure client employability but more importantly to generate awareness and interest in hiring graduate clients upon completion of the program. The working group determined that the optimum route to obtain input from employers was through engagement at the individual level. As a result, teams of service providers and partners conducted face-to-face interviews with approximately 15 employers to elicit their feedback on necessary hard and soft skills to include in the training program.

The final project document was submitted to OCWI and was reviewed and approved by an external panel selected by OCWI. The proposal was also reviewed by the Research Ethics Board at Ryerson University.

Upon final approval, the working group formed the project Steering Committee and met regularly in person and via teleconference to oversee the planning and execution of the entire project.

At the establishment of the budget and project timelines, two Project Coordinators were hired to assist in meeting project deliverables in Lanark and Renfrew respectively. Key responsibilities included working with curriculum developers, stakeholders, service delivery partners, and employers.

Three instructors worked for three weeks to develop the curriculum and were joined by a fourth for the fourth week of design.

Program Delivery

Prior to the start date of the training, a diverse marketing campaign was implemented that included flyers, radio interviews, and social media postings. All interested clients were assessed by both Employment Services (ES) and Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) providers for the required suitability and eligibility indicators as well as interest or commitment to a career in the Trades.

Four LBS Service Providers planned to deliver the Career Access to the Trades training program in partnership with the nearby Employment Services organization: Eganville (Renfrew), Arnprior (Renfrew), Pembroke (Renfrew), and Smith’s Falls (Lanark). Eganville and Arnprior started with the first cohort on April 2 and completed training May 31 while Pembroke and Smith’s Falls began May 2 and finished July 6. Lessons learned from the first cohort were communicated to the second cohort service delivery partners and Steering Committee to troubleshoot and modify training delivery thus contributing to overall service excellence.

In addition to obtaining numerous certifications such as first aid, CPR and fall protection, clients were

exposed to guest lectures, and site visits to local industry for guided tours. Classroom time was also spent

focusing on the following areas: apprenticeship, communication, math, and soft skills. All cohorts spent one

full day in a wood working workshop learning to use power tools.

3. Methods

A process evaluation was undertaken to determine lessons learned in the implementation of the program in

addition to client satisfaction surveys conducted by the instructors.

The course was carried out across four locations in Renfrew and Lanark Counties, with most of the program

evaluation being carried out in the classrooms and following completion of the program across the four sites.

Evaluation methods included focus groups, interviews, and field observations.

3.1 Evaluation Questions

The process evaluation addresses the following four questions:

1. What were the challenges and enabling factors in implementing this innovative, collaborative approach to training?

2. Did the program reach its target groups (unemployed and under-employed individuals)? Did participants complete the training?

3. Did jobseekers see the program as addressing a need? Specifically, did they view the program as

addressing needs related to making career choices?

4. Did the program add value for jobseekers? Specifically, did jobseekers feel the program helped clarify their career choices?

We address the first two questions in section 4 of this report. Questions three and four are addressed in

section 5.

3.2 Data Sources

Field observations and focus groups were carried out with the learners, and field observations and exit

interviews were carried out with the program instructors upon completion of the course. Interviews were

also carried out with support services officers who were involved in the program. Observation took place

throughout the various sites during May 2018. Focus groups and interviews took place following the end of

the respective programs (at the four sites).

4. Implementation Findings

The program had a retention rate of 86% and many positive client outcomes. Clients perceived the program

as meeting a need for stronger employment and training prospects in their region and were keen to gain

hands-on training to prepare themselves for a career in the trades.

We tracked client participation and completion outcome numbers, as well as implementation findings

pertaining to the key challenges and enablers of program delivery.

4.1 Program Enrolment and Completion

Twenty eight individuals enrolled in the Career Access to the Trades program. Within the first three weeks,

the number of individuals enrolled decreased due to transportation issues and employment in trade-related

jobs. Participants were largely male and included two members identifying as a member of a visible minority,

two Indigenous and Metis clients, and one individual with a disability. At the start of the program, 100% of

participants were unemployed or underemployed, 14.3% were on Ontario Works (OW), and 7.1% were on

the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

The program had retention rate of 86%. At the completion of the training program, employment services

found employment for 70% of clients. Within 3 months of completion, employment services had found

employment for 3 more graduates.

Client Profiles

Category Number of Participants

Total number of participants enrolled in the program

28

Age (i.e., age bracket or average age) 19 - 55

Gender (i.e., male/female/other) 7 females; 17 males

Clients who identify as members of a visible 2

minority

Indigenous and Metis Clients 2

Persons with a disability 1

4.2 The Need and Value of Rural Trades Programming

Clients perceived the need for the program in relation to the lack of skilled trades training opportunities in their community. Many individuals cited their concern and need for taking the program as being linked to a lack of opportunities in their community. One individual stated: “It's a lot harder to get a job around here. And so here’s knowledge. Everything is moved, has moved to a different location or it's cheaper to make somewhere else. Okay. So we've had so many factories that died. That's how I feel around here because I don't…I feel like almost going out to, say, Toronto or Mississauga or somewhere someone where there's more opportunity.” So the program was seen as a real opportunity for the learners to obtain skills to put to use in jobs in their community.

4.3 Challenges and Enabling Factors

To inform future iterations of Career Access to the Trades, we tracked both challenges and enablers of

program participation and implementation. The most significant challenges were managing client

expectations, providing wrap-around supports (e.g., transportation), and making the program financially

accessible for clients not in receipt of income from OW or ODSP. From a client perspective, the initiative

and enthusiasm of participating instructors was a significant enabler of program delivery.

Challenges

There were some noteworthy challenges involved in the implementation of Career Access to the Trades.

These challenges included:

● Managing client expectations about the curriculum and clarifying course objectives;

● Managing client expectations about program outcomes;

● Financial accessibility of the program for clients not in receipt of OW or ODSP; and,

● Providing the necessary wrap-around supports to ensure accessibility, with a particular need for

transportation options to ensure clients are able to get to job sites and training facilities.

Managing client expectations and clarifying course objectives

Employers surveyed by the working group unanimously recommended the training program include soft skills training – they sited punctuality, reliability, and communication as the top three skill deficits they note in current applicants. For this reason, the curriculum team included one week of soft skills training. For some clients, the connection between the soft and essential skills training and the skilled trades was not apparent and in future interaction of the training, the link between the curriculum content and employability skills could be emphasized. One participant wrote: “ÈI gained many useful tips about the trades to help me move forward. I also valued refreshing my soft skills and participating in team building activities.”

Most participants viewed the training as valuable. “I believe the program is a good way to learn a lot about the trades. There is so many things you can learn in the program” reported a participant from Smiths Falls. This was echoed by another participant who wrote, “The career access to the trades program has been a wonderful opportunity for me.”

Despite developing the curriculum over four weeks, instructors were able to draw several conclusions and make useful suggestions to enhance the training program post-training. Instructor feedback indicates a need

to better communicate how the essential skills curriculum is specifically connected to the technical skills required for a career in the skilled trades. Given the fact that industry associations and many skilled trades employers in Ontario have expressed a need for stronger essential skills and soft skills in aspiring tradespeople, this curricular connection is a very important one to communicate (Bieler et al., 2019, 2019).

Managing client expectations about program outcomes

There was a general misconception among the participants that an apprenticeship was guaranteed and would

be arranged for them. Many of the learners and instructors refer to seeing “job trial with employer in your

target trades career” stated explicitly in material regarding the program. One instructor expressed their

frustration in not being able to help students with placements as this was the mandate of employment

services. Service providers perceived that the pre-training messaging clearly described the multiple outcome

pathways for participants. Instructors ensured messaging throughout the training was clear however, when

clients met with Employment Services, clients expressed that they were promised apprenticeships. To avoid

this in the future, the wording should be explicit, or the pathways removed from any promotional materials

completely. Furthermore, instructors and program staff may need to actively manage client expectations

throughout the program journey. Finally, given the challenges involved in moving from trades courses and

pre-apprenticeship programming to on-the-job training (Bieler 2019), the program should give

consideration to managing expectations for those clients who are able to successfully obtain an

apprenticeship placement.

Financial accessibility

The duration of the training program posed a challenge for participants who were not receiving social assistance. Clients who were unemployed found 8 weeks without income a financial burden. One learner stated: “Like it's a really long time to go without having a job. Right? Like yeah, you can't get unemployment either. You can't get unemployment while on this. A support services officer echoes this concern, stating, “this program is a really long time to ask someone to wait to start work, right?” To make the program more accessible to participants receiving EI, one option is to explore Section 25 with Service Canada which would recognize the training program and allow EI recipients to continue to receive payment while attending the training. Wrap-around Support and Transportation

One final difficulty addressed under the theme of rural challenges is that of transportation. One support services officer reflects that transportation is a huge issue that keeps coming up particularly with participants who do not have access to regular transportation. There is a lack of adequate public transportation in rural areas and they suggest that a lack of alternatives also interfere with job-seekers abilities to get to places of employment. They suggest ride sharing tools as a beneficial wrap-around support for this type of program.

Enabling Factors

One of the key enablers of program delivery was the quality of classroom teaching. Clients expressed very positive reviews of the teachers in the program. One student states about their instructor: “I can’t stress enough, what a great teacher.... You can tell she knows what she's doing and she's been doing it a lot of years, because she took the time to spend with each and every one of us, you know, when we needed

anything. She took the time to deal with it and address our concerns and weaknesses. You know what? I think programs like these and school boards, generally they need more (of her). Yeah, I would probably have

paid attention more if I had her when I was in school.”

Many students said that any success they had in the course was linked back to their instructors taking the time and energy to help them. Another learner states: “She really takes the time to make sure that not only three of us are clear, that all seven are clear on what is going on and that all get it. She takes the time so that the person

gets it. So she did a lot math and soft skills.” This highlights the time and effort paid by the instructor to each individual learner within the classroom.

5. Lessons Learned

1. Could lead” to apprenticeship. There was a general misconception among the participants that an apprenticeship was guaranteed and would be arranged for them. Service providers perceived that the pre-training messaging was clear about the potential outcomes for participants. Instructors ensured messaging throughout the training was clear however, when clients met with Employment Services, clients expressed that they were promised apprenticeships. To avoid this in the future, the wording should be explicit, or the pathways removed from any promotional materials completely.

2. Eliminate “frills” from budget and focus funds on addressing barriers such as transportation, common throughout Renfrew and Lanark County.

3. Change the time of year the program is delivered (i.e., Ensure program ends prior to seasonal trades hiring.)

4. Continue with participant updates but increase the frequency of information between instructor and job developer.

5. Health and Safety training was expensive and other options should be considered. 6. Ensure there is a service delivery team established each time a cohort is offered. 7. Ensure communication is clearer and timelier including all involved. Service Providers reported

some confusion about who to contact with the split Project Coordinator roles – this could have been communicated better.

8. Further delivery requires additional consultation with Lanark County employers. 9. Stop using English vocabulary book as it was too repetitive and many learners lost interest. 10. Customize practical experiences, site visits and speakers to suit the needs of the individual group.

Some of these activities were predetermined in the curriculum. 11. Some instructors felt they required more guidelines with structure and direction. These guidelines

would have been helpful if written by each group to suit the area. 12. Add more digital literacy to the curriculum. 13. Streamline program to reflect different ES needs within Lanark and Renfrew counties. 14. Offer a sector specific program with the ability to modify it for specific streams. (i.e., focus the goal

or audience like offering a manufacturing stream, women in trades, etc.) 15. “The barriers going in are the barriers going out” – transportation issues in Lanark County for job

seekers continued to exist. One participant has employment and the employer is picking him up daily.

16. Eight weeks without an income was too long. For participants not in receipt of income from ODSP or OW, the program is not accessible. There was a suggestion to look into using future funding for an income stipend. There was also a suggestion to explore Section 25 with Service Canada.

17. Participant choice of trade impacted the class dynamic. One participant selected child care among participants who selected construction, carpentry, automotive and welding. This presented

challenges for the instructor and project coordinator when arranging tours, guest speakers, and examples within the class.

18. Employers highlighted the need for soft skills training. The clients who needed the soft skills the most found it the least engaging element of the training. On the whole, the Soft Skills Solutions Training was well received and sparked discussions, however, in cohorts where soft skills was perceived to be already attained by the clients, the instructor found it difficult to engage the clients. In another case, when one individual voiced his dislike for the materials, it created a negative atmosphere for the other clients.

19. Client Path. Client registration and assessment worked best when coordinated between the LBS and ES provider. Employment service providers need early access to clients to begin the job development process but to also effectively serve the client with the most appropriate program. Literacy and basic skills providers also shared that not assessing clients initially posed additional barriers to access for the client if they were required to go back and forth between providers. One provider suggested, one sign up day with both ES and LBS present.

20. Basecamp. Service Providers did not like the platform but the Instructors reported the platform was incredibly useful. People indicated that they would have liked more training to be able to turn off notifications. Also, the mixed use of email and Basecamp made it difficult to know which platform to use and when.

7. Summary

The future of the skilled trades labour force in Renfrew and Lanark Counties faces several challenges. Similar to other manufacturing intensive regions like Hamilton, the manufacturing workforce is expected to decrease due to retirements, with 25% of this decrease occurring in the skilled trades. Far from ideal, this situation is compounded by the overall decline in new registration growth rates in Ontario’s industrial sector trades (Bieler, Joosse et al., 2019). Simply put, we are not doing enough to encourage new registrations in the industrial sector trades. To make matters worse, for apprentice cohorts from 2000/01 to 2009/10, the province of Ontario faces a downward trend in both completion rates and number of Certificates of Qualification issued in the industrial sector (Bieler, Joosse et al., 2019). Renfrew and Lanark is one of the manufacturing regions that is being impacted by these daunting registration and completion trends. In this context, there is clearly a need for a program that attempts to introduce individuals to skilled trades careers while offering soft and essential skills training to better prepare trainees for on-the-job training. The Career Access to the Trades program offers invaluable essential skills training that employers value. The value of this curriculum could be highlighted. Given the fact that many skilled trades employers are asking for apprentice candidates with strong communication, math, and other soft and essential skills, course materials might be developed to better highlight the significance of this content relative to other parts of the curriculum, and this linkage could be more strongly presented throughout the training to ensure participants make the connection. The implementation of the Career Access to the Trades program was enabled by the strength of partnership – from the working group of industry and service providers to the instructors tasked with developing and delivering the curriculum. While it faced some implementation challenges relating to participant expectations, financial barriers, and access to transportation in a rural community, 86% of participants completed the 8-week training program and 70% gained employment post-training. The pilot project offered key best practices and lessons learned, are not many of which are not insurmountable, and should be considered in future program offerings.

References

Bieler, A., Joosse, A., Bano, N., Brooke Jakob, J. (2019). Final report on OCWI’s shared apprenticeship model

portfolio. Retrieved from the Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation website: https://ocwi-

coie.ca/research_portfolio_themes/apprenticeship/

The Labour Market Group of Renfrew and Lanark. (2017). The future of manufacturing in Renfrew County.

Retrieved from The Labour Market Group of Renfrew and Lanark:

www.algonquincollege.com/renfrewlanark/future-manufacturing-renfrew-county

Town of Renfrew Website. Retrieved from: www.renfrew.ca

The Labour Market Group of Renfrew and Lanark. (2016-2017). Employer one survey results. Retrieved

from: www.algonquincollege.com/renfrewlanark/employer-one-survey/

The opinions expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada or the Government of Ontario.