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Recent Projects
ACTEW Survey of Employment
and Training
Services for Women of Metro Toronto: Executive Summary
Background
In July 1996 the Federal Government implemented Bill C-112,
Employment Insurance. The Bill reforms the Unemployment
Insurance system and replaces the Unemployment Insurance
Act and the National Training Act. In addition, the Act
implements the Human Resources Investment Fund, announced
in the 1995 federal budget. The Human Resource Investment
Fund combines all the federal programs administered by HRDC
dealing with employment, education and welfare. Part One
of the Act changes the eligibility criteria for Employment
Insurance. These changes include the ability to accrue part-time
hours towards eligibility, a change in the number of hours
needed, and the inclusion of those who had an active claim
within three years prior to the implementation of the Act,
and five year (60 months) for those who left the work force
for maternal or parental leave. Part Two of the Act defines
employment benefits and measures that will be available
to EI eligible clients and "reach-back" clients
through various programs and delivery agencies. These benefits
and measures include five "active benefits" for
those clients eligible for Employment Insurance as well
as other benefits or support measures that can be universally
accessed. The changes have far-reaching implications for
service delivery, for agencies working with employment training
and employment services, for the infrastructure that supports
and maintains service delivery and for the department of
Human Resource Development as it reorganize service delivery
under the new legislative guidelines.
Context
In September 1996, Advocates for Community Based Training
and Education for Women, (ACTEW) entered into an agreement
with Toronto Metro Canadian Jobs Strategies to lead in the
coordination of a Market Analysis of Employment Needs and
Services for Women. The main objectives of this study were
: To identify, locate and provide information including
client profile and numbers served, on women’s employment
and training services in Metro Toronto. To provide information
on current services, gaps in service and the existing continuum
of services; To assess the impact on women’s training
and employment services of the discontinuation of program
funding. To make recommendations on how the needs of women
can best be met under the new guidelines of the Human Resources
Investment Fund of Human Resources Development Canada.
Methodology
To fulfil the objectives of this study the ACTEW research
team developed a survey instrument to be administered in
personal interviews to a cross-section of training deliverers
in Metro Toronto. In addition, focus groups were held to
reach women either enrolled in or trying to access training
and employment programs. The training and employment agencies
surveyed included community based training programs, private
trainers and colleges. Training and employment services
were asked to define their practice, discuss what they "do
best", and what they are not "doing well".
This allowed the consultants to formulate an overview of
good training practices. The consultants were able to determine
which agencies are capable of providing effective, efficient,
client-centred programs. Questions were also included to
learn the capacity of various organizations to serve EI
eligible clients. Focus groups were held at Dixon Hall,
YWCA Working Skills for Women, YWCA Leap Program, and Humber
College. The women were asked to define a successful training
experience. They discussed their experiences in terms of
the following five employability dimensions or competencies.
- The ability to make career and/or occupation decisions.
- Possessing the skills necessary to be successful in
the chosen career or occupation.
- Having the necessary job search skills.
- Having the skills necessary to maintain employment.
- Having the ability to find and access the resource
to master the other four occupations.
Analyzing responses both from clients and training organizations
led us to draw conclusions about what ways training programs
are able to meet and match the needs of women seeking training
or employment services. The conclusions informed the recommendations
presented in this report. Without exception, all the clients
we interviewed mentioned how difficult it had been to find
information about where to go to get the skills they needed
to find a job. Some women had been ready to seek employment
for years but lacked the knowledge that there were resources
and programs available. Although the women we talked to
had obviously found the appropriate resources, the question
remains how many women are out there who need help they
are not able to find. The information allowed us to produce
a table illustrating the needs and the gaps in services.
From this we are able to demonstrate that not every individual
needs all the services along the continuum, but, clearly,
those beginning in the most disadvantaged positions will
need to acquire the most skills. The service providers were
able, for the most part, to accurately describe both the
advantages of and limitations to their programs. From those
interviews we provide an analysis of how the various delivery
systems meet, or don’t meet, client needs and expectation.
The information gave us a better understanding of the continuum
of services needed to help women meet and achieve their
training and employment goals, and how each step along the
continuum must be linked to the preceding and succeeding
steps.
This survey forms part of a larger information gathering
project with other components; research into programs serving
immigrants, research into programs serving youth, a project
designed to collect the training needs of the Francophone
community and a project directed to the training needs of
racial minorities. Taken as a whole picture, the information
provides an overall picture of the training and employment
needs in Metro Toronto and how programs and services are
meeting or missing those needs. Although, initially, ACTEW
was asked to provide a "focus on visible minority women"
as part of its report, we were not able to provide that
focus. Although we tried, we do not feel that we received
adequate/comprehensive responses to our questions on this
topic. We recommend a separate study on the needs of racial
minorities to adequately address the issue.
For information on ordering this document, please e-mail:
info@actew.org
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