EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS FOR EXPERIENCED WORKERS IN THE LITERACY ONTARIO CENTRAL SOUTH (LOCS) REGION OF THE CITY OF KAWARTHA LAKES, HALIBURTON, NOTHUMBERLAND AND PETERBOROUGH

This report is a combination of in-depth research and a review of current literature
as well of a survey of 52 employment services in the City of the Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton, Northumberland and Peterborough counties. The goal was to focus on experienced workers (people over 45) by identifying services, needs and gaps in each community.

Recommendations from this report focus on four areas - Experienced Workers, Employment Services, Literacy Programs and Employers.

The recommendations can be summarized as:

Experienced workers need to:

• Develop an understanding and accept the world of work
• Identify and develop marketable skills
• Develop career management skills

Employment service agencies need to:

• Implement sensitivity training around the needs of experienced workers and literacy issues
• Develop an intake system that will help to identify literacy and age related issues
• Track statistics and implement a follow up system
• Establish a network of employment agencies
• Market program and services to experienced workers and those with literacy barriers
• Take a more holistic approach when serving clients

Literacy Agencies/Programs need to:

• Offer programs that are flexible in both time and location
• Provide sensitivity training around literacy issues to community groups
• Assist clients in accessing services that will help them address barriers to employment
• Establish a relationship/network with employment services

Employers need to:

• Develop an understanding of labour market trends and the demographics of their employees
• Seek out and hire experienced workers
• Create an experienced worker friendly workplace
• Encourage experienced workers to participate actively in training and employment development initiatives
• Promote multi-generational diversity in the workplace

While all of the recommendations in this report can be implemented individually, an integrated approach is recommended. A coordinated effort would allow communities to address these recommendations in a systematic fashion. Therefore the model we are recommending involves pulling all of the pieces together without duplicating any existing services. This model ensures that one central organization is responsible for bring these recommendations to the four communities. This organization will be responsible for creating/strengthening the link between experienced workers, community organizations and employers.

The organization will work with employers to promote the value of hiring experienced workers, encourage them to create an experienced worker friendly environment in the workplace, and help them access existing government incentive programs. This will also create a comprehensive means of gathering data on employer needs for the purposes of developing appropriate training and programming in each community.

The model also includes one person per county who would provide an advocacy service for experienced workers. This would ensure the experienced workers in each community were aware of the services available to them and had the resources to access the support they need. This person would also be in the position to monitor the needs in each community and play a key role in identifying gaps.

A Report of the Survey Conducted with Experienced Workers enrolled in Literacy and Basic Skills in the LOCS Region

This report is the result of a survey conducted with Experienced Workers enrolled in an LBS Program within the LOCS Region in the spring of 2002. There were a total of 56 students who took part in the survey. For the purpose of this report we have counted only the students within the counties of Haliburton, Northumberland, Peterborough and City of Kawartha Lakes, that total is 33 students.

During the fiscal year 2001 – 2002 approximately 22% of students enrolled in LBS programs within the LOCS region were over the age of forty-five. Most people at this age, have had some sort of work experience either in a paid position or through volunteer or unpaid work.

With the MTCU workforce strategy, the aging workforce and local demographics indicating a skill shortage it is our belief that LBS students over 45 years have specific training needs. The intent of this survey was to find out if students felt that they were developing skills that would help them with finding work or improving their work skills. The survey itself focused on students over 45 years of age who had identified Employment as a goal.

Recommendations:

1. LBS Programs incorporate into their Initial Assessment questions that are work skill relevant.
2. LBS programs identify a niche for the Experienced Worker. Survey respondents identified that they have the self management soft skills and that they want to learn hard skills such as computer skills and blueprint reading.
3. LBS Programs build stronger relationships with local employment agencies. Over 50% of the participants indicated that they have attended a Resume Workshop and approximately 45% identified having taken a workshop in Interview Skills and yet they are attending the LBS Program. Employment agencies could become a better referral source.
4. That the LOCS network provide local programs with information about local LMI and employment trends. Skills need to be relevant to the workforce trends within your own communities. Therefore the LBS Programs need to tie the information from the Labour Market together with the individual training needs of the client.

Based on the results of this survey, the older worker can self-identify whether they have acquired the skills necessary to participate in the workplace of today. These skills once developed, can enhance the clients’ ability to continue on with lifelong learning.

It is important to note that according to a report from Statistics Canada that there
is evidence that most adults pursue further education and training for work related reasons , the report also shows that there are patterns of education and training influenced by occupation. For example: White collar – professional, managerial have
a significantly higher percentage of job related training than Blue-collar workers.

Researched and Compiled by:

Consulting Team of Joan Connolly, Sylvia Davies, Andy Rothfischer and Carrie Wakeford

Special Thanks to:

the National Literacy Secretariat (HRDC) and the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities for funding this project and their ongoing support for LOCS Activities.