Promoting Provincial Partnerships: Motivation, Process and Outcomes Ontario Native Literacy Coalition

Promoting Provincial Partnerships: Motivation, Process and Outcomes HRSDC funded Ontario Advisory Committee – partner organization membership Provincial Working Group – one member per partner organization

Provincial Working Group Irene Blayney – CESBA Sandra Hennessey – CSC Nida Home Doherty – ONLC Mary-Ann Stark – CLO

Project Overview document how effective cross-sectoral partnerships are identified and developed outline challenges and benefits discover best practices Essential Skills training as vehicle

Partnership Terms of Reference Mission, Vision and Values Baseline Surveys – partnership, Essential Skills Surveys – to be re-administered at final meeting Final report – process, challenges, benefits, best practices, next steps Product – Workbook Self-directed and face-to-face ES familiarization based on survey Chapter identification and assignment Workbook template development Editor and desktop publisher identified Drafts, edits – some in final form (case studies and tools development underway) Publication date – June 2008

Seven Grandfather Teachings WISDOM LOVE RESPECT BRAVERY HONESTY HUMILITY TRUTH

Challenges Perceived at project start up: organizational culture preventing full participation initial investment of time, resources and staff differences in operational requirements potential “scrutiny” by partners fear of unknown requirement to work in new ways increased communication requirements increased need for flexibility and compromise competition between stakeholders lack of trust potential for shared PD funding base

Benefits Perceived at project start up: increased opportunity for/wider collaboration improved transition of learners establishment of new network or forum increased opportunity for staff training and PD decreased cost for staff training and PD enhanced practitioner confidence increased funding opportunities better support at the local level improved ES training for learners levelling of the playing field frontline connections

Chapters 7 & 8 may be collapsed The Workbook Chapter Title 1 Introduction 2 Essential Skills Background and History 3 Introduction to Essential Skills 4 Essential Skills Profiles 5 Using ES and Profiles With Your Learners 6 Other ES Resources 7 Additional ES Stories and Case Studies 8 Summary Appendices Chapters 7 & 8 may be collapsed

Introduction to Essential Skills Essential Skills are: ‘enabling’ skills that help people perform tasks required by their jobs skills that provide workers with a foundation for learning other skills skills that enhance the ability to adapt to change skills people use to carry out a wide variety of everyday life and occupational tasks skills needed for work, learning and life are not technical skills Essential Skills are the Velcro to which other training sticks.

Introduction to Essential Skills… There are 9 Essential Skills: Reading Text Document Use Writing Numeracy Oral Communication Thinking Skills Working with Others Computer Use Continuous Learning

Essential Skills Profiles Government has profiled the Essential Skills requirements for all C and D NOC job classifications Each profile provides detailed information about how Essential Skills are used by workers in that job classification Skill descriptions include the measure or complexity at which the skill is used By 2009 all job classifications will have been profiled Profiles are an important Essential Skills tool Profiles can be found at http://srv108.services.gc.ca

Measuring Essential Skills International Adult Literacy Survey 500-point scale HRSDC 5-level scale

Comparing ES Complexity Levels IALS 500-Point Scale ES Complexity Level LBS Level Prose Literacy 0 - 225 Reading Text, Writing, Oral Communication Level 1 Communications Levels 1 - 3 226 - 275 Level 2 Levels 4 - 5 Document Literacy Document Use, Computer Use Quantitative Literacy Numeracy, Thinking Skills Numeracy 226 – 275 Level 4 Adapted from Ministry of Educaton and Training - Learning Outcomes Matrix - 1998

Essential Skills Complexity Levels

Find the Ace of Hearts in the deck of cards

Locate – Complexity Level 1 LOCATE and direct match “One and done”

Find the 4 Aces in the deck of cards

Cycle – Complexity Level 2 Direct match and locate, locate, locate otherwise known as CYCLE Increased time is required to complete the task “Two or more locates”

Find all the diamonds ♦ and place the cards in order from Ace (low) to King (high)

Integrate – Complexity Level 3/4 Multiple locates of ♦’s (cycle) and then sequencing in order between Ace and King. Increased time required and information needs to be integrated to complete the task. INTEGRATE

Identify the highest scoring hand for each of the 3 most popular card games in North America

Generate – Complexity Level 4/5 Locate, cycle, integrate and generate require an increasing amount of “brain power”. “Prior knowledge” is required to complete the task.

Connection to IALS Scale Level 1 - Locate Level 2 - Cycle Level 3/4 - Integrate Level 4/5 - Generate

Recognizing Essential Skills Review of Essential Skills and definitions: Reading Text Document Use Writing Numeracy Oral Communication Thinking Skills Working with Others Computer Use Continuous Learning

Recognizing Essential Skills Volunteer? Share one of your tasks that involves the application of 3 or more of the Essential Skills.

Re-cap – The Project Partnership project involving CSC, CESBA, CLO and ONLC Project report will include challenges, benefits and best practices Essential Skills as the vehicle to develop a partnership – workbook available June 2008

Re-cap – Essential Skills The 9 Essential Skills are the foundation for learning other skills. They enhance one’s ability to adapt to change and are needed for work, learning and life. They are the Velcro to which other training sticks.

Re-cap – Essential Skills Essential Skills Profiles, describing how each of the Essential Skills are used and at what complexity level, are available free many Canadian occupations. All occupations will be profiled by 2009. Profiles are available at: http://srv108.services.gc.ca

Re-cap – Essential Skills Essential Skills are applied at various complexity levels. A simplified way of thinking about complexity levels: Level 1 – Locate Level 2 – Cycle Level 3/4 – Integrate Level 4/5 – Generate

Questions? Thank you