February 22, 1999
(Development and Rural Renewal)

 Pilot project to be test of rural training initiatives

Clarenville, Newfoundland, February 22, 1999 - A local company will host a pilot project to test the applicability and effectiveness of a literacy model, which if successful, could become the model used in rural communities across the country. The project, coordinated by the Random North Development Association (RNDA), received funding commitments today from the Labour Market Development Agreement ($374,455) and the Canada-Newfoundland Comprehensive Economic Development Agreement ($45,000).

On hand for the announcement were: The Honourable Fred J. Mifflin, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Secretary of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) on behalf of the Honourable Pierre S. Pettigrew, Minister of Human Resources Development Canada; Mr. Doug Oldford, MHA for Trinity North on behalf of the provincial government; Mr. Clarence Williams, president, RNDA; and Michelle Brown, project coordinator with RNDA.

The project, called "Linking Adults with Limited Literacy Skills to Skills Training and Employment Opportunities," will work in partnership with Atlantic Marine Products Ltd. Ten participants were chosen to participate in the project where they will gain literacy skills related to employment at the facility. If the project is successful, the model will be adapted for use in other rural areas.

"The federal government remains committed to exploring the various avenues available to increase literacy rates in rural areas as a means to increasing employment opportunities," said Minister Mifflin. "This project is an excellent example of a rural development group seeking out opportunities to further develop human resources in the area with an extra benefit of creating job opportunities and testing a literacy model with far-reaching literacy and employment benefits."

Mr. Oldford agrees that the results of this literacy pilot project could have significant practical applications for other rural areas where the literacy rate has been identified as a barrier to employment and economic development. "By combining on-the-job training with improving academic skills, this approach may help employers and potential employees overcome such barriers. This approach not only matches training initiatives to the needs and capabilities of employees, but addresses the skills identified by industry. It also complements the goals of the Discovery Regional Economic Development Board to increase the literacy rate throughout the region."

According to Mr. Williams, this pilot project arose out of the association's efforts to find new ways to deal with literacy problems in the area. "We recognize that traditional methods of addressing literacy problems, while valuable, are often `hit and miss.' The theory behind this new model is to provide training that is focused around the individual and directly linked to work placement. This pilot project will provide a refined model with a tested concrete example."

The Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA) is a co-managed agreement between the federal and provincial governments, administered by Human Resources Development Canada and Human Resources and Employment. The LMDA partners work closely with individuals, communities and other stakeholders to help clients meet measurable and achievable educational, employment and economic development goals. In addition, the LMDA partners work together in the design and management of Canada's employment benefits and support measures, ensuring they complement Newfoundland and Labrador's labour market programs and services.

The Canada-Newfoundland Comprehensive Economic Development Agreement is a federal-provincial initiative administered federally by ACOA and provincially by the Departments of Industry, Trade and Technology and Development and Rural Renewal.

For further information contact:

Randy Devine
ACOA
(709) 772-2935

Josephine Cheeseman
Development and Rural Renewal
(709) 729-4570

Michelle Brown
Random North Development Association
(709) 466-1725

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Background Information

Pilot Project - "Linking Adults with Limited Literacy Skills to Skills Training and Employment Opportunities"

A Different Approach to Workplace Education

From examples around the world and as a result of many research studies, we know that regions with high literacy levels enjoy a more prosperous and stable economy. Low literacy skills are a big issue in much of Newfoundland and Labrador and such is the case in Regional Economic Zone 15. One of the goals of the Discovery Regional Development Zone Board is to increase literacy rates throughout Economic Zone 15, thus, investing in our human resources and improving long-term economic development in this zone. Random North Development Association has focussed on literacy development in Zone 15 for the past six years. The development association has identified through research that many adults who did not receive a high school completion certificate find the transition from education to employment difficult.

Traditional Methods

It has been recognized that traditional methods of addressing low literacy problems, while valuable, are often "hit and miss" in terms of completing the transition from the school to the workplace. For many adults, this could be a multi-year achievement and is only the first step to a necessary college program to attain the basic skills to prepare them for the workplace. The financial and time costs of completing this process are too great to be practical for many.

New Model

In May 1996, the Random North Development Association received funding through the National Literacy Secretariat to conduct research that would link adults with limited literacy skills to skills training and then to an employment opportunity. This was a one-year project, completed in April 1998. The output of this effort was a document which outlines the research process and the framework of a model containing eight links.

The theory of this new model is to provide a training program that is more individually based and linked directly to a work placement. Individuals would have a much greater success rate in making that crucial transition from dependency on social programming to becoming productive contributors to the economy.

The research document is meant to be a model for a team of people who have an interest in literacy, community development, continuing education, and business so they can develop training initiatives based around the needs and capabilities of adults with limited literacy skills and at the same time address the skills identified by industry sectors.

Criteria

The objective of the Random North Development Association is to have a refined model and a tested concrete example through this pilot project. Ten training participants who met the criteria outlined in the model, and were the most suitable for the employment opportunity with the partnering company, will participate in a 38 week literacy/skills training component. The criteria for the selection process was based on individuals having limited employment opportunities (unemployed or underemployed); no high school completion certificate/limited literacy skills; mobility, i.e., they wanted to stay and work in their own community/province, and the employability skills profile (personal management skills, academic skills and team-work skills).

Long-Term Benefits

The long-term benefits will include: increased literacy skills, new skills directly linked to employment (Note: participants required to successfully complete training program and then have 45 day probation period with the company before they are offered full-time employment), increased employability skills and a higher level of self-esteem for the 10 training participants. The long-term benefits will also include a decrease in out-migration, a move from transfer government dependency to employment income, and the implementation of industry sectors from Economic Zonal Strategic Plans.

If the model proves to be effective and applicable, it will assist adults who currently have barriers (for example: low literacy skills, limited employability skills, etc.) in finding sustainable employment. Furthermore, the model will be generic and can be applied to different industries throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.