An Essential Skills Program for Unemployed Women over 40

Project Overview

Local gap in programming – women displaced by the recession

Needed by Immigrants and Citizens Women-positive and focused Local and national partners Advisory Team Funded by the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills,

Human Resources & Skills Development Canada

Content design

4 Cornerstones

Women-centred & Gender-based Culturally Sensitive Age & Life Stage Relevant (40 yrs+) Principles of Adult Education

Woman-centred & Gender-based

“How could a nineteen-year-old know what it feels like to be fifty-five, a mother, a wife, a breadwinner for a family without a father? How does a sixty-year-old man know what a middle-aged woman feels like competing with a twenty-five-year-old as she sits in an interview experiencing hot flashes?”

~ Spotlight on Change participant

Age & Life Stage Relevant“It was very helpful to hear how other woman within my own age thought, felt and dealt with circumstances in their lives. In the act of observing my classmates, in hearing what they had to say, I was able to change my perspective on many things.”

~ Spotlight on Change participant

Linked to Essential Skills “Pulling the transferable skills out of their hobbies was interesting for the women. We came up with such things as:Sewing - good hand-eye coordination; following patterns/directions.Baking - creativity; following directions.Yoga - ability to focus and concentrate; good coordination; patience.Artwork - hand-eye coordination; creativity; patience.”

~ Field-test facilitator

Learning Methodologies

o Cooperative & Collaborativeo Mentoringo Group Discussion/Transformativeo Learner-centred & Participatoryo Community-basedo Real-life Contexto Experiential & Reflectiveo Holistic

Experiential & Reflective

“Through this unit, I found out about learning and training opportunities, and came to a conclusion about what I have to do from here onwards. I now have a definite idea of what my skills are, and what course I need to take to upgrade my skills and find a job.”

~ Spotlight on Change participant

Field tests

Full Pilot:• Focus for Ethnic Women, Waterloo, ON• Douglas College, Coquitlam, BC

Specific Activities:• The Literacy Group of Waterloo Region, ON• Cambridge YMCA Immigrant Services, ON

Can it be used as a whole and/or in parts? Yes

PDQ – Assessment Tool

PDQ is an online assessment tool designed to help assess someone’s functional literacy skills. PDQ stands for Prose, Document, and Quantitative. There is a full length test and a shorter “locator” test. We used the PDQ full test as both a pre and post test.

Available from Educational Testing Servicehttp://www.ets.org

PDQ Results – Skills Increases

#6pre post

Prose 285 290 +5

Document Use

335 365 +30

Quantitative 305 400 +95

Curriculum Overview

The curriculum is adaptable to a variety of settings and timelines:

• Run the whole program from start to end

• Select specific activities and units

• Adapt the activities to fit specific timeframes

• “Sharing time” was instrumental to the success of the program and the learning of the women

Role of the Facilitator

Resource Guide Support Catalyst Critical Reflection Innovator Participant

3 Modules

1. Exploring My Self

2. Exploring My Community

3. Exploring My Future

#1 My Self

Outcome:

The participant creates a skill, knowledge and personality profile and uses the profile to identify areas of employment that reflect her interests and strengths.

#2 My Community

Outcome:

The participant creates a profile of the employment and training opportunities in her community and identifies options that match her interests, strengths and needs.

#3 Action Plan: Exploring My Future

Outcome:

The participant creates an Action Plan for employment or training based on her needs and goals, and sets this Action Plan in motion by initiating the step of her choice.

Types of Activities

• Group discussion

• Flip charting

• Using the information to shape follow up activities

• Group and individual activities

• Guest speakers

Types of Activities

• Create a portfolio – save work to use later

• Using a learning journal – reflection

• Computers – build skills, mentoring

• Independent research

Download the curriculum package at:

http://www.projectread.ca/publications.html

Wrap Up

“I am more confident now. Learning about myself has been so very helpful.”

~ Spotlight on Change Participant