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 Powering the Labour Movement since 1987 |
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A project of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council in partnership with George Brown College.
[COPE 343]
Background: Employment Assistance Program
LEC has offered extensive employment counselling programs and services for unemployed workers continuously since 1987. Three of LEC's previous programs, the Labour Adjustment Pre-Closure and Post-Closure Programs and Community Development and Advisory Services Program, were designed to serve displaced workers at every step, from initial notice of lay-off before closure through to the post-closure phase. The program targeted displaced workers whose re-employment opportunities were most limited: older workers, immigrant workers, visible minority workers and women.
With our assistance, workers enhanced their employability potential by upgrading existing skills and/or acquiring skills relevant to their employment needs. Services included: orientation/needs determination, Job Search workshops and or programs, group and/or individual counselling support services, referral to off-site upgrading and skills training, if necessary, to enhance their employability and assist the worker in becoming self-sufficient. LEC has established a strong record of successful adjustment interventions, with expertise accumulated through providing integrated services to 6,000 union members in over 200 industrial plant closures.
LEC pioneered the workplace adjustment Action Centre model. One important purpose of an Action Centres is targeted job matching, a service that LEC provides directly, or trains Action Centre staff to provide. Our expertise in this area and LEC's experience with many large employers has proven useful in our job matching service launched in June 1998. This service has had success both in terms of employer satisfaction and good jobs for our participants. LEC's large number of employer contacts and knowledge of a broad range of workplaces strengthens this area of service for our Centre.
The Labour Education Centre is in the unique position of offering a comprehensive range of fully resourced training and pre-employment services to workers, employers and unions in the Toronto and York Region area. LEC's work with displaced workers has enabled us to develop, modify, and streamline an effective Labour Adjustment Delivery Model.
The Labour Education Centre has direct connection to unionized workplaces through its affiliation with the Toronto and York Region Labour Council.
Our expertise, years of experience in dealing with both employed and unemployed workers, our connection to community, labour and education partners, and our ability to offer flexible, timely and relevant services have allowed us to remain active and pro-active.
LEC's service and contribution to adjustment starts with the individual worker, but certainly does not end there. Our influence and assistance on adjustment issues reaches out to local unions, national unions, central labour bodies, and the labour movement as a whole, the community and government. Our uniqueness has enabled us to develop a position of respect within the training and labour adjustment infrastructure in the province of Ontario . LEC maintains a position of strong credibility with labour market partners. This position ensures that LEC is an efficient and effective investment of public and private sector resources.
Workshop Outlines
Most employment counselling services are “off the shelf” -- used over and over again with groups of unemployed workers regardless of their particular occupational group or other characteristics such as age, race, level of formal education and English language and literacy levels.
At LEC, all of our workshops are customized to meet the needs of the groups we are serving. Before we offer a workshop, counsellors talk to union representatives and laid off members to determine special needs and priorities including ESL and literacy needs.
Workshop facilitators begin each workshop with a general discussion of employability skills in the changing workplace generally, but then move on to in-depth discussion about trends and issues affecting a particular occupation, sector, or workplace.
Like all labour education, our workshops are highly participatory and build in individual and small group activities along with presentations, group discussions and resource material. Workshops include any of the topics, or a combination of topics, described below and can be delivered off-site in union halls and action centres as well as our Don Mills location. The length of workshops varies from one to five days depending on the needs of workers, but can be customized to meet any needs and priorities identified by workers, unions, and companies in a particular situation.
Next >> Labour Market Information • Planning, Self-Assessment and goal setting • PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition)