Literacy and essential skills

Skills for Success Proficiency Levels Development

In addition to providing detailed definitions of all nine skills, the SRDC report supporting the 2021 launch of the Skills for Success framework also includes preliminary proficiency level statements for each skill. These statements are intended to provide initial guidance for skill assessment but need further refinement to reflect a range of occupational requirements and better meet the needs of learners, trainers, and employers. As outlined in the SRDC report, more detailed proficiency levels and descriptors should be developed through an iterative, evidence-based, and collaborative process. In accordance with these recommendations, this project assembles an expert panel with experience in working with diverse learners and developing foundational and transferable skills resources and training programs in a range of regions and sectors. The panel is assisting SRDC in analyzing a range of occupational profiles, with priority for those in high demand, to identify tasks that are common and unique across occupations along with underlying skill dimensions and complexity levels for each task. The project goal is to work in collaboration with the panel and ESDC to reach consensus on improved proficiency statements for each of the nine skills, with examples drawn from our occupational task analysis of in-demand sectors.

Start-end date: January 2023 - January 2024
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Women First: Building skills for success

Funded through Employment and Social Development Canada’s Women’s Employment Readiness Pilot, the WOMEN FIRST project is a multi-partner initiative aiming to leverage employment and skills training to address barriers faced by multiply-marginalized women. Led by PTP Adult Learning and Employment Programs (PTP) in collaboration with five service delivery providers across the country, the project aims to draw on partners’ collective expertise to develop, test, and evaluate pre-employment and skills development supports. Specifically, the project seeks to build knowledge about approaches to programming, curriculum, and wraparound supports that best serve women facing multiple structural barriers, including low-income women, Indigenous women, racialized women, 2SLGBTQ+ women, newcomer women, and women with disabilities. SRDC is working closely with partners to design and implement an evaluation of the project, including the program delivery across all six pilot sites and new Skill for Success curriculum developed by partner Alberta Workforce Essential Skills. In particular, SRDC is supporting an evaluation grounded in principles of intersectional feminism, anti-oppression, equity, and justice.

Start-end date: July 2022 - September 2023
Sponsor: PTP Adult Learning and Employment Programs

Enhancing employment services through development and assessment of Skills for Success training

With the involvement of several project partners, SRDC is developing assessment and training resources to support both transferable and sector-based Skills for Success (SFS) programming; designing and implementing targeted and intensive SFS training to address individuals and employer needs; and customizing assessment and training resources for underrepresented groups. This is being done through a two‑model system ranging from “lighter touch” general training and capacity building to more intensive development, customization, and pilot testing of new training resources. More specifically, the project broadens and deepens existing capacity-building efforts in the skills and employment training sector by scaling up the use of our SFS-aligned online measurement platform; testing new SFS measurement options, including self-report and objective assessment methodologies; developing, delivering, and evaluating new SFS curricula, training resources, and assessment tools; and disseminating findings, best practices, and lessons learned to continue building sectoral knowledge and capacity.

Start-end date: June 2022 - March 2024
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Digital ReBoot: Co-designing supports with Indigenous women

As a part of the Women's Employment Readiness pilot, funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, Women in Resource Development Corporation (WRDC) is partnering with Pinnguaq and the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation to co-design responsive training for Indigenous women exploring a career in the trades and/or technology sectors. WRDC aims to build on its history of supporting women in Newfoundland and Labrador in connecting to meaningful careers in trades and technology, to co-design a customized career development program with Indigenous and Northern women and communities, including wrap-around supports needed to create an inclusive and enabling environment for Indigenous women to participate. Project goals are to help women from Indigenous and Northern communities in Labrador and Nunavut, to gain foundational digital literacy skills to increase access to education and employment, and to reduce barriers to entry to employment in the trades and technology sectors by coaching Northern employers to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. SRDC is working closely with WRDC and Pinnguaq to co-design an evaluation framework, which will be implemented over the course of the project: this will include co-identifying key outcomes of interest with women in Nunatsiavut, NunatuKavut, Innu Nation, and Nunavut.

Start-end date: June 2022 - August 2023
Sponsor: Women in Resource Development Corporation

EMC Skills Evolution

EMC Skills Evolution is a national, industry-driven initiative that will provide new insights for scaling up sectoral micro-credentials, through the identification, validation, prioritization, and building of occupational competency frameworks for the manufacturing and other sectors, providing a sharable roadmap for developing and deploying workforce capability growth through a competency-based micro-credential approach. Specifically, this project seeks to define and apply an industry-driven, multi-sector methodology to micro-credential development and adoption, enabling manufacturers and employers in other sectors to more rapidly upskill and reskill their workforce, as well as to more quickly onboard newly recruited workers and facilitate broader recognition of relevant skills and workforce mobility.

Start-end date: June 2022 - August 2023
Sponsor: Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium

Alberta Settlement, Integration and Language Projects ESL Research

This project builds on the foundation of Alberta’s existing Adult ESL (English as a Second Language) Curriculum Framework to assess the attitudes of language instructors and program administrators across Alberta toward the idea of a unified curriculum for provincial ESL programs. The research is establishing possible opportunities and next steps for bridging the existing curriculum framework to instructors' day-to-day practice and promoting unity across the provincial ESL system. It also includes identifying potential approaches to integrating the new Skills for Success framework into ESL programming.

Start-end date: March 2022 - February 2024
Sponsor: Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society (AWES)

Skills for Success Validation Study

Bow Valley College (BVC) is conducting a study to support the Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Office of Skills for Success (OSS) in the development and validation of the new Skills for Success model, skill components, and proficiency levels. The project aims to establish reliable mechanisms for evaluating proficiency, and contribute to the adoption of the Skills for Success by national stakeholders. SRDC is the research and evaluation partner to BVC to facilitate three key objectives of the project: (1) Providing evidence of valid implementation and application of BVC’s assessments of four key skill domains (Reading, Numeracy, Writing, and Digital Skills) under the Skills for Success framework, (2) Evaluating the suitability and efficacy of skill development curriculums and online training of the four key skill domains under the Skills for Success framework for lower-skill Canadians, and (3) Establishing predictive validity of the revised Skills for Success assessments through the piloted online skills development training and subsequent education and labour market outcomes with reference to the four key skill domains under the Skills for Success model.

Start-end date: January 2022 - May 2025
Sponsor: Bow Valley College

Improving Pass Rates and Learning Outcomes for International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Apprentices

Building on the existing tools and resources, the project will expand, build, and test a suite of new interactive online learning modules, including ‘how to use the tool’ modules, test anxiety, exam preparation (question strategy), etc. that focus on Red Seal preparation through a series of learning modules, creation of new videos, expanded block training tutoring worksheets and assessments, and access to tutoring support services that better support success for Operating Engineer apprentice members. This project is being funded by ESDC; the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum is the project lead, SkillPlan is supporting the development and implementation of the online tools, and SRDC is designing, implementing, and tabulating the survey results.

Start-end date: January 2022 - October 2025
Sponsor: SkillPlan

Skills for Success Implementation Guidance Development

The launch of Skills for Success in May 2021 leverages the core strength of the Essential Skills framework while tightening the alignment with modern labour market needs, with a greater focus on a range of socio-emotional skills. This project’s main objective is to produce a document outlining key principles and emerging practices to guide the implementation of Skills for Success, reflecting the Government of Canada’s commitment to create and update training programs, resources, and assessment materials, facilitate training participation of vulnerable groups, and build the capacity of stakeholders who serve these populations. Our approach will combine environmental scan and literature review with the involvement of an expert advisory panel representing training and sectoral organizations with nation-wide networks, to develop three broad kinds of content: i) identification of learning needs for underrepresented groups (e.g., Indigenous people, racialized Canadians, persons with disabilities) and key sectors; ii) guiding principles for the design of tailored training and assessment tools to align with identified learner and sectoral needs; and iii) implementation examples and approaches from early adopters of Skills for Success. These will be synthesized into a final report to facilitate tool customization and program implementation aligned with the unique learning needs of groups underrepresented in the labour market, as well as the job performance needs of major sectors of the Canadian economy.

Start-end date: December 2021 - September 2022
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Ready English Accessible for Caregivers at Home (REACH)

The Ready English Accessible for Caregivers at Home (REACH) program is a flexible online language training model targeted for newcomer women caring for children at home. The goal of the REACH project is to test the effectiveness of using existing technology, combined with the unique approach to online language training of the REACH model, in meeting the needs of newcomer women. The project consists of curriculum development and a pilot study where participants will be randomly selected to participate in the REACH program. The evaluation will examine the effectiveness of the model in achieving language acquisition and other client outcomes and adaptability by the sector as an easy-to-implement alternative for language training providers. MOSAIC is partnering with Achēv in Ontario and ISANS in Nova Scotia to ensure that REACH has a national yet locally customizable scope. SRDC is responsible for evaluating the initiative.

Start-end date: December 2021 - December 2023
Sponsor: MOSAIC

Building It Green: Integrating Climate Literacy into Skilled Trades Education and Training

Funded through the Government of Canada’s Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP), Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) is leading the Building It Green project in partnership with SkillPlan, the Climate and Industry Research Team (CIRT), and SRDC. Working in five regions across Canada, this project is assembling a broad network of stakeholders, including climate experts and labour, education and training institutions, to research, review, enhance, and evaluate the construction industry’s knowledge and skills with regards to climate literacy. The overall project objective is to develop and test the integration of climate literacy into training for apprentices and journeyworks to prepare the industry’s unionized workforce to better meet Canada’s climate change commitment.

Start-end date: June 2021 - August 2025
Sponsor: Canada’s Building Trades Unions

The Two-Eyed Seeing Network

While Indigenous youth could provide a significant source of local labour to industry in BC, they are often disengaged, not well networked, and left out of conversations about the future of skills and training. Focusing on sectors with high future demand (clean technology; clean energy; natural resource extraction and processing; marine shipping; the built environment; and manufacturing), the Two-Eyed Seeing Network will work to bridge the gaps between the needs of industry and the potential Indigenous workforce of tomorrow. The network includes participation from Indigenous communities, Industry leaders, workforce and social development organizations, and education and training providers all working together to establish a viable pathway to future work for Indigenous youth that meets the needs of, and is relevant to, both Industry and Indigenous communities. Network partners will work to determine the critical elements to bridge gaps, remove barriers, and engage communities in workforce development, to enable successful labour force participation for Indigenous youth.

Start-end date: April 2021 - May 2023
Sponsor: Construction Foundation of BC

Connecting the Dots

This project aims to develop, implement, and evaluate an integrated, accessible, and adaptive training and support system, serving as an online one-stop shop of educational tools, materials, and community resources for apprentices in the construction trades. The goal is to empower apprentices to take a proactive role in addressing multiple levels of challenges during apprenticeship training. As part of the project, SRDC is designing and implementing a cohesive evaluation framework and data collection tools that not only track the progress of participating apprentices but also collect input and feedback from trades instructors, employers, unions, and other stakeholders to inform current and future products, tools, and services. The project contributes to facilitate the entry, retention, and advancement of underrepresented groups in the trades through an innovative, self-directed approach to online learning and interaction. It is designed to provide equal opportunity and access for groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the trades, such as women, newcomers, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and low-skilled and displaced workers. Findings, best practices, and lessons learned from this project will be shared to support larger-scale expansion of this technology-driven approach to skills development within and beyond the construction sector.

Start-end date: March 2021 - February 2026
Sponsor: SkillPlan

Skills for Success Framework: Validation in the Manufacturing Sector

As part of validating OLES’ new Skills for Success Framework, SRDC and Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium are working collaboratively to engage employers in the Manufacturing sector to achieve two primary objectives: i) Validate the Framework: Are the new skills definitions included in the Skills for Success framework aligned with broad employer needs and business outcomes? ii) Alignment with Job Tasks: How do the subcomponents of each defined skill align with the job performance requirements of workers in the sector? Findings from the validation exercise will support and inform training and curriculum development tailored to sector needs, as well as the development of assessment tools to measure pre-training skill gaps and post-training gains.

Start-end date: March 2021 - June 2021
Sponsor: Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium

Overcoming barriers to skills development and employment for equity-seeking groups: Research synthesis

Jobs are changing and so are the skills Canadians need to be successful in a modern economy. Acquisition of foundational and socio-emotional skills is critical for those who are currently under-employed and underrepresented in the workforce. However, equity-seeking groups – such as women, youth, Indigenous persons, newcomers, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, and people who identify as LGBTQ2S+ – often face individual, organizational, and systemic barriers that prevent them from acquiring these skills and accessing good jobs. In addition, they may lack access to the experiences and supports that foster these skills, such as coaching from mentors and role models, professional networks, and positive early learning experiences; they may also experience differences between their values or customs and those desired by employers in the Canadian workplace. As the federal department mandated to promote a highly skilled and mobile labour force and an efficient and inclusive labour market, Employment and Social Development Canada aims to improve its capacity to better measure, monitor, and address gender disparity and promote access of underrepresented groups across its skills and training programs. SRDC has been engaged to consolidate and analyze available information on the skill gaps, learning needs, and systemic barriers faced by equity-seeking groups in accessing and benefiting from the skills training and employment supports offered by governments and organizations across the country. SRDC will analyze this information using a social-ecological and intersectional approach that recognizes the multiple personal and environmental factors that can influence outcomes in employment and training, and the ways an individual’s social identities can intersect and create exclusion and marginalization. The resulting research synthesis is expected to broaden ESDC’s understanding of the challenges to skills acquisition faced by underrepresented groups, and to inform future programming and research.

Start-end date: January 2021 - March 2021
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Skills Compass

Young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) are at risk of becoming socially excluded, with low income and lacking the skills to improve their economic situation. Indigenous youth, and youth who are newcomers to Canada, may face additional barriers to becoming engaged in employment or education. Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is leading a pilot project to address potential barriers faced by Indigenous and newcomer NEET youth through a pre-employment training program, wraparound supports, and employment placements. SRDC as the evaluation partner is responsible for developing the evaluation framework and data collection instruments, measuring outputs and outcomes, integrative data analysis, reporting findings, and participating in knowledge mobilization.

Start-end date: October 2020 - March 2023
Sponsor: Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan)

Grouped Evaluation of the Official Languages Support Programs (OLSP)

The Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH) supports two official languages funding programs from which several initiatives are derived. The collective goal of these programs is to: 1) enhance the vitality of English- and French-speaking minority communities; and 2) promote the English and French languages in Canadian society. These two programs represent PCH’s largest grants and contributions programs. Through these programs and their respective components and sub-components, PCH provides financial support to provincial and territorial governments and organizations to support minority-language education, second language learning, and the provision of services and programs in both official languages. SRDC is responsible for the grouped evaluation of these two programs. The evaluation will take the form of a longitudinal impact study since the first Action Plan for Official Languages in 2003, and aims to measure the achievement of the program’s medium- and long-term outcomes as well as the relevance and efficiency. The evaluation will be conducted in two phases. Phase 1 of this project consists of developing an evaluation approach and appropriate methodologies. The full scope of the evaluation will be conducted in Phase 2.

A methodology combining various methods will be used to collect primary and secondary qualitative and quantitative data. The longitudinal impact study will establish the sequences of events that have marked OLMCs and bilingualism in Canada since 2003. It will cover the national level, and if possible, regional characteristics.  

Start-end date: September 2020 - May 2022
Sponsor: Canadian Heritage

Supporting the launch of Skills for Success

Recognizing the need for a modernized skills framework and a set of tools and structures that is more responsive to evolving industry and worker needs, The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) has recently renewed its existing Essential Skills Framework. The renewed skills approach, rebranded as Skills for Success, will be launched and rolled out in the coming months to inform the development of assessments, measurements, and learning materials aligned with the skills demands of the modern labour market. To support the launch, SRDC will, in consultation with a wide range of partners including academic experts, assessment developers, and practitioners, i) review, refine, validate and modernize the definitions and descriptions of each skill in the Skills for Success framework; ii) review and revise where necessary the underlying constructs of each skill; iii) summarize existing evidence and conduct new qualitative and quantitative analyses to validate the links between each skill and labour market outcomes; and iv) update proficiency levels of previously established skills to reflect new competency requirements in the labour market, and explore methods to establish proficiency standards for newly defined skills.

Start-end date: September 2020 - January 2021
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Soft Skills as a Workforce Development Strategy for Opportunity Youth — Scoping Report and Service Delivery Model

Shifts in the economy are changing the landscape of skills needed for employment success, and among employers, there is growing recognition of the need for soft skills in the workforce. With more than a quarter of a million young people in Canada facing multiple barriers to finding sustained employment, there is demand for innovative approaches that equip youth with the right skills for employment success. However, to date, there has been little systematic research on effective approaches for operationalizing soft skills development within employment settings, particularly for opportunity youth (i.e., youth who are not in school or employment).

The goal of the proposed project is to better define and contextualize employment-specific soft skills and to synthesize promising approaches used by leading employers and employment support programs serving opportunity youth in Canada. Based on a review of research literature and leading practice-based evidence, SRDC will develop a service delivery model that describes specific strategies, approaches, and recommendations for embedding soft skills development within existing employment and employment support programs. The model and accompanying resource guide will be validated by employers, employment support providers, and youth. Overall, findings from this project will help to emphasize and contextualize the need for soft skills and provide recommendations for ways to operationalize soft skills development for opportunity youth.

Start-end date: May 2020 - December 2021
Sponsor: Anonymous sponsor

Implementing a Virtual Recruitment and Assessment Centre for the Unionized Construction Industry

This project will develop a recruitment strategy integrating sectoral needs analysis, behavioural insights, and social marketing to reach underrepresented groups and increase their awareness, knowledge, and connection to the building trades. A social media based messaging strategy informed by how each of the targeted groups perceives benefits and barriers to entering the trades will connect prospective candidates to an innovative online assessment and matching platform which will help users determine their suitability, connect directly to a Building Trades union, and transition into the apprenticeship system with essential skills tutoring. Unions will help to inform the recruitment strategy and refine the assessment and matching process to ensure candidates have the skills and mentor/support networks to succeed. Phase II of the project will focus on optimization of user pathways and enhanced functionality and content of learning resources. As well, this phase will focus on customizing components to be more responsive to local conditions, recruitment challenges, and union-specific skills needs. Evidence on the effectiveness of these enhancements will be generated through a mixed methods approach, which will include both implementation research and an outcomes study to evaluate the success of the initiative.

Start-end date: April 2020 - September 2023
Sponsor: Future Skills Centre

Pay for Performance in Manufacturing

In partnership with Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC), SRDC is evaluating the effectiveness of a pay-for-performance funding model for workforce development in the manufacturing sector. Building on the success of the national pilot of EMC's Manufacturing Essentials Certification, this model seeks to engage employers to invest in essential skills training by offering partial repayment of costs based on achievement of success milestones. Based on input from manufacturers, the proposed model is being finalized via consultations with employers. As the delivery of Manufacturing Essentials is increasingly being offered online, the evaluation considers a comparison of in-person vs. online delivery methods and outcomes.

Start-end date: March 2020 - March 2023
Sponsor: Future Skills Centre

Literature Review on effective labour market programs and services to assist youth and social assistance recipients to integrate into the labour market

ESDC has commissioned SRDC to undertake literature reviews of labour market programs that have been shown to be effective for integrating youth and social assistance recipients into the labour market. The focus is on recent (last five years) activation programs in Canada and OECD countries.

Start-end date: November 2019 - July 2020
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Evaluation Planning and Design: Assessing the Effectiveness of the Government of Canada's Outbound Mobility Pilot

Announced in Budget 2019 as part of the International Education Strategy, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is piloting a program to encourage participation of underrepresented groups in outbound international student experiences. The pilot program aims to test and evaluate innovative approaches to reduce barriers to studying and working abroad. SRDC is providing advice and recommendations to ESDC in the form of a comprehensive evaluation framework and plan for rigorously evaluating the five-year pilot.

Start-end date: November 2019 - March 2020
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Building Capacity for Performance Measurement among Literacy and Essential Skills Practitioners

Following the completion of a comprehensive review and development of measurement options for Literacy and Essential Skills (LES) initiatives, SRDC is working with the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) to build an online platform to operationalize the recommendations and best practices in designing performance measurement instruments. This platform will represent a standardized and actionable navigation pathway to help LES practitioners and stakeholders choose and customize instruments aligned with their unique training objectives and service delivery contexts. With supports from OLES, we will engage with service delivery organizations to pilot-test the beta version of the platform, troubleshooting issues, and compiling user guides. The process will be done with a point of view toward long-term sustainability, ensuring that the platform can ultimately support the broader performance measurement strategy of the LES sector.

Start-end date: November 2019 - December 2021
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Characteristics of adults who return to Education and Training, and understanding the barriers to Adult Learning

This project seeks to examine the characteristics of Canadian adult learners with labour market experience who took further education or training for upskilling or reskilling, as well as those who expressed an unmet learning need and want. The project analyzes data from the Longitudinal International Survey of Adults linked to tax records to gain a better understanding of adult learners, including: causes and correlations for (re)entry into education and training, such as job loss, change in family status or other life events; and the barriers adults face in pursuing education and training. The research also considers how federal and provincial/territorial student financial assistance programs can better support adult learners.

Start-end date: October 2019 - October 2020
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Integrating Essential Skills Tools for Employment Counsellors

This project is being led by Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society (AWES) and is building, testing, and refining a training program for employment counsellors to integrate Essential Skills (ES) tools into their practice and services. The ES framework that will be tested during the project will include how to incorporate ES assessments, occupational profiles, complexity levels, and job task terminology related to skills. The project will also reinforce practice by including mentoring and support services to ensure quality as practitioners begin to integrate the ES framework and tools (including all nine Essential Skills) in all their services. As the developmental evaluation partner on the project, SRDC’s research activities are supporting the development process to ensure that the training is practical, delivers results, and has high chances of replication and adoption in diverse sectors and with different populations across Canada.

Start-end date: April 2019 - February 2024
Sponsor: Alberta Workplace Essential Skills Society (AWES)

Enhancing Displaced Workers Literacy and Essential Skills

This three-year research project aims to fill knowledge gaps on what works in the realm of LES supports and training for displaced workers in Canada to improve their employability. The project is aimed at supporting workers who have been displaced from their jobs through planned or unplanned circumstances, with a focus on those workers who are hard to reach or reluctant to access skills training or employment services, and who have low essential skills, including digital skills. The project will be identifying and testing models that have the potential to be adapted and expanded at the national level, by conducting beta tests involving a new Displaced Worker Outreach Team and network partners in select regions of BC to evaluate their effectiveness and scalability. The ultimate aim of the project is to provide the evidence base for the development of a new model that can help address workforce displacement for individuals and communities in Canada.

Start-end date: March 2019 - December 2023
Sponsor: Decoda Literacy Solutions

Framework for the Professional Development of Essential Skills Practitioners

This project is developing and testing a new framework for professional development that standardizes the delivery of Essential Skills (ES) practitioner training in Canada. The framework will provide broad guidance to allow regional flexibility and customization based on the needs of the ES practitioners, while ensuring greater consistency in the delivery of ES practitioner training. To ensure its effectiveness, the project will test the new framework and assessment tools in a pan-Canadian pilot across five regions representing a diverse group of training organizations. The pilot will include a feasibility study as it tests the relevance and usefulness of the application of the framework and competency assessment tools, and will provide recommendations for the professionalization of the ES practitioner field. Ultimately, professionalizing the field of ES practitioners in Canada will ensure better and more consistent outcomes for learners receiving ES training.

Start-end date: March 2019 - March 2023
Sponsor: SkillPlan

Feasibility Study for the Creation of a WISE Outcomes Database

This research study is assessing the feasibility of creating an outcomes database on work integration social enterprises (WISEs) in Canada. Through research and consultation with WISE stakeholders, the project will enable ESDC to be well-positioned to work with the WISE sector to develop a coherent outcomes database for Canadian WISEs.

Start-end date: February 2019 - March 2019
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Enhancing Pre-apprentice and Apprentice Training Tools (EPATT) Project

The Enhancing Pre-apprentice and Apprentice Training Tools (EPATT) project aims to develop and rigorously test a more structured approach to Essential Skills (ES) training for 14 of the Red Seal construction trades by enhancing pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programming. The enhanced model will be implemented across the country in five regions with 1,250 construction tradesworkers via union training schools and/or their partnering public post-secondary colleges. Project partners include SkillPlan (lead), Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) and their affiliated contractors, BC Colleges (BCC) and the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC). SRDC will be responsible for the research and evaluation strategy, including the initial needs analysis to better understand the learning needs of non-traditional tradesworkers as well as a quasi-experimental research design for the full pilot test of the training model and ES tools and resources. The project will run for four years from February 2019 to January 2023.

Start-end date: February 2019 - January 2023
Sponsor: SkillPlan

SmartICE: Developing responsive approaches to training and employment in Inuit Nunangat

SmartICE is a work-integrated social enterprise aiming to empower northern communities to adapt to increasingly unpredictable sea ice in the circumpolar arctic. SmartICE is launching a Northern Production Centre (NPC) in Nain, Nunatsiavut, which will employ Inuit youth to assemble one of its sea ice monitoring technologies: SmartBUOYs. SRDC will work with SmartICE to design, pilot, and evaluate an innovative model to sustainably train and employ Inuit youth in Nain. SmartICE will work with community stakeholders and youth to develop a contextually responsive training approach and employment opportunity for Nainimmuit youth to facilitate the assembly and testing of SmartBUOYs for use in Nunatsiavut and in communities across the circumpolar arctic. SRDC will support SmartICE by conducting a developmental evaluation of the SmartICE NPC.

Start-end date: February 2019 - December 2019
Sponsor: SmartICE

Enhancing employment programming for vulnerable youth

In 2017, the Government of Canada committed to renewing its youth employment strategy, part of which involves a renewal of Skills Link with more focus on at-risk youth and additional investments to increase the planned participant intake. The Government has also committed to continue improving the way it serves the needs of youth including helping understand what’s working and to encourage good program practices. In coordination with ESDC’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) and youth employment branch, SRDC developed a multi-staged four-year project to both explore improvements in employment programming for vulnerable youth and to pilot test a Pay-for-Performance model for incentivizing innovation and best practices among service providers.
The first phase in year one will involve a comprehensive review and re-analysis of employment programming as part of Skills Link along with a series of consultations with providers of youth programming to document strengths in existing delivery, best practices, and any gaps and opportunities for innovation. The second phase will involve the design and implementation of a demonstration project to test a Pay-for-Performance model to incentivize innovation and best practices. The demonstration phase will span three years and will involve up to 600 youth from across Canada.

Start-end date: November 2018 - October 2023
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

The Changing Nature of Work: Digital Transformation & Innovation in the Electricity Sector

Technologies related to digitization, automation, artificial intelligence, and green technology are reshaping the structure of work and the required competencies for many occupations in the Electricity sector. In partnership with Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC), SRDC is studying the scope of technological change and its potential impacts on the sector. Through a series of consultations with employers, educational institutions, and other stakeholders this project will provide a rich analysis of the context and impacts of forthcoming technological change including its implications for the sector's workforce in terms of occupational demand and supply and the need for strategic investments in education and training.

Start-end date: October 2018 - August 2019
Sponsor: Electricity Human Resources Canada

TechAbility: Aligning Diverse Abilities to Technical Occupations

This project is developing and testing a technical occupational framework to support the recruitment of persons with disabilities in the technology sector of BC. The project is establishing the business case for hiring persons with disabilities into technical occupations and identifying the necessary supports to ensure successful outcomes for both employers and job seekers. The pilot is assessing the impact of the framework primarily through a series of job shadowing and mentorship opportunities that are designed to enhance skills and employment outcomes for research participants.

Start-end date: October 2018 - January 2020
Sponsor: Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC

Connecting multi-barriered newcomers to the Canadian labour market

This project involves the design, delivery, and evaluation of a comprehensive package of employment services for the increasing numbers of refugees and other newcomers who have trouble transitioning from settlement to sustained employment. The program model augments traditional language training by offering a holistic suite of employment services including Essential Skill upgrading, technical training, work placement, and job retention support. A randomized control trial design is used to evaluate program impacts, by comparing the outcomes of those who are randomly assigned to receive the new suite of services with a control group who continue receiving existing services.

Start-end date: July 2018 - March 2021
Sponsor: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Literacy and Essential Skills as a Poverty Reduction Strategy

Through a comprehensive literature review and series of practitioner and stakeholder consultations, this project will consolidate knowledge, best practices, and the latest innovations in literacy programming targeting lower-skilled individuals. This will inform the development of a broader poverty reduction strategy for Canada, which integrates literacy training in a way that is responsive to the full spectrum of needs of lower skilled Canadians including those most distant from the labour market.

Start-end date: May 2018 - March 2019
Sponsor: Frontier College

Manufacturing Essentials: Design of a performance measurement strategy and pay-for-performance funding model

On behalf of the Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) and the Canadian Manufacturing Network (CMN), SRDC is developing an evaluation framework and performance measurement strategy for Manufacturing Essentials, the industry’s primary certification and Essential Skills training program. In coordination with EMC and CMN, SRDC will also consult with employers throughout the sector and design a Pay-For-Performance (PFP) funding model for reimbursing employer training costs and incentivizing best practices in training delivery.

Start-end date: April 2018 - September 2019
Sponsor: Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium

Field trials and evaluation of three WISE programs in Northern Simcoe County Ontario

SRDC is implementing a four-year research study in partnership with three work integration social enterprises (WISE) that are part of a co-operative network, known as the Karma Project. These social enterprises provide a range of services and green occupations in demand in the North Simcoe county region of Ontario. The study, spanning four years, will examine the effectiveness of WISE in improving the employability and social inclusion of youth in rural communities. At the same time, it will assess changes in the capacity of social enterprises and examine variations in outcomes by alternative models of work integration.

Start-end date: March 2018 - May 2022
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

A comprehensive review and development of measurement options for Essential Skills initiatives

The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) currently supports a wide range of Literacy and Essential Skills initiatives including pilots of various delivery models in both workplace settings and for the unemployed, through the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program (ALLESP). Performance measurement is critical to the success of these projects and for the achievement of the broader objectives of ALLESP. On behalf of OLES, SRDC is conducting a comprehensive review of measurement options for assessing outcomes of Literacy and Essential Skills initiatives and will develop a framework to support a broader performance measurement strategy for the ALLESP program.

Start-end date: March 2018 - March 2019
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Evaluation of the Essential Skills for Apprentices project

The ES for Apprentices project is a national initiative that is testing an instructor-led model of supplemental essential skills training in first-year apprenticeship programs with the aim of enhancing completion rates. The model was developed and refined by Bow Valley College (BVC) and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). SRDC is designing the research strategy to evaluate the model including an impact study to measure its effects on completion rates and employment of apprentices as well as an implementation research study to explore best practices in its delivery.

Start-end date: March 2018 - June 2022
Sponsor: Bow Valley College

A review of the Canadian Financial Capability Survey Questionnaire

The Canadian Financial Capability Survey (CFCS) is administered by Statistics Canada to a nationally representative sample of Canadian adults in an effort to measure their financial knowledge, abilities, and behaviours. The CFCS is administered on a five-year cycle with prior waves in 2009 and 2014. In preparation for the 2019 cycle, SRDC has been contracted by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) to advise on the renewal of the instrument. In addition to a review of the core financial literacy and knowledge assessments, SRDC will advise on the various measures of financial behaviours and outcomes. The review aims to enhance both the statistical properties of the instrument and align it with recent developments in both the Government of Canada’s National Strategy for Financial Literacy and international developments in measurement.

Start-end date: February 2018 - August 2018
Sponsor: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

Development and pilot testing of an innovative demand-led training model to support entry and retention in the Aquaculture sector

This project examines the feasibility of a training model that aims to enhance both career adaptability and essential skills of workers – those more distant from the labour market and/or those recently displaced – in a way that is specifically aligned with the occupational requirements of Newfoundland’s Aquaculture sector. The model’s objectives are to prepare lower-skilled and/or displaced job seekers for both the demands of technical training and subsequent employment, to ensure successful training completion, transition to employment, and longer-term retention.

Start-end date: December 2017 - June 2020
Sponsor: College of the North Atlantic

Understanding the Barriers to Adult Learning (Phase I)

The project is an effort to help the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) and the Government of Manitoba to better understand the barriers to adult learning, and in what ways student financial assistance programs could better support adult learners. The project investigates the feasibility of a research program to identify the behavioural factors affecting individuals’ take-up of learning opportunities, and what roles essential skills play in adult learning decision-making.

Start-end date: November 2017 - March 2018
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Connecting Arabic-speaking Refugees to Employers (C.A.R.E.) in the Hospitality Sector Project

This pilot in Surrey, British Columbia is using the behavioural economics concept of “nudging” in order to understand the behaviours and choices of small business employers in the hospitality sector towards recruiting and hiring Privately Sponsored and Government Assisted refugees.

Start-end date: September 2017 - March 2018
Sponsor: S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

Evaluation of the Indigenous Communities Public Works Project

The Indigenous Communities Public Works Project is an innovative demand-driven approach to workforce development in First Nations communities. The initiative was designed with the aim of strengthening employment opportunities for unemployed or underemployed Indigenous individuals. It also aims to provide communities with the local expertise needed to address their public works and community infrastructure needs. The project builds on a unique partnership model that includes diverse cross-sector partners. The lead organization is Okanagan Training and Development Council, the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy agreement holder for the Okanagan service areas that consist of six band memberships. The other two partners are Westbank First Nation, a self-governing nation in Kelowna and ASTTBC, a not-for-profit, provincial professional association/regulator established in 1958. SRDC has been commissioned to conduct a proof of concept to show how the pilot plays out in the real world and if it is feasible and viable for a wider implementation and evaluation.

Start-end date: September 2017 - July 2019
Sponsor: Okanagan Training and Development Council + anonymous donor

Mentorship and Skills Development in British Columbia's Electrical Sector – Phase 3: Strategy Development

The large majority of technical training in the skilled building trades takes place on the job through mentoring relationships. Employers report mentorship as the key to developing a qualified tradesperson — however, they also report the quality of mentorship as drastically uneven. Many tradespersons are required to mentor apprentices but have never been prepared adequately to do so. This project is supporting the development and evaluation of mentorship training models in BC’s construction sector. Building on an earlier Labour Market Information (LMI) study and sector needs analysis, this phase of the project is undertaking the development of a comprehensive strategy for the design, implementation, and evaluation of an enhanced mentorship program that addresses the specific business needs and performance gaps experienced by the electrical trades in British Columbia.

Start-end date: July 2017 - January 2018
Sponsor: Electrical Joint Training Committee

Improving productivity through mentorship: A National Demonstration Project

According to BuildForce Canada’s construction sector forecast, the industry is estimated to lose 250,000 skilled tradespeople to retirements over the next decade. This is leading to a dramatic need for rapid skills development of younger workers – at unprecedented levels – which is placing significant pressure on training capacity in the sector. This is not simply a challenge for the apprenticeship system, but also for employers, unions, and current supervisors and journeypersons who are responsible for the large majority of skills development through mentorship. At the same time, many journeyworkers and apprentices are not adequately prepared for mentorship as they have gaps in key underlying Essential Skills of communication, working with others, and problem-solving.

This project will undertake the development, implementation, and evaluation of an enhanced mentorship training model for Canada's construction and maintenance sector. It is being implemented as a pan-Canadian demonstration project in all regions of the country with up to 1,200 skilled tradesworkers and up to 80 contractors in four of Canada's skilled trades. The research design includes a randomized control trial (RCT) to measure effects of the mentorship training model on the skills and performance of apprentices and journeyworkers as well as business outcomes of participating firms. The study will also include a rigorous cost-benefit analysis to measure the returns on training investments. The project is being managed by BuildForce Canada in partnership with SkillPlan and the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC). The project is funded by the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES), Employment and Social Development Canada.

BuildForce Mentorship

Start-end date: June 2017 - February 2022
Sponsor: BuildForce Canada

Micro-credentials for Adult Literacy Learners Evaluation Plan

Digital open micro‐credentials are a new innovative way to capture and communicate what an individual knows and can demonstrate. They can be used to demonstrate the breadth of learning, from something quite simple, like attendance at a conference or workshop, to demonstrating more in‐depth employment related skills such as those related to trades. Decoda Literacy Solutions recently adopted the digital badge micro‐credential system for use with adult literacy programs. In this project, literacy and essential skill badges (micro‐credentials) are being provided for adults who participate in community‐based literacy and essential skills programs, which typically do not have transcripts and certificates to identify learning. The use of a micro-credential system allows program providers to show incremental growth in the literacy and essential skill development of individual program participants. It is an innovative approach to improving educational access and program completion rates for adult learners, as well as increased support as they move to further education and employment. A developmental evaluation approach is being used to investigate whether the program is meeting its goals of establishing a credentialing system for adult literacy, as well as learning the ways in which the badges would be accepted and used by employment stakeholders.

Start-end date: May 2017 - November 2017
Sponsor: Decoda Literacy Solutions

Labour Market Transfer Agreements summary report

Employment and skills training programming and services in Canada are supported and delivered by federal, provincial, and territorial governments. The federal government provides almost $3 billion annually to provinces and territories through four major bilateral transfer agreements to support training and employment programming for Canadians. The design and delivery of the programs and services funded under these agreements are the responsibility of provinces and territories. This includes programs and services for unemployed workers eligible for Employment Insurance (EI), individuals without recent or sustained labour market attachment (non-EI insured), low-skilled workers, employers, persons with disabilities, and older workers. The 2016 Federal Budget announced new investments for 2016-17 totaling an additional $175 million. This is the first step in a plan to boost support for skills and training through the transfer agreements. To further ensure that these agreements continue to be relevant, flexible, and responsive to new and emerging labour market needs and priorities, the federal, provincial, and territorial governments have collaboratively embarked on a process in the summer 2016 to gather stakeholder input on these important investments. SRDC summarizes the outcomes of the consultations related to the labour market agreements renewal in this report.

Start-end date: August 2016 - September 2016
Sponsor: Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale du Québec

An Innovative Cluster Training Model for New Brunswick Small Business

Development and pilot testing of a multi-level cluster-based training model for New Brunswick small businesses, who lack the capacity for traditional workplace training approaches. The project documents best practices in cluster training and refines existing needs assessments and evaluation tools for pooled small business delivery. The new model will be pilot tested with 6 firms and up to 24 employees in 2-3 clusters. SRDC is leading the evaluation in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick (TIANB) with funding from New Brunswick’s Department of Post-secondary Education Training and Labour.

New Brunswick Government news release

Start-end date: July 2016 - April 2017
Sponsor: Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick

Mentorship and Skills Development in BC's Construction Sector: A Needs Analysis

The large majority of technical training in the skilled building trades takes place on the job through mentoring relationships. Employers report mentorship as the key to developing a qualified tradesperson — however, they also report the quality of mentorship as drastically uneven. Many tradespersons are required to mentor apprentices but have never been prepared adequately to do so. This project supports the development and evaluation of mentorship training models in BC’s construction sector. The focus is on the electrical trade, the largest of skilled building trades in BC. The design includes a sector needs analysis where we explore the most prominent skills and job performance gaps and business needs through key informant interviews and a province-wide survey of electrical contractors. The primary goal of this analysis is to understand the role that quality mentorship can play in addressing these skills and performance gaps and to support the design and evaluation of a mentorship training model in a subsequent pilot.

Government of British Columbia news release

Start-end date: May 2016 - March 2017
Sponsor: Electrical Joint Training Committee

Cross-sector knowledge translation and engagement on UPSKILL Health

Upskill Health is a supplementary analysis of data collected through UPSKILL to explore the health-related outcomes of workplace LES training in terms of the physical and mental health of individual workers, as well as workplace performance and business outcomes. Upskill Health builds evidence on the impact of concrete interventions to address key social determinants of health such as literacy and employment, and informs workplace skill development policies and programs by demonstrating that there are measurable health and business outcomes associated with improvements in LES.

With continued financial support from PHAC, SRDC is developing a knowledge translation and engagement (KTE) strategy to share the results and implications of Upskill Health with key government and external stakeholders in the business, LES, and mental health communities. This strategy of facilitating cross-sector dialogue is intended to support the Agency in its mandate of leveraging action on social determinants of health.

Start-end date: March 2016 - March 2017
Sponsor: Public Health Agency of Canada

Determinants of Participation in Indigenous Labour Market Programs

The primary goal of this project is to identify barriers to participation in ESDC Indigenous Labour Market Programs: the Aboriginal Skills and Training Program; the Skills and Partnership Fund; and the First Nations Job Fund (joint project with IAND). The project includes: a document review and environmental scan of program evaluations and recent policy research; key informant interviews with program agreement holders; and an exploratory analysis of program administrative data.

Start-end date: February 2016 - March 2016
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

The Role of Employment Social Enterprises in Supporting Transitioning Youth

The BC Centre for Employment Excellence and its partner, the Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria, are conducting a demonstration project to evaluate the role of Employment Social Enterprises (ESEs) in supporting the labour market transitions of youth facing barriers to developing their career potential. The project partners with local social entrepreneurs, employment service providers and employers to generate work placements in new or existing ESEs that focus on employing barriered youth, giving youth participants the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and skill development that is in line with local labour market opportunities. This project is designed to fill a gap in knowledge with regard to understanding the role that transitional placements in ESEs can play in improving employment outcomes for at-risk youth.

Start-end date: February 2016 - December 2017
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

Essential Adult Skills Initiative (EASI)

The Essential Adult Skills Initiative (EASI) is a pilot project using the OECD’s newest version of the PIAAC assessment instrument, Education and Skills Online. The pilot is designed (a) to explore the practical challenges of administering the test to substantial numbers of PSE students and (b) to establish the utility of Education and Skills Online to assess PSE student skills. SRDC is advising the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario on planned survey design and analysis including sample size estimation.

Start-end date: January 2016 - December 2016
Sponsor: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

The role of financial literacy on financial decisions and retirement preparedness among seniors and older adults

Recent evidence suggests that many seniors and older adults may struggle to manage their finances. On assessments of financial capability, Canadian seniors and older adults fared poorly on objective measures of financial knowledge including those with high self-rated skills. These gaps may have serious consequences for financial decision-making, particularly among those heading into retirement. This project analyzes the 2014 Canadian Financial Capability Survey (CFCS) to understand the challenges that Canadian seniors and older adults face with financial literacy, how these relate to financial outcomes, and retirement preparedness.

Start-end date: September 2015 - March 2016
Sponsor: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

The role of subjective attitudes and beliefs in financial decision-making of Canadians

While many Canadians lack basic financial literacy, mounting evidence from behavioural economics suggests that financial decisions are also frequently undermined by psychological factors. Even with the requisite financial knowledge and literacy skills, people are prone to various kinds of cognitive biases when making financial decisions such as those related to evaluating risk and uncertainty or the time value of money. This project undertakes an analysis of the 2014 Canadian Financial Capability Survey (CFCS) with the aim of understanding the role of cognitive biases in the financial decision-making of Canadians, with a particular focus on youth, aboriginals, and those with low incomes.

Start-end date: September 2015 - March 2016
Sponsor: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

Essential skills and OHS training pilot project

This project examines the role that essential skills can play in occupational health and safety (OHS) training. The project adds essential skills training in numeracy and document use into existing hoisting and rigging OHS training, examines the challenges of this addition, and estimates the impacts of the essential skills training on trainees’ performance on the assessments already used after the training, as well as their performance on numeracy and document use essential skills assessments.

Start-end date: July 2015 - December 2016
Sponsor: Institute for Work and Health

Analysis of PIAAC Data and Development of Evidence Base on Adult Learning for Ontario

This study examines the literacy skills proficiency distribution among key subgroups in the province of Ontario including recent immigrants, Aboriginals, Francophone, youth, and older workers. The objective is to inform policy direction with respect to resource targeting for adult learning initiatives in the province. Among other sources, the project utilizes the latest data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).

Start-end date: March 2015 - September 2015
Sponsor: Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

Essential Skills in Douglas College

The Essential Skills in Douglas College (ES in DC) program is offering up to 20 hours of in-class Essential Skills training to students in selected programs. By targeting the training to learner needs, and utilizing occupationally-relevant materials, the program aims to increase students’ literacy and essential skills, and their academic success. The study includes a research framework, designing pre- and post-training student surveys, and analysing administrative data from school records and literacy scores in addition to the survey data. Using historical program data from the school records, SRDC conducts a comparative analysis to estimate program impacts in addition to measuring the outcomes of interest.

Start-end date: August 2014 - August 2015
Sponsor: Douglas College

Essential Skills Social and Economic Impacts

Essential Skills Impacts is the first phase in a larger project to assess the extent to which gains in Essential Skills (ES) are associated with long-term gains on a wide range of social and economic outcomes, including health outcomes, involvement with the criminal justice system, and early childhood education. This project uses the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy’s longitudinal databases to link gains in Essential Skills to a series of socioeconomic indicators of interest. As a preliminary step, the study reviews the reliability and validity of the ES assessments currently being used in Manitoba.

Start-end date: June 2014 - October 2015
Sponsor: Workplace Education Manitoba

UpSkill Health and Mental Health Outcomes Study

This project is a sub-study of the original UpSkill project, which used an experimental design to evaluate the impact of workplace Literacy and Essential Skills (LES) training on individuals and firms in the tourism accommodations sector. This sub-study conducts an in-depth analysis of how literacy influences health and mental health for both workers and firms, using the considerable data collected through UpSkill. The study identifies the potential of non-health interventions such as LES training to improve population health.

Start-end date: January 2014 - September 2015
Sponsor: Public Health Agency of Canada

Evaluation of Social Finance Pilots

SRDC is conducting an evaluation of two pilot projects for Essential Skills training based on performance-based funding models. The Skilling UP pilot is led by Alberta Workforce Essential Skills, providing workplace essential skills training to lower-skilled workers in the manufacturing sector. Employers pay up-front for the training, and are reimbursed up to 50% of their investment if their workers achieve targeted skill gains. The second project is a social impact bond (SIB), in which private investors pay up-front for essential skills training for low-skilled unemployed persons, and are repaid their capital plus interest if participants achieve skill gains. Colleges and Institutes Canada is the intermediary for this Essential Skills Social Finance (ESSF) social impact bond, with three College delivery partners: Douglas College, Confederation College, and Sask Polytech. In addition to serving as proof-of-concept of the implementation of the two models, the pilot evaluations are measuring a range of outcomes of interest including skill gains, and indicators of employability and performance measurement.

Start-end date: January 2014 - January 2019
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Design of a Learning Management System for the Training Group at Douglas College

The project designs a common learning management system (LMS) for the Training Group at Douglas College so that the organization can conduct business analytics and analyze program outcomes in order to inform program development and to demonstrate outcomes achieved to program stakeholders. The project involves analyzing existing data management information collected for individual programs, identifying common and unique data collection needs across programs, and analyzing funder reporting needs and trends to design a common, standardized learning management system and reporting protocol.

Start-end date: December 2013 - August 2014
Sponsor: The Training Group at Douglas College

Manitoba Works! evaluation

The purpose of the research is to test the Government of Manitoba’s Manitoba Works! employment service model in the real-world setting of Manitoba’s new and evolving employment continuum and to assess its effectiveness for improving the labour market success of individuals who are receiving EIA and/or have complex needs. The research will assess gains on outcomes of interest among participants compared to non-participants, model cost-effectiveness, model implementation, and identify key success factors.

Start date: November 2013
Sponsor: Manitoba Department of Jobs and the Economy

Pay for Success

A pilot project aiming to develop and test an innovative performance-based approach to funding Essential Skills service delivery in the provinces of Manitoba and Nova Scotia. This pilot project is the first Canadian test of a “pay for success” model for Essential Skills delivery. The model is designed to stimulate innovation in service delivery, encourage a community of practice for delivery of Essential Skills services, and improve longer-term employment outcomes for underrepresented groups in the labour force.

Start-end date: September 2013 - June 2017
Sponsor: Workplace Education Manitoba

Skills Bridge essential skills pilot project in BC

Skills Bridge offers Essential Skills training with the aim of ensuring that participants in academic, trades training, and apprenticeship programs emerge fully ready for employment. The pilot project is an outcome evaluation of a system of Essential Skills coaching at three sites – Douglas College, North Island College, and SkillPlan. The performance measures include Essential Skills learning gains, student engagement, and grades. The study develops an evaluation framework and survey instruments, and includes a cost-effectiveness analysis. Implementation of Skills Bridge at the three pilot sites informs a larger consortium of educational institutions implementing Essential Skills training for their students. SRDC is a research partner in the pilot project funded by the participating colleges and industry training institutions.

Start-end date: September 2013 - April 2014
Sponsor: DataAngel Policy Research Inc.

The Foundations Pilot Project

This project is a three-year initiative led by the Training Group at Douglas College, British Columbia. It tests: a) whether a skill assessment and upgrading program delivery model targeted specifically to meet the needs of low-skilled job seekers can be successfully implemented across several sites nationally, and b) what impacts the program may have on a variety of outcomes, such as participation in college-level training, employment, and labour market advancement. Approximately 500 job seekers were recruited, half of whom were randomly assigned to receive program services while the other half served as a control group. The study includes an evaluation framework and research design, as well as implementation, impact, and cost-benefit analyses.

Start-end date: July 2013 - June 2016
Sponsor: Training Group at Douglas College

Review of Employment and Training Programs

The purpose of this Program Review is to assist the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in developing an evidence-based framework for the potential integration and ongoing evaluation of employment and training programs. To achieve this SRDC uses a comprehensive approach including: environmental scan, review of program documents, extensive discussions with MTCU staff, analysis of existing state of knowledge reviews that SRDC has conducted, key informant interviews with other ministries, value for money techniques, stakeholder consultations, policy analysis, and program design. Based on findings from the review of in-scope programs and consultations with key stakeholders as well as an analysis of the existing research on effective and/or promising approaches to employment and training services, SRDC develops high level recommendations for a potential future state of the Ontario employment and training system.

Start-end date: December 2012 - December 2013
Sponsor: Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

SustainAbilities essential skills upgrading project in the Athabasca Oil Sands area - Phase I

Development of a research framework and instruments to support an outcomes evaluation for the SustainAbilities project – a large-scale workplace Essential Skills training initiative in Wood Buffalo Oil Sands region, with some 3,000 frontline workers annually. Phase I involves the design of the research framework and baseline survey instruments. Future phases will involve the design of protocols for implementation research and survey instruments for assessing post-training outcomes, including performance outcomes of workers and firms.

Start-end date: October 2012 - January 2013
Sponsor: DataAngel Policy Research Inc.

Digital Essential Skills Online Training in Rural Small Businesses

SRDC participated in this project to develop, implement, and evaluate an online digital skills assessment and training program intended to increase the digital skills of rural small businesses and their employees, as well as the capacity of businesses to increase these skills. The training was piloted in 10 small businesses, 2 in each of 5 rural communities across Canada, with up to 100 employees participating. SRDC designed skills assessment, employer and employee surveys, and interview protocols and analyzed the data gathered, in order to evaluate the implementation of the digital skills assessment and training tools and to measure the effects of the training on rural small businesses and their employees.

Start-end date: October 2012 - February 2016
Sponsor: Restigouche Community Business Development Corporation

Evaluation of the Northern Skills Training Pilot Initiative

This project evaluates the Northern Skills Training Pilot, an essential skills training initiative aimed at up-skilling low-skilled unionized employed workers in the forestry and mining sectors in three northern regions of British Columbia. At the start of the evaluation, the initiative involved approximately 300 participants, but this number increased to nearly 600 during the evaluation. The evaluation determines (a) the extent to which targeted workers are receiving and responding to the employer outreach activities and making applications to the program, (b) whether the essential skills training is being delivered as expected, and (c) whether the essential skill levels of program participants are increasing following engagement with the NST Pilot services.

Start-end date: October 2012 - June 2013
Sponsor: B.C. Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training

Understanding the impact of numeracy and literacy skills on financial capability

In collaboration with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, this SRDC study explores the link between Essential Skills and financial capability as well as the impact of workplace-based Essential Skills training on financial capability. Financial capability is defined as the ability to make informed financial decisions. This research study is part of the broader UPSKILL: Essentials to Excel demonstration project and aims to provide a better understanding of the relation between two domains of financial capability (managing money and planning ahead) with the TOWES essential skills scores (numeracy and document use). The study also explores other links between financial capability and important psycho-social outcomes and job performance indicators.

Start-end date: September 2012 - February 2014
Sponsor: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

Labour Market Study of Literacy and Essential Skills Workers

SRDC was commissioned to design, administer, and analyze the results of a first-ever national online survey of professionals involved in the delivery of literacy and essential skills services as instructors, skills assessors, and program developers. As there was no survey sample frame, it was necessary to first engage organizations involved in the delivery of LES services in some way and to ask them to assist SRDC by forwarding the survey invitation and link to employed or contracted workers who deliver LES services. Organizations approached include those that deliver LES services directly, as well as those that do so as part of other services they provide to targeted groups such as persons with disabilities, Aboriginal persons, and new immigrants. The project also involves protocol design for key informant interviews conducted by the client with LES stakeholders to review the survey content. This survey is part of a larger labour market study of essential and literacy skills workers.

Start-end date: June 2012 - August 2013
Sponsor: Canadian Literacy and Learning Network

Expert panel – Evaluation of the Workplace Skills Initiative

SRDC was asked to participate in an expert discussion panel as part of the evaluation of the Workplace Skills Initiative (WSI). WSI provided funding to projects that tested approaches to workplace skills development and human resource management in Canada, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. The evaluation determines the extent to which the WSI was effective in achieving its objectives and identifying best practices and lessons learned for future programming.

Start-end date: December 2011 - January 2012
Sponsor: EKOS Research Associates Inc.

Pay for Performance Project

SRDC collaborated with Workplace Education Manitoba (WEM) to explore ideas for experimenting with different performance-based funding (PBF) approaches for Essential Skills training. The project investigates the state of knowledge in PBF and identifies key lessons learned, opportunities, and promising directions. Building on promising directions, SRDC designs program model(s) for pilot testing in Manitoba and Nova Scotia and an evaluation to investigate the model(s) effects.

Start-end date: December 2011 - June 2012
Sponsor: Workplace Education Manitoba

BC Workplace Training Project

SRDC collaborated with Douglas College to design and conduct an evaluation of an Essential Skills training program designed to upgrade the transferable skills of 1,200 eligible participants working in the tourism and retail sectors throughout British Columbia. The Workplace Training Program is funded by the BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation. The program is delivered by the Continuing Education and Training Association of BC (CETABC), which is a consortium of post-secondary institutions. The evaluation involves both implementation and outcomes research.

Start-end date: December 2011 - March 2013
Sponsor: The Training Group at Douglas College

An Evaluation of “Foundations” Enhancing Transferable Skills through Career Exploration

The purpose of this project is to design a field test of an innovative program of career exploration that embeds individually customized transferable skills enhancement for lower skilled adults. In spite of anecdotal evidence of its effectiveness, the “Foundations” program has not been rigorously evaluated or widely implemented in Canada. A randomized control trial (RCT) will be developed in order to estimate the effects of the program on participants’ skills and a range of labour market outcomes including success in further training, job search, and future employment.

Start-end date: September 2011 - November 2011
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

The SCALES Project

This project is a three-year initiative led by CONNECT Strategic Alliances that seeks to provide career practitioners with tools to identify and meet the Literacy and Essential Skills (LES) needs of unemployed or underemployed Canadians, in an effort to enhance their employment prospects. The purpose of the SCALES project is to increase the capacity of employment counsellors to develop return-to-work action plans that include LES assessments, and to develop a set of tools and best practices that will integrate a range of LES approaches into active employment measures. CONNECT engaged SRDC to develop a field research strategy and research instruments for the purpose of investigating the needs of career practitioners in identifying and addressing clients’ LES needs. SRDC also analyzed the research results and submitted a final report to inform tool development.

Start-end date: January 2011 - May 2011
Sponsor: CONNECT Strategic Alliances

ESWS Service Delivery Model in Action

A follow-up study of the Essential Skills Workplace Services (ESWS) delivery model, which was implemented from 2008-2010 by The Training Group at Douglas College in partnership with a national consortium of colleges specializing in workplace essential skills training. This research study aims to provide a rich understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of the ESWS model along with a series of practical lessons in its implementation. Particular attention is given to the fundamental role of employer engagement and how essential skills training and its benefits are best communicated in a workplace setting.

Start-end date: December 2010 - March 2011
Sponsor: The Training Group at Douglas College

Workplace Literacy and Essential Skills Initiatives: Measuring and Legitimating Success to Expand Access

A demonstration project designed to develop and apply a comprehensive evaluation model to measure the long-term outcomes of workplace literacy and essential skills initiatives in Manitoba and Nova Scotia. It builds on an evidence-based model developed in New Zealand that integrates quantitative and qualitative measures. The model has been modified to the Canadian context and applies to 20 selected workplace LES initiatives in Manitoba and Nova Scotia, provinces that have invested in sustained workplace essential skills programs for two decades. SRDC is responsible for the evaluation framework and research strategy.

Start-end date: July 2010 - December 2012
Sponsor: The Centre for Literacy of Quebec

Adult Learning and Returns to Training

The design and implementation of an integrated and multi-disciplinary research program to measure a comprehensive range of economic and social returns to learning to inform adult learning policy development.

Start-end date: February 2010 - November 2013
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Family Partnership Framework for Integrated Family Literacy Planning Project

To provide advice and technical assistance for the development of a partnership framework and cross-ministerial engagement strategy that forms the basis of a province-wide family literacy strategy.

Start-end date: February 2010 - October 2011
Sponsor: Ontario Literacy Coalition

UPSKILL: Essentials to Excel - Literacy and Essential Skills in the Workplace

A large-scale demonstration project to measure the impacts of literacy and essential skills (LES) training in the workplace. The project uses a random assignment design to provide the most reliable measures of the impacts of LES training on workers skills, their job performance, and other outcomes relevant to workers and firm-level objectives. Approximately 80-100 firms and 1,200 workers participated, half of whom received training; the other half served as a control group in the study.

Read the reports

Start-end date: February 2010 - February 2014
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Office of Literacy and Essential Skills

Learning and Active Employment Programs

An examination of the participation of low-skilled adults in literacy and employment training programs and the role that literacy and other factors have in explaining take-up and program effectiveness. Drawing on lessons from an initial qualitative study and consultation phase, design options for experiments are proposed to improve the take-up and delivery of public training programs.

Start-end date: August 2009 - September 2010
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Design of a Demonstration Project to Evaluate Workplace-based Literacy and Essential Skills Training

A design for a demonstration project using random assignment to measure the impacts of Literacy and Essential Skills (LES) training in the workplace.

Start-end date: May 2009 - September 2009
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Skills Upgrading for Ontario Working Age Adults: An Environmental Scan of Programs, Gaps, and Opportunities

A review of existing workforce and workplace-based skills training in Canada and selected international jurisdictions. The study provides a detailed examination of the most promising models and conducts a preliminary analysis of the feasibility of implementing them in an Ontario context.

Start-end date: April 2009 - August 2009
Sponsor: Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities