BUILDING SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS FOR LBS COORDINATORS/MANAGERS
How to make and keep communications open and working for successful
programs.
Slide 3
Employment Service (ES) Agencies Ontario Works Supervisors
& Case Workers (OW) Ontario Disability Support Services (ODSP)
Local Secondary School Guidance Department Aboriginal Liaison at
Local Post Secondary and Secondary Schools Contact North (Online
Courses: P. Sec & Sec. Sch.) Sioux Hudson Learning (Good
Learning Anywhere) Ontario Native Literacy Coalition (ONLC)
Apatisiwin Employment & Training & Career Dev. WHAT KIND OF
PARTNERSHIPS ARE IMPORTANT FOR LBS?
Slide 4
Employment Service (ES) Agencies: Why are ES agencies so
important? MTCU/EO has made partnering with ES agencies a
deliverable and a priority to ensure smooth transitions for our
learners from training/education to employment. ES agencies need us
to make their targets and we need them for the same reason. LETS
TAKE ONE PIECE AT A TIME!
Slide 5
ES agencies have people with expertise in areas LBS might not
have and we can use this to our advantage. We can request a FREE ES
delivered workshop at our location on any number of subjects from:
Resume Writing; Cover Letter Writing; Portfolios; Employment
Standards; True Colours; Job Search Skills; Apprenticeship
Programs, etc. Be creative! LBS & ES can each count the
attendees of these workshops as their own. EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
Slide 6
We can help ES by offering their clients: Assessment; Literacy
skills & training; Educational resources; Pre-G.E.D. Programs;
Computer Skills Courses; Life Skills; Financial Literacy; Health
Literacy; Essential Skills for the Workplace; and the so many other
skills necessary to obtain employment. EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
Slide 7
LBS are not allowed to charge fees for delivering MTCU funded
services to our learners. This does not mean we cannot charge fees
to deliver boutique style programs marketed to OW/ODSP clients
only. LBS can deliver Beginners Drivers Education Course;
Employment Transition; Life Skills; Cultural Art/Craft Therapy; and
so many more sold specifically to OW clients and charge a fee for
doing so! COMMUNITY SERVICES ODSP AND OW
Slide 8
Regional Supervisors: If possible, find out who the Supervisor
is for your Region. Ask her/him: Where are you sending your
Aboriginal clients who require literacy training? Talk to the Case
Workers on the phone and get to know them, invite them to your
location. Hold an Information/Outreach Session for your local OW
office at your location. Offer to host OW Team Meetings. Suggest
they meet their clients/your learners at your location so you can
advocate for learners and establish a good line of communication at
the same time. ONTARIO WORKS (OW)
Slide 9
Ask if they hold Showcase events and get on their invite list.
OW offices hold these events to introduce Case Workers to local
services. Bring promotional goodies, they love them! Inquire who to
send your own event flyers to; each OW office has a central person
who will distribute information to all. This is a good way to get
your program known to your local Case Workers. Send business cards,
brochures & event flyers. Send invites to cultural events. Be
creative! ONTARIO WORKS (OW)
Slide 10
Get to know the Guidance Teacher/Manager at the local schools.
Send your flyers; brochures, etc. informing them of your services.
Students who need extra tutoring or are falling behind can use your
instructor and you can charge for this service. We have assisted
students suspended from class or who have been off sick to stay
current or catch-up in their studies by working with the guidance
office. Let the school know how you can help their students. Offer
cultural programs. Be Creative! SCHOOL GUIDANCE DEPARTMENTS
Slide 11
Post Secondary Schools have an Aboriginal Liaison position, get
to know them. Invite them to your location, they will enjoy
promoting their school to your learners and you can showcase your
program to them. You can offer a Post Secondary school transition
course for learners and offer it to Secondary School students too.
ABORIGINAL LIAISON
Slide 12
Contact North may have an office close to you, if not you can
still use their services online. We cannot officially offer
Secondary School credits to learners, so our program offers this
service through Contact Norths Online Services. Establish
communication with your local office and work on a Referral
Protocol that is good for both of you. Students use our location,
our computer/internet and we are available if they need any help
with their assignments. CONTACT NORTH
Slide 13
E-learning courses for your learners that will help your own
time management. You dont have to re-invent the wheel, use this
blended learning tool to help learners progress. Learners will
enjoy the interactive learning with other learners and great
instructors. Good Learning Anywhere offers a wide variety of
courses to choose from and they follow the MTCU/OALCF guidelines.
Establish a Referral Protocol with them and how progress is
reported to you and the learner. You both get to count the learners
and their progress. Your learners get experience with digital
technology while learning another subject. Bonus! SIOUX HUDSON
LEARNING/GOOD LEARNING ANYWHERE
Slide 14
ONLC is the Support organization for the Native Stream
programs, along with your local Literacy Link Network they are
funded by MTCU. ONLC gives support if your program is having
problems in any way, if you need help with programming, reaching
your targets, communicating with your MTCU/ETC (Employment &
Training Consultant). ONLCs website has training resources for new
and intermediate practitioners; webinars, etc. ONTARIO NATIVE
LITERACY COALITION (ONLC)
Slide 15
ONLC provides training opportunities for practitioners Provides
networking opportunities for practitioners through conferences,
webinars and other sources. ONLC is an advocate for Ontario Native
Literacy stream and the government policy-makers and our funders.
Be sure to contact ONLC if you are having problems, need resources
or just to have that open line of communication. ONLC
Slide 16
Apatisiwin & C.D. programs are a good resource for
co-programming and can be a source of funding for your learners, if
they qualify. Our literacy program, C.D. & Apatisiwin often co-
program and we share learners/clients. Every learner in our
literacy program works with C.D. to create a resume, go to
workshops for job search skills, mock interviews and career
development. Apatisiwin can help provide funding for training and
some educational choices for learners. APATISIWIN EMPLOYMENT &
TRAINING/CAREER DEVELOPMENT (C.D.) PROGRAMS
Slide 17
These are some of the partnerships that have worked for our LBS
program. I am sure you may have more suggestions to add. As I said,
be creative and look at what is available in your area, things may
be very different for you. Possibilities are endless!