Directorates
·	Director General's Office
·	Data Development
·	Strategic Evaluations
·	Partnership and Continuous Evaluations
Publications
·	Evaluation Reports
·	Evaluation Briefs
·	Labour Market Development Agreement Series
·	Lessons Learned Series
·	Evaluation Tool Kit Series
·	Evaluation Forum Newsletter
·	From Theory To Practice

• Introduction
• Program Description
• Evaluation Approach
• Key Findings
• Conclusions

Introduction

The Community Skills Centres (CSCs) program is a Strategic Initiative, funded jointly by the federal government and the government of British Columbia (through the Skills Now component of the Ministry of Education, Skills and Training). The evaluation was jointly managed by an Evaluation Steering Committee comprised of representatives from Human Resources Development Canada (national and regional representation), the Ministry of Education, Skills and Training, and from the CSCs themselves. The evaluation took place over eleven months, with data collection in the Fall of 1996 and the final report submitted in May, 1997.

Program Description

The CSCs as a group are viewed as a "program", with individual operations described as "projects". At the time of the evaluation there were 21 CSCs, with 18 of these being fully operational. They were distributed across the province, generally located in smaller communities which were facing considerable economic stress due to rapid changes in the local labour market. These changes often arose from the reduction or closure of major employment sectors (forestry, fishing, agricultural base, etc.). The CSCs were designed to provide local education and job training through community-based courses that both meet local needs for workforce training and skills updating, and demonstrate the innovative use of information technology: (from Skills Now information materials). Each CSC could develop its own distinctive approach to meeting local needs, but all were expected to provide: training skills that are in current demand for the local workforce, without duplicating existing training programs, referrals to other community resources for additional support; and more direct control for communities in designing and delivering skills training programs.

There are four objectives for programming against which all CSCs can compare themselves:

• Objective 1: To act as a focal point to increase access to training and to bridge to new training opportunities; adding values; providing an access point for labour market information; and address the training needs of targeted client groups.
• Objective 2:To increase community input and decision-making regarding training and adjustment issues by developing CSC training plans; assessing community environment; and establishing consultation and decision-making processes.
• Objective 3:To increase competitiveness in the global marketplace by providing services to encourage the use of technology; participating in inter-connected province-wide network.; and building on and collaborating with existing technology services, groups, and individuals in local communities.
• Objective 4: To achieve financial independence from government funding of operational costs by generating revenue and leveraging private sector funds; creating partnerships and collaborating with the community; and administering funds responsibly.

In order to achieve these objectives, the CSCs as a group are guided by community-based Boards, have a manager, program coordinator, support staff and may have their own training staff as well. All CSCs were provided with 14 computer stations and video-conferencing equipment as a part of their start-up capacities. Most have a technical support person, who may also be a trainer, to maintain this equipment.

The range of training offered, the partnerships formed, and the activities for outreach to the community are extensive across the program and province. Typically, a fully established CSC will offer programming such as:

• Adult Basic Education, GED programming, in partnership with the local School District or Community College;
• A range of computer-based skills, from "Internet Cafes" for community drop-in, through brief computer orientation workshops, to training in specific software, to full use of national and international interactive computer-based training for occupation-specific, certified skills;
• Video-conference services for paid use by the community and also provide video-conference training courses which also may be from provincial, national or international training deliverers;
• Career counselling, and other employment-related services, often under contract to the local Human Resources Development Canada office;
• Skill-specific training under contract to local employers who require upgrading of skills for employees in order for the company to enhance its competitiveness.

Evaluation Approach

The formative evaluation is Phase 1 of a planned three-phase evaluation process. Phase 2 will be a survey of CSC past participants and a comparison group of persons who have not used CSC services. Phase 3 will be a summative evaluation of the CSC program after it has been in existence long enough for longer-term effectiveness to be assessed and compared with related programming.

The evaluation research drew on five main categories of data, with appropriate data collection methods. These data sources and collection strategies are:

1. Case Studies (8):¹ Interviews with staff, clients, and community partners, document review;
2. Non-Case Studies (13): Interviews with staff, smaller number of partners;
3. Key Respondents at Province-and Program-wide Levels (13): Interviews with representatives from federal and provincial ministries and agencies, public sector training associations, etc.
4. Document/Administrative Data Review at the Program-wide Level: Review of program-wide and project-specific documents and administrative data provided by the individual CSCs and by the Evaluation Working Group/Ministry program directors. Includes business and training plans, contracts with MoEST, correspondence, activity reports, etc.
5. Telephone Survey of Past Participants:306 completed interviews, respondents drawn from the eight case study CSCs.

¹These are: North Island (Port Hardy, Port McNeill, Port Alice), North Cariboo (Quesnel), North Coast (Prince Rupert), Sparwood, Revelstoke, Vancouver East, Prince George, Peace (Dawson Creek).

Key Findings

The report provided key findings at the CSC project level, summarizing the analysis from eight case studies, the non-case studies, key respondent interviews, document review, and past participant survey. The CSC-level findings were presented with reference to achievement of the four main objectives each CSC is to address. Key findings are:

Objective 1: To act as a focal point, address the training needs of targeted client groups. While it is always necessary to keep in mind the different stages of development of the CSCs across the province, as well as the different environments in which they operate, it is clear that on the whole the CSCs are making substantial progress in achieving Objective 1. Many do function as a focal point for community efforts to increase training opportunities. Most boards and staff are very aware of the importance of not duplicating existing training or competing with public or private sector training providers. Where the CSCs do offer training that is provided by other sources, it is not currently available from these sources in a location, format or schedule that meets the needs of the trainee group that the CSC is serving in the particular situation.

Objective 2: To increase community input and decision-making. This objective has been addressed by the CSCs, but much remains to be done to move more closely toward achievement of this objective. Most CSCs are committed to achieving this objective, but the realities of the demands on the time of board and staff, and the varied expertise and interests of both tend to limit the ability of CSCs to carry out extensive, systematic community consultation and involvement in decision-making. It is thus the board that functions as the source of community input.

Objective 3: To increase competitiveness. It may be asking too much of a local CSC to affect global competitiveness, though there are examples of CSC training helping a branch of an international company upgrade the skills of its workforce. With reference to the use of electronic technologies, the CSCs have made excellent use of their technology base. They use it in their own training and they partner regularly with local, national, and international training providers in the private and public sector. They regularly include the community in the use of technologies through various orientation sessions and other events. As for the use of technology, this is the element of this objective that the CSCs are most effectively meeting at this time.

Objective 4: To achieve financial independence from government funding of operational costs. Virtually all of the CSCs are firmly committed to achieving the maximum degree of financial independence possible. However, being committed to this ideal and being able to achieve it are two different things. There must be appropriate local conditions to make this possible and many of the communities do not have these conditions (strong industry base interested in using CSC training resources, sufficient number of trainees whose training is funded and thus can be revenue generating, etc.). With one or two exceptions the CSCs are making as much progress toward this objective as could be expected at their respective stages of development. Staff as a group possess a combination of expertise in business, training, and community economic development. They are very good at creating partnerships and collaborating with community stakeholders. However, it appears that this objective is not realistic for each and every one of the CSCs and that this must be taken into account in future policy and program development.

Conclusions

The evaluation conclusions were framed by the evaluation issues of program rationale, impacts and effects, objectives achievement as a program, and alternatives for improved programming in future. These conclusions are:

Program Rationale

The CSC program as a whole fits completely within the goals of federal, provincial, and community partners. Each wishes to strengthen the employability of individuals and to enhance the economic strength of communities. Training is an essential tool to achieve that goal. Hence, the focus of the CSC initiative on facilitating training at the community level entirely supports the rationale for the program.

Also, the rationale for the CSC initiative, as implemented as a whole in the province, is fully justified in terms of community training needs and the rationale is clearly supported by the CSC program's design, processes and structure. The CSCs do not jeopardize local training services nor do they duplicate them, in that the CSCs' ability to add value to local programming largely precludes strict duplication. However, given the lack of clarity in many communities about what "competition" and "duplication" mean, conceptually and in practice, it would be very useful for the respective governments to clarify their own working definitions of these concepts and then communicate them fully to all concerned.

Impacts and Effects of Program

The CSCs have actively identified needs and have striven with some success to meet these needs. They rely heavily upon their own technological base to do so. There have been strains between the CSCs and the public and private sector trainers in a number of communities. However, in many of these, the CSCs have developed effective partnerships that have reduced or resolved these strains.

Thus, the impacts and effects of the CSC program on the local training culture and on those who use the training and related services can be seen as positive. The training provision is generally highly focused on identified needs and the quality of service seems to be fully adequate to the meet these needs.

Program Objectives Achievement

The CSC program as a whole has largely met the four program objectives set out for it, as noted above. Those who are employed tend to have remained employed and some 30% of those who were unemployed at the time of training have found employment since then. It is clear that employed trainees feel themselves to be more likely to retain employment and a substantial proportion of those unemployed at the time of training expect their training to increase the likelihood of their finding employment in the future. Thus, the program has achieved a range of objectives. The quality of service is generally good and the outcome is positive. The one objective that may have an inherent limitation in some communities is that of full financial independence in an economically vulnerable environment.

Alternatives for Improved Programming

The rationale of the CSC program is sound, the goals and objectives fit within federal and provincial policies and priorities, and they take into account community needs for increased economic well-being. The structure and processes of the CSC program as a whole are appropriate for achieving its goals and objectives. Thus, there does not appear to be a need for substantial change to the program nor to developing alternate ways of achieving these program goals.