Summative Evaluation of Career Services - Saskatchewan - March 1999

Summative Evaluation of Career Services - Saskatchewan

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• Introduction
• 1. Northern Project
• 2. Rural Project
• 3. Urban Project
• Key Findings
• Conclusions

The Career Services initiative was part of an effort to revitalize Canada's social security system by eliminating barriers to labour force participation. This pilot was a joint undertaking by the governments of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan. It tested alternative methods of collecting career information and making this information more accessible to clients and target groups.

This brief outlines the summative evaluation for the Career Services initiative.

Each of the project initiatives targeted a community-based approach to service delivery, enhanced by the use of multimedia technology. All three projects involved community partners.

Three pilot projects considering cultural and geographic differences in Saskatchewan were developed. They were the Northern Project, sponsored by the Keewatin Career Development Corporation (KCDC); the Rural Project; and the Urban Project (Regina Career Linx).

The Northern Project developed a career assessment process to encourage northern residents to increase their level of education and to gain access to career opportunities. There was a strong cultural component to this project. The project included:

• counsellor training that focused on assisting northerners in dealing with social and health problems;
• training counsellors and clients to use multimedia career services resources;
• access to career services Web sites;
• development of a Web site with employment opportunities, training opportunities and economic development initiatives specific to northern Saskatchewan;
• development of northern labour market information; and
• a public awareness campaign to encourage northerners to pursue a variety of career options.

The Northern Project was sponsored by the Keewatin Career Development Corporation, which represented a partnership of the following:

• Athabasca First Nations (Black Lake, Fond du Lac and Wolliston Lake);
• Dumont Technical Institute;
• Ile-a-la-Crosse School Division;
• Jim Brady Development Corporation;
• Meadow Lake Tribal Council;
• Methy Pathways;
• Northcote Metis Pathways;
• Northern Lights School Division;
• Northlands Regional College;
• North West Region III Metis Pathways; and
• Woodland Cree Enterprises.

As a result of the Northern Project, counsellors are using the Internet for career development and Internet connections have been established in designated schools and other sites.

The Rural Project established and tested multimedia resource career services centres in seven regional colleges in the province. These centres helped clients, including those with special needs, gain access to career services information with the use of on-line computers. Extended services were provided. The services of the centres were promoted and marketed within these communities and the province.

Three agencies providing complementary career services in Regina developed the Regina Career Linx (RCL) Project. The primary focus of this partnership was meeting client needs through collaboration, coordination and sharing resources. RCL offered a central location to provide clients with the resources they needed to find a placement. RCL also directed clients to appropriate agencies for career training, employment and related services. Clients received technical support, giving them access to career-related Web sites.

Various committees managed the RCL Project. These committees included employers, K–12 educators, human resources professionals, career counsellors, government agencies (federal, provincial and municipal) and representatives from organizations related to health, disabilities and rehabilitation, as well as community associations and other professional organizations.

Evaluation

Calibre Consultants Inc. did formative and summative evaluations. A joint Federal–Provincial Evaluation Working Group managed the evaluations. The Evaluation Working Group included representatives from Post Secondary Education and Skills Training (PSEST), Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), Social Services, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, and the Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board. The Saskatchewan Federation of Indian Nations and the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan were invited to participate on this committee but declined the invitation.

Relevance

Canada and Saskatchewan signed a Labour Force Development Agreement to revitalize Canada's social security system and eliminate barriers to labour force participation. The needs identified were:

• better coordination of planning and service delivery across the two orders of government;
• more community involvement in the development of programs and services;
• more involvement of employers and various industry sectors in identifying training priorities and providing training opportunities; and
• improved access to training and jobs for the disabled, Aboriginal people, women, members of visible minorities, people on social assistance, youth and displaced workers

How have the labour force development needs of target groups been incorporated in the design of the Career Services program?

The labour force development needs of target groups were addressed in all three of the Career Services projects. Each project was based on needs assessments that were determined with the involvement of community representatives. The following are the findings:

• Key informants in all three projects felt the projects delivered career services successfully to equity groups: people with disabilities, Aboriginal people, women, members of visible minorities, social assistance recipients, youth and displaced workers.

• All three projects attempted to modify products and services to accommodate people with disabilities. The Northern Project worked with the Gary Tinker Foundation on ways to adapt technology for people with disabilities. In the Rural and RCL projects, software and hardware were modified to accommodate people with disabilities.

• Forty-three Career Services Network counsellors received training designed specifically to assist them in providing counselling for northern people.

• RCL introduced job-finding techniques and provided access to career planning technology tools, enabling clients to help themselves.

What types of innovations are the Career Services programs expected to test?

Prior to the Strategic Initiatives program there was minimal use of multimedia technologies. As a result of the Career Services programs, new technology products are now being used extensively in career services.

Program Success

Partnership played a vital role in the success of the Career Services Projects. Community structures were the most committed when they had a say in the design and implementation of the multimedia resource centres.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the organizational structures of Career Services pilot projects?

The Career Services projects forged community partnerships. The Career Services projects attempted to meet challenges such as the cost of technology, counsellors' and clients' lack of technical expertise, and the lack of up-to-date career information. Services to clients were significantly improved in all three projects through the use of computer technology, making it easier for stakeholders to find up-to-date career and labour market information.

All stakeholder groups (KCDC Board, project staff, and network counsellors) associated with the Northern Project thought the Web site was innovative.

The RCL Web site impressed key informants. Some comments: "state-of-the-art," "world-class," "user-friendly and geared towards the general public."

The lessons learned were:

• multimedia technology delivered career services effectively;
• partnerships resulted in information sharing and efficient use of resources; and
• longitudinal data collection for evaluation should be incorporated into delivery mechanisms.

Both clients and career counsellors benefited from learning how to use the multimedia resources; clients found information on the labour market and training opportunities, and counsellors helped their clients more effectively.