Building Successful Partnerships for LBS Coordinators/Managers

1. Building SuccessfulPartnerships for LBS Coordinators/Managers How to make and keep communications open and working for successful programs.

2. 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?

3. 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. Let’s Take One Piece at a Time!

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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 Beginner’s Driver’s 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 ServicesODSP and OW

7. 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)

8. 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)

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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 North’s 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

12. E-learning courses for your learners that will help your own time management. You don’t 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

13. 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). • ONLC’s website has training resources for new and intermediate practitioners; webinars, etc. Ontario Native Literacy Coalition (ONLC)

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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!

17. Any Questions and / or Comments Welcomed:Please contact Marie : literacypc@nrnc.caor ONLC.

18. Webinar Created by: Marie Belliveau LBS Program Coordinator/Instructor at Niagara Regional Native Centre for ONLC.ca April 2014