EMPLOYER INTAKE
- Applicant outreach: Various approaches were taken to inform prospective employers of the opportunities available through the DAWN Project. These included:
- Public information sessions
- Media events – radio, newspaper advertisements; press releases
- Employer visits
- WPLAR Workshops
TOOLS:
- Employer Applications: The process started by accepting applications from employers, which asked for basic information about the business. After the application, a needs assessment of the employer was conducted. The following tools were developed to assist in this process.
TOOLS:
- Dawn ER application
- Employer Needs Assessment
- Employer Job Profile Interview
- Criteria for ER acceptance
- Template-Matrix for Evaluation of Employer Application
- Employee Selection: Once the employer was accepted for participation, the individual employees were selected by the employer, based on the criteria for selection. Employee profiles were submitted to the DAWN Advisory Board for final approval for acceptance.
TOOLS:
EMPLOYEE INTAKE
- Needs Assessments-Job Analysis: A detailed assessment of the employee was completed. The first step was to create an updated job profile (if one did not already exist). This clearly identified what the job expectations are. The Skills Developer worked with the employer in applying appropriate NOC Code numbers. Job Profiles were then searched by NOC Code on the HRSDC website and adapted in consultation with the employer.
The next step was to identify where gaps existed between the employee’s skill set and these expectations. The tools that were used in the DAWN Project were Canadian Language Benchmarks and Test of Workplace Essential Skills, “Measure Up tools.” CLB testing for DAWN Project trainees was provided as an in-kind service by one of the DAWN partner organizations; Pembina Valley Language and Education for Adults. Interviews with the employer and employee also provided valuable information as to where gaps were evident.
Individual Skills Passports in lieu of a portfolio were developed for trainees as recommended by Workplace Education Manitoba.
TOOLS:
- Criteria for EE Selection
- EE Registration document
- Media Release Form
- EE Needs Assessments: CLB & TOWES results for individual employees to be recorded on database
- Job Profile Interview with Employee
- Sample Job Profile
- Sample Skills Passport.
- CLB Testing: to be outsourced
- TOWES “Measure Up” self tests: www.towes.com
- Training Plans: Based on the identified gaps between the employees’ assessment of Prior Learning, and the identified job expectations, a training plan was devised by the Skills Developer, in consultation with the employer. Each training plan was unique to the needs of the individual employees, and the needs of their specific workplace. This training plan included:
- Synopsis of existing skill set, which includes formal training and experience
- Identification of areas needing attention
- Quality of Work at Hire
- Major Training Goals
- Operational Goals: Each goal was expressed in terms of the Essential Skills to be addressed and the following was identified;
- Need – i.e. identification of the specific need for training
- Method – i.e. what is the specific training activity to address this identified need
- Outcomes – i.e. what is the expected outcome of training?
- Cost Analysis: The cost of training was calculated in terms of;
- Worker Time – Wage costs (including MERCS) for the time spent in training, as well as pre and post assessment.
- Management Time - Management wage costs (set at $25/hr.) for time spent setting up
- Mentoring Costs – In some cases, allocations were made for supervising employees’ time spent mentoring the trainee. *It should be noted here, that we did not provide training to these work site mentors, but it was determined that it would be useful to do so, in terms of giving them specific things to review in the mentoring process.
- Training Costs – Cost of delivering training activities
TOOLS:
- Training Agreement – Once the training plans were approved by the employer, a contract was drawn up that clearly outlined the responsibilities of DAWN and the Employer regarding the training initiatives. All costs to be covered by DAWN were on a reimbursement basis, with the expectation that all costs were to be paid up front by the employer, and reimbursed by DAWN upon submission of the appropriate documentation. Expenses could be reimbursed at the mid-point, and at the end of the contract, or in the case of contracts of a shorter duration, only one payment was made upon the completion of training. A condition of DAWN funding was that the employer attend the PLAR and Essential Skills workshops throughout the course of the training.
TOOLS:
MONITORING-OUTCOMES
- Monitoring visits – The Skills Developer visited training sites periodically to verify progress of training
- DAWN Outcomes – Employers were asked to fill out an assessment of each employee regarding the worker’s knowledge, production and quality value, relative fit of their skill set to their position, and their future opportunity within the company. These assessments were completed before, and after training.
- Individual Training Outcomes Report – This form was to be completed by the instructor, at the end of training and was designed to document to what extent the training goals were met.
TOOLS:
- Employer Claim Forms – Spreadsheets were devised to track the allocated and actual costs per employee trainee. The claim forms, along with all supporting documentation were required to be submitted before reimbursement was made to the employer. The supporting documentation included:
- Employer Claim form spreadsheet
- Invoices/receipts regarding training costs
- Outcomes forms (see monitoring-outcomes)
- In-Kind Contributions – As DAWN funding was contingent upon In-Kind contributions by employers and other community organizations, employers were asked to track expenses related to the DAWN sponsored training that were not compensated for by DAWN.
- It was determined that the tracking of management time and worker time was to be the responsibility of the employer, according to their business practices. DAWN would NOT require supporting documentation to this effect as it was decided that this documentation would be too cumbersome. Contracts with employers stipulated, however, that upon request, their books would be open for audit regarding employee payroll records related to the time spent in DAWN sponsored training.
TOOLS:
- Instructions re. ER Claim Form
- TEMPLATE-Employer Claim Form
- TEMPLATE-Employer Claim Form-5 employees
- TEMPLATE-Employer In-Kind
- Employer Exit Interviews – Upon completion of the DAWN sponsored training, and payment of the claim, exit interviews were held with employers to provide anecdotal feedback regarding the training. The Skills Developer and/or the Project Coordinator interviewed the company representative who had worked with the Skills Developer to set up and monitor the training initiatives.
TOOLS:
