GO AWAL! Connecting the Communities of Learning and Work

By Wendy Magahay, Centre for Curriculum, Transfer and Technology

Focus on the Journey: open minds, open doors. The theme of this year’s Canada Career Week is an exciting one – and one that AWAL participants take literally. By going AWAL, educators open classroom doors, journey to workplaces and return with open minds and new ideas that translate into learner and career success. AWAL stands for Applications of Working and Learning and is a one-day professional development activity designed to help teachers, counselors, and adult educators answer questions like “But why do I have to do this?” and, “Why can’t I just work alone? Teamwork takes too much time.”

As reported in The Independent (1999), “learners who can merely reiterate what they have been told by others will be about as sought after in the next few years as those who cannot read have been for the last few. What counts are the skills; how they deal with knowledge.” Consistent with that, AWAL helps educators connect the curriculum they teach with workplace applications of HRDC’s nine Essential Skills:

• Reading Text
• Continuous Learning
• Document Use

• Working with Others
• Writing
• Numeracy (Math)

• Thinking Skills
• Oral Communication
• Computer Use

AWAL participants learn how essential skills are used everyday in every job by visiting workplaces and conducting structured interviews. Afterward they develop curricular ideas based on what they’ve learned. Many of their activities have been posted to an easy to use, searchable, database available free online to anyone interested in bringing workplace relevance to educational activities. The database, in both official languages, is at www.awal.ca.

Does AWAL make the link for educators between workplaces and what happens in their classrooms?

Ask the participants:

• It is really valuable for teachers to participate in this. Through visiting work sites, we are able to see applications of high school math and science that we can pass on to our students. Too often we think of narrow job descriptions, but there are so many jobs out there that require math and science outside of traditional roles.
• This program ties directly to ABE programs and adult students… They need to know what they require to succeed the second time around.
• Wow! Fascinating how many companies want the same skills – critical thinking, basic numeracy, willingness to learn, respect, reading and comprehension… makes us, as teachers, more focused on what is essential for our students in the workplace!

Originally an HRSDC Essential Skills project, AWAL has a mandate to support participation across Canada, working with educators from K-12 through Adult Ed. AWAL sessions have been delivered in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and PEI.

For information on arranging an AWAL session, contact _____________________________________