As the only management representative now sitting on the committee, Mary helps to keep that important link with senior management strong and active. Working with committee members from four union locals, she is "a voice to request funding and program support." She oversees the courses and works closely with the external trainer for the program. Right now, the committee is looking at the hiring process for trainers and is planning to set up new ways to manage this.

Learners as champions

Mary recalls with pleasure the pride that several employees showed when they received their GEDs. "We openly acknowledged their efforts and it was a great validation for them. They became big champions for other people." At that time, "there wasn't a big uptake for GED but now we may get more participants and family members, too," thanks to the way learners have "sold" it to others. People made sacrifices around family time and personal life to get more education. Those who made the commitment and worked at it have been very successful, she says.

The committee, City councillors, and management celebrated the success of the most recent graduates from the keyboarding program. The real bonus, says Mary, is when the workplace can celebrate the success and acknowledge the efforts of all participants.

Time to revitalize

During this last decade, the Workplace Self Improvement Program has opened up new learning options for workers. Some say that it gave them self confidence and they are now more likely to take part in other training. They can handle paperwork more easily, and they can encourage and help their children by using some of their new skills.

Mary feels it's time to revitalize the committee, do another needs assessment to find out what people want, and to try some new approaches. "The average age of the City's workforce is 47. Maybe we need to market our programs differently and get more people on the ground involved so that we get our message out to the larger group."

Time is the most precious resource in making this type of program work. "When a program is running, that's all the committee can handle." Right now, many of the committee's members are also working with other city groups on wellness and Lunch and Learn activities. Mary feels these links with other parts of the workplace are vital for the future of workplace learning. But time and people are needed. 'We need time and support more than we need money. We could use a broader scope of members to attract more people to our programs and bring in new ideas."