Bridging the Gap: Pilot Project Phase II - Formative Evaluation

The time required to deliver the training component should be dependent on the industry requirements. A standard 40 week program may not best suit the needs of every site.
The one–on–one interviews with the training participants should be alternated with Focus Group Sessions and written testimonials. This variety may help the participants find their easiest method of communication.
Effective communication between the Academic instructor, Practical Instructors, and the Coordinator is crucial to creating a proactive approach to problem solving. This will ensure that the needs of the participants are being met.
It is necessary to document students' progress both academically and practically. A dated checklist serves as an effective tool. These lists can be periodically reviewed with each participants so they can see their progress throughout the program.
It is crucial that industry related examples be used in the academic setting to show the correlation between the academic and practical components. The students must understand why they need to know certain academic concepts to be effective workers.
It is important to allow the participants to take ownership of the training component. They can help determine potential areas for training and make recommendations to the Skill Set Design Team.
One challenge is that we did not budget enough money for our resource persons account and are thus having to request that dollar figures be moved around on our budget.

There should be more regional representation on the Pan Provincial Evaluation Team above and beyond the Co–ordinators. This would increase the contributions that the local CLN's feel they are giving to the Bridging the Gap Project as a whole.