Formative Evaluator's Report: Bridging the Gap, Phase II (Appendices)
  • Difficult to draw the line between counselling and dependency. You have to stand back and not fall into their lives. You have to find a space on their level. Some times they just need a good pep talk to get through the day. The challenge is to keep them from dependency and on the side of advisory capacity;
  • Sometimes the selection of participants. Difference in who gets paid what – whether they are on HRDC or HRE. Sometimes there is a perception of favouritism and "making deals".
  • Technology is helping to overcome the geography issues, but there is still coming there.
  • Unions are a challenge to work with. They can be a strength.
  • The complexity of the model - or the difficulty of explaining such a simple concept.
  • It would be difficult to explain to the public and to the media. Hard to "Good" or "Excellent" the message out.
  • Finding employment partners in real rural areas that need employees and that are sustaining. And are open and flexible to the learning environment and have room to accommodate them.
  • They are limited to private sector employers
  • If there is no work for them at the end of the program – they are screwed.
  • Dependent upon funding – to be announced & found and implemented.
  • Dealing with the unions from the College point of view – must take the recalls. Personality plays a large role in this. There is dramatically different requirements of the Academic Instructors. Need the time to do the individualized training and prep work for training and assessment.
  • The varying starting points (in terms of literacy) of the students. Makes it more of a challenge.
  • Requires more time that is not necessarily there.
  • Also requires the time for the Academic Instructors to correlate and build the new content and tailored programs for each work site.
  • Lack of Flexibility to meet requirements around employment partners
  • Challenge to find employment partners in rural isolated communities.
  • Had to have not have a Grade 11. There are still cracks. But this is a targetted program
  • Everybody is getting paid differently. This is an issue.
  • Selection Process: some up front assessment, but there was too much. One was physically sick because of the testing.
  • Communication is key.
  • Orientation to the CLN and what is a CLN. There is a tradition of this kind of approach.
  • The fact that it is a model from "outside". Role of RNDA. Need more flexible and accommodation between RNDA and the CLN and the sponsor.