1.0 Background

The Background section is intended to provide the reader with the necessary information to understand the model of Bridging the Gap. There is further background material available on the Bridging the Gap web site, www.bridgingthegaps.com.

A note about terminology. As there were many government departments and agencies involved in Bridging the Gap there are many acronyms. A key to these acronyms is provided here as an aid to the reader.

Additionally, terms such as participants, clients and students are used interchangeably to refer to the clients in the program; terms such as curriculum, studies, academic program, training and skill set design are also used interchangeably to cover the body of knowledge imparted to the clients. This clarification is to recognize some government agencies use different terminologies, and it is challenging to find common ground, especially when working with and interviewing so many people for the duration of the formative evaluation.

1.1 What is Bridging the Gap?

Bridging the Gap (BTG) is a model first developed by Michelle Brown at the Random North Development Association (RNDA). Michelle's work in the Community Economic Development and Literacy fields identified what to her was a glaring government programming gap. On the one hand, people who had not finished high school were taking training programs for which there seemed few employment opportunities in their home towns, and on the other hand, expanding companies were searching for employees with specific abilities and skill sets and were unable to find and keep them. These people didn't need to be college or university trained, rather they needed to be trained specifically for the requirements of that position.

Michelle spent considerable time researching and developing the concept with a team of like–minded individuals in the Clarenville Area. With the support of government partners she held many consultation sessions with local people in Economic Zone 15 (1992–1996).

During these discussions, a central theme was evident. People acknowledged the importance of education, but finding sustainable employment was their main priority. In order for people to have employment, education is a major component. Unfortunately, many rural residents do not have the essential skills to move into a new employment setting. This was a catch–22 situation from which people found themselves unable to escape.

Based on this, community-based organizations¹ in Zone 15 formed a Community Learning Network (CLN) to discuss what collaborative efforts could potentially link education with employment to try and address this catch–22. For the context of this initiative, a Community Learning Network (CLN) is a community–controlled and directed team whose aim is to further community development and enhance the lives of rural communities by supporting and encouraging social and economic growth.

In the early stages of the research for Bridging the Gap it was recognized by the group that a change in the way employment programs were designed was necessary.

¹The CLN in Zone 15 included representation from the public and private sectors, volunteer organizations, and educational providers in the zone.