The committee’s role, as described in many good practice statements, is to design, support and monitor educational and training activities. Educators often play the role of facilitator, assisting the committee in planning and implementing the ONA, the program design and delivery, and ongoing and final evaluations. The literature shows a range of overall responsibility for committees from being the primary decision-maker and body responsible for implementation to a more distanced role, overseeing the work of others and having input into all aspects of programming.

Committees are part of good practice because they attempt to ensure participation from all levels of the organization and union. This participation is key to broad outreach and successful programs. Steel and others (1997) say that committees provide a forum for discussion of issues, can help define more assets and needs in the organization, promote a vision for ongoing education/training and are more likely to support new ideas. Holland and others (2001) say “a good steering group usually leads to better communication and improved industrial relations and is often the only forum where the needs of manual workers are focused upon, and in which people from all levels in the organization get together” (p. 52). Committees can also help resolve conflicting goals (Massachusetts Workplace Literacy Consortium, 1999) by hearing from all the partners at the table.

Consider…

Human resource staff are often the first contacts for workplace educators and can see themselves, not committees, as responsible for setting up education/training activities. In many jurisdictions, committees are mandated by the government funder and organizations have to comply to receive financial support. How crucial is a committee, especially when Ontario educators have to sell a company on covering all their costs for workplace education?