Recommendations:

That an aggressive recruitments campaign be instituted by:

1. advertising
2. establishment of a comprehensive in-depth counselling program for women which focuses on life planning rather than simply job or training placements. (This will require a change in CEIC policy away from processing numbers of people to a quality counselling program.)
3. establishment of a policy in which CEC managers and personnel activity recruit women participants
4. establishment of a training / educational program for all CEC ' staff and CEIC staff regarding attitudes and the realities of women entering/participating in the work force.

Regional Targets For Women In Non- raditional Occupations (WINTO)

Managers and directors in every region are being told they must increase their female participation rates in WINTO by 5%. This means that a region, in which 6% of its trainees in non-traditional occupations are women, must increase the percentage of women to 11%. This measure is an affirmative one because it requires that CEC managers and personnel actively recruit women for WINTO placement. This target of a 5% WINTO increase is the only measure in the National Training Program which actually forces CEC staffs to grapple with the problem of why women aren't going into non-traditional training.

Emphasis On Training-For-Jobs

The National Training Program has concentrated on "training today for jobs tomorrow". This has meant less attention and funding paid to bridging programs and career or work exploration courses. However, the Training Branch acknowledges that bridging programs for women, in particular "pre-trades" and "pre-tech" are necessary to enable women to take advantage of the training opportunities; available in non-traditional areas like computer science, technology and the skilled trades. With this acknowledgment comes a commitment to develop more pre-tech and pre-trade modules for women.

The fact that women are not filling all the places reserved for them in the non-traditional courses may be an indication that these courses are not accessible to them without some form of bridging program. There is some indication that an even earlier form of bridging program may be required. The greatest number of women expected to enter the labour force over the next ten years will be women returning to the labour force after many years absence, or women entering the labour force for the first time after raising families. These so "re-entry" women often require orientation courses to help understand and explore the modern market and possibilities for work within. Such a course may lead to a pre-trades or pre-tech program. But this should be considered in itself as a valuable bridging program to bring women to the point of taking full advantage of the range opportunities presented by today's labour market.

In addition to bridging program under the Skills Growth Fund, there is a need for innovative part-time training programs which actively take into account the realities of women lives, i.e... family and work responsibilities.

Recommendations:

That bridging programs be established i.e. programs that take women from where they are now to where they need to be to access training program e.g. re-entry program, pre-trades, pre-tech.. ABE (Adult Basic Education programs, and that support service for women be established to these programs. i.e. child care, part-time programs supportive counselling etc.

That funding be provided for innovative flexible part- time training programs so that women with family and work responsibilities can access training.