3. OBJECTIVES

1. To provide the necessary support services to enable women to overcome the barriers to successful participation in education, training and employment:
   
   - counseling
   - follow-up
   - advocacy
   - self-help groups
   - group experience with other women
   - accessibility factors such as: child care, flexible scheduling, extended hours of
   operation, adequate financial support for participants, transportation
   - referrals to other community support services
   
   
2. To provide the appropriate program components to enable women to pin access to education, training and employment:
   
   - assessment
   - vocational planning and employment options workshop
   - upgrading (including pre-trades and pre- technology)
   - entrepreneurial and business skills workshop
   - job readiness workshop
   - job club
   - work experience
   
   
3. To provide on-going evaluation of the program to ensure that it is flexible and innovative in meeting the needs of the participants and the community.

4. TARGET GROUPS

Although the program will be available for all women it will primarily serve:

- women-re-entering the work force
- native women
- women who are underemployed
- women who face job abolishment due to technological change
- women with disabilities
- young women

5. PROGRAM BENEFITS

It is anticipated that this program will serve one thousand women in its first year: 230 full-time participants, 70 part- time participants, 400 women provided with information or referrals to other agencies, and 300 participants in special interest courses.

The predicted retention rate for full and part-time participants is 90%. Of the women completing the program, it is predicated that 70% will go on to further training or employment in non-traditional areas and that 30% will go on to further training or employment in traditional areas.

The program will be delivered through the Regina Plains Community College. Seeking wherever possible to use existing community resources as points of referral and sources of proven expertise, the program would serve as a pi lot and a model of an appropriate education and training program for women throughout Saskatchewan and across Canada.

Furthermore, such a program will serve as a visible, concrete example at the community level of the Federal and Saskatchewan Governments' commitment to greater equality for women.

6. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

7. EVALUATION

Ongoing evaluation will be carried out to determine the extent to which the program goal and objectives have been met and ensure that they accurately address women's needs.

8. RECOMMENDATION

Based on the documentation of needs and the program model presented in the following report, it is recommended that the Canadian Congress on Learning Opportunities for Women, Regina Chapter, receive funding in the amount of $763,240 from the Federal Government and $198,350 from the Saskatchewan Government for a comprehensive Bridging Program for Women in the Regina area.

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