The last pages of Tools for Change are devoted to "providing concrete help for entering the work force" and for "breaking through those barriers" outlined throughout the curriculum. For the most part, this help comes in the form of information about services, government programs and training routes. Without this knowledge, many women would not consider undertaking changes in their lives. For example, the availability of funding for upgrading, post-secondary education or skills training is an important support enabling many women to aspire to better positions in the labour force. As well, readers are encouraged to research occupations and labour market trends to ensure that their choice is a suitable one for them. An excellent example is given to demonstrate questions to be used.

There is a very brief section on "determining your own needs, interests and abilities". Very little instruction is given to the reader or to an instructor/counsellor on how to embark on this crucial self-assessment. This cursory treatment is unfortunate since it is a crucial step in helping women to view non-traditional occupations as an appropriate option and for ensuring that (re-)entry women choose occupations that adequately meet their personal, social and economic needs. This section would be greatly strengthened if it included forms to guide women through this essential assessment. An important component to include is a discussion of the concept of transferable skills and a structured format to help women make the necessary comparisons. Without this latter step, many readers will not identify their skills as applicable to non-traditional positions.

As a whole, Tools for Change is an excellent compendium of resources dealing with the interdependent issues facing women in and out of the work force. Its strength is its comprehensive perspective on the interaction between individual, social, economic and political forces which impact on the female worker. The curriculum would have been stronger, in my view, if it had chosen one reader to whom it could address the material and the questions. At times the manual is clearly speaking to a trainer/ educator/counsellor. At other times it addresses itself to the female worker or course participant. Sometimes it poses complex questions to a sophisticated reader already familiar with the basic issues; at other times the questions are simplistic. Definitions provided throughout the manual vary in their use of terminology and in their literacy level. For this reason, the manual can seem uneven.

Nevertheless, Tools for Change is a valuable tool, comprehensive and provocative, and will inevitably have positive influence on the attitudes and actions of its. readers/users.

Sharon Filger is Program Director at Opportunity for Advancement in Toronto. She has been actively involved in the development of women's programs and in offering workshops and training courses for human service personnel. Sharon was a contributor and editor of Counseling for Change, a manual for employment support counsellors across Ontario.