A Women's Training Resource Centre

BY KAREN RICHARDSON

CENTRE DE RESSOURCES DE FORMATION POUR LES FEMMES

Dans la communauté urbaine de Toronto, l'Association of Community-based Training and Education for Women (ACTEW) est un organisme qui regroupe 23 programmes de formation non institutionnels pour les femmes désavantagées de la C.U.T. Les groupes-membres offrent des services de formation très diversifiés, traditionnels ou non, avec des cours de perfectionnement scolaire, d'anglais langue seconde, d'aptitudes à la vie, d'amélioration de la confiance personnelle, d'évaluation professionnelle et de placement. Tous les programmes sont conçus en fonction des besoins particuliers aux femmes à revenus modiques.

L'ACTEW vient de terminer une étude de six mois qui recommande la création d'un centre de ressources de formation pour les femmes, à Toronto, durant l'année qui vient. Le centre faciliterait bien des choses: financement, recherche, évaluation, processus consultatif avec le gouvernement, affiliation aux collèges, formation de personnel et conception d'un programme d'étude spécial dans le domaine de la formation des femmes à Toronto. Cet article résume les conclusions et les recommandations de cette enquête.

INTRODUCTION

The Association of Community-based Training and Education for Women (ACTEW) has just completed a six month study that recommends the establishment of a Women's training resource centre in Toronto, later this year. The centre would facilitate funding, research, evaluation, government consultation, and college affiliation as well as staff and curriculum development in the women's training field. The ACTEW report makes recommendations not only to the Association, but also to CEIC and local community colleges.

ACTEW is an umbrella organization for 23 non-institutional job skills training programs for disadvantaged women in Metro Toronto. It first met in June, 1984, and became a formal non-profit association in December, 1985. Member groups offer a wide range of traditional and nontraditional job-specific training integrated with a mix of academic upgrading, ESL, life skills, confidence building, vocational assessment and job placement. All programs are adapted to the specific needs of low-income women.

These community-based training groups practice a new model of education: the largely female administration serves a pre-dominantly female student body; practices feminist and collective work and learning principles; uses alternate teaching methods; and offers a staggering amount of social service support in the process. Programs are decentralized to make them more accessible to disadvantaged women and are located in community centers, libraries, schools, churches, storefronts, office buildings and industrial shops.

ACTEW students are unique in that they suffer a startling complex of financial, fami emotional, health, language, cultural and academic difficulties which make traditional training in government, employer and college institutions inaccessible to them.