FUNDING

About half of ACTEW coordinators said their major current problem is inadequate funding. Funding shortages limit their choice of trainee groups research and evaluation activities, and result in overcrowded classes, inability to meet rising enrolment demands and inability to do long-term planning.

Although 64% of ACTEW groups have sought alternative funding, this is difficult to obtain. About 23% spent more than four months of every year in this search, with only small success. Chronic problems are: continual funding searches, repeated cost justifications to founders (even for obviously successful programs) and piecing together funds from sources with divergent criteria not related to student needs.

While founders consider community-based training too expensive for their own budgets (especially non-traditional training which requires large machinery) training costs dwindle in comparison to social costs. According to the Metro Toronto Social Planning Council, it cost $12,560 per year to support a single-parent mother and one child on welfare (includes welfare, housing, healthcare). But, after training, women are off social assistance, paying taxes, and training costs are easily recouped by the taxpayer in a year or two. As one government official put it, 'If you think training is expensive, consider the cost of ignorance'.

STAFF

Most ACTEW programs spend about 70% of their lean budgets on modest salaries and minimal benefits. About 66% of ACTEW staff have university degrees (half of these have MAs or equivalent). Yet, 62% of them earn a meager $15,000 to $25,000 annually, substantially lower than community college instructors. Dedication is what keeps them going.

At least 3/4 of ACTEW staff work overtime consistently (up to 10 hours or more per week). A majority (93%) said they frequently provide service not in their job descriptions - usually crisis management. While about 70% said they don't feel qualified to do this, half actually noted this was the most fulfilling aspect of their work. Their major frustration is lack of time end resources, and a heavy workload leading to realistic fears of burn-out. Coping methods and time management skills are helpful but will not solve the basic problems caused by funding inadequacies.

EVALUATION

Frequent evaluation of staff, students, and programs is common. Evaluators include boards of directors, staff, students and founders. The main objective of evaluation is to adapt programs as often as necessary to the changing needs of students as they express them, and to ensure that trainees are progressing according to their individual potentials. ACTEW staff are often frustrated by standard evaluation methods and frequently called for a community-based model of evaluation. Some excellent models already exist at Dixon Hall and Times Change which may be adapted by the proposed centre for use by members.

RESEARCH

The report recommends ACTEW emulate Relais Femmes de Montréal, which promotes research into women's needs, in collaboration with university researchers and activist women's groups, to ensure that research is more relevant and timely. Priority topics for research to be fostered by the new centre are: training needs of native, refugee, immigrant and disabled women; the effect of government policy on women's training; innovative women's curriculum; labour market trends and more. This will do much to support their lobbying efforts and to improve the sporadic research that 84% of ACTEW organizations do unpaid after hours.

Government officials, community contacts and ACTEW coordinators alike indicated that in-depth information on women's training at this time is a luxury, however vital. For this reason, it is proposed that the women's training resource centre house a central reference library developed in conjunction with existing resources at Times Change Access Centre, CCLOW and others.