During the on-site training period, Group Support Days were held every two weeks, at which participants shared and tried to solve personal and work-related problems. Group Support Days also included workshops on such topics as Women and Unions, Sexual Harassment, and Employment Standards.

The program proposal had included a request, under the category of Health, Safety and Occupation Requirements, for a clothing allowance, which helped women assemble a basic wardrobe for the workplace.

Of the fifteen participants, thirteen completed the program and received College and Canadian Employment Certificates. One student was transferred to the Personal Placement Program through the Ministry of Labour, and one did not complete for family reasons. Of the thirteen graduates, eleven have already been hired, one has returned to school full-time in a Certified General Accountant program, and one has been offered a part-time position. I expect they will all be employed within six months.

One of the key reason for the program's success was the development of working relationships within the community and a team approach to provide support to the participants. But, I believe, the most important factor was increasing the off-site training time to allow for personal growth, confidence building and social awareness.

The co-coordinator of a Re-entry program must playa number of important roles if participants are to benefit. She co-ordinates the off-site and on-site training and assists in the development of the curriculum and training plan. She acts as an advocate for the women in making them aware of community resources. She develops strong liaison with official and community agencies and is instrumental in developing a positive public profile of the program.

I have applied the same approach, of introducing elements of personal growth and empowerment into a fairly rigid framework. in a second Re-Entry program, which began on September 2. Customer Service has less specific skills content. It is designed to place women in clerical, banking and retail sales positions.

The program is funded under a category called Re-Entry: Social Assistance Recipients. All of the participants are on income assistance. They range from 30 to 60 years of age; half are over 45. On the program, their benefits are increased; they receive a $100 earning exemption, a transportation allowance, clothing allowance and supplies allowance from the Ministry of Social Services and Housing.

The program will last 26 weeks, with nine weeks of on-site and 17 weeks of off-site training, which includes an extended self-esteem and confidence-building section, an optional parenting section, fitness, and basic skills in Math and English, including General Education Diploma preparation. Specific job skills will include inventory control, electronic cash, basic bookkeeping and customer relations. Extra funding is available to any participant to take evening or weekend courses.

The suggested CJS - Re-Entry guidelines have been reversed: 70% off-site training, 30% on-site training.

It remains to be seen whether the second program can duplicate the apparent success of the first, which is now being evaluated and followed up. My experience with the Automated Business Office Training course suggests that a determined feminist educator can find room to serve the real learning needs of women within the CJS model.

Linda Breault is a feminist educator and social worker, currently employed by Cariboo College as Managing Coordinator of the Bridging Program for Women. She is an active executive member on the boards of the Women's Resource Centre and the Human Rights Coalition, and has recently founded Herizons Consulting.