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STIC - Automotive: Facilitator's Introduction

Introduction

Workshop Goal

To facilitate the integration of foreign-trained professionals (accountants, engineers, health care workers) and tradespeople (automotive service technicians) into the labour market in Ontario by ensuring that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed career decisions independently.

Workshop Objectives

Participants will work independently and in small groups to:

research labour market trends in their specific fields using such resources as:
- the Internet
- the public library and/or Employment Resource Centre
- trade publications, journals
- information compiled and summarized for this project
develop sector-specific handbooks with information about:
- labour market trends
- licensing requirements
- sector regulations
- training and networking opportunities
present results to the workshop facilitator

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will have:

identified the background information they will need to make astute career/employment plans
ascertained where and how to find information related to their profession or trade
conducted a preliminary assessment of their own status in the licensing or certification process
demonstrated effective teamwork skills
produced handbooks compiling all the labour-market and sector-specific information necessary for a good overview of their profession or trade in Ontario.

Participant Profile

Unemployed immigrants with professional qualifications and experience who may meet one or more of the following criteria:

newcomers to Canada
have lived in Canada for some time, but have not been able to gain access to employment in their field
lack awareness of the systems, supports, and resources available to them
are designated by HRDC as Employment Insurance, Reachback or Employment Assistance Services clients
are seeking entry into their field.

Length of Workshop

25 to 30 hours (5 days)

Metholodology

Training Approach

This workshop has been developed so that it is:

interactive
accommodates the three learning dimensions
demonstrates principles of adult education methodology

Interactive

According to our research, employers are increasingly demanding professionals with "better and more sophisticated team skills . . . because knowledge workers work in teams." Assuming that the statement ". . . knowing and learning are communal acts (that) require a continual cycle of discussion, disagreement and consensus over what has been seen and what it all means," is true, then, to assimilate the information provided in this workshop, participants need the opportunity to practise their teamwork and negotiating skills.

Accommodates the three learning dimensions

Mentally-centered learners:

need to read information and work well alone
focus on the idea, the theory or the data
need to value what they are learning
respond well to ideas or content that has been validated by documentation or authorities

In the learning process, they:

ask questions
probe issues
debate and discuss theories and ideas
conceptualize, analyze

Relationally-centered learners

need to hear what they are learning
need interaction in the learning process
focus on what is personally relevant to them
need to feel relaxed in the environment and good about themselves
accommodate well to variety and diversity

In the learning process, they:

verbalize, relate, connect
value modeling, peer learning, personal relevance
assess, plan, organize

Physically-centered learners

prefer to concentrate on the task, on the doing
feel that, if they can watch someone do something, they can do it themselves, given enough time for practice and repetition
are most successful when information is communicated in a manner that is concrete and to the point

In the learning process, they need:

hands-on practice
practical applications and practical problem-solving
repetition and drill
demonstration and tinkering

Demonstrates principles of adult education methodology

There is no one right way to teach anything
Present content in a way that is relevant to students' lives
Welcome a diversity of thoughts and viewpoints
Develop a repertoire of teaching strategies that addresses the mental, relational and physical processes of the learners

Teaching Strategies

For mentally-centered learners:

lectures
activities that require overview skills: putting information into context
validation of credibility (use of authentic documentation, guest speakers)
independent activities

For relationally-centered learners:

small group work
time to discuss, process, and make connections
establishing relevance of learning to participants' lives
identification of individual skills and traits
prioritizing, assessing, organizing activities

For physically-centered learners:

hands-on applications
time to process the information
time to do the work
use of equipment

Training Activities

The Overview and Orientation Workshop has been divided into eight topics:
An Introduction to the Orientation and Overview Workshop
Understanding the Term " Labour Market "
Identifying Elements of Labour Market Information
Identifying Effective Teamwork Skills
Developing Research Skills
- Using the Internet
- Using the Library
Becoming Familiar with Legislation and Regulations Governing the Sector
The Licensing, Certification and/or Registration Processes in Ontario
Gathering, Evaluating, Analyzing, Summarizing and Presenting Sector-specific Labour Market Information

(Note: The curriculum for automotive service technicians is more condensed.)

Preparation

Some elements of the Overview & Orientation curriculum require advance preparation. To be safe, you should allow yourself one month prior to the start date of the program to organize the following documents, speakers and field trips:

1. Acts and Regulations

Order the relevant Act(s) and accompany regulations for the profession or trade you are working with from:

Publications Ontario
(416) 326-5300 or 1-800-668-9938
Because there is a cost associated with obtaining copies, you may wish to ask participants to share copies, or have participants look up the Act and Regulations via the Internet at:
www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/

2. Licensing, Certification and/or Registration Information

Each regulatory body produces information on the requirements for licensure, certification or registration. The documents you need to request are listed below. Ask for the number of copies you need so that each participant in the program receives one.

Accounting:

Occupational Fact Sheet for Foreign-trained Accountants
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO)
Tel. (416) 962-1841 or 1-800-382-0735
Program of Professional Studies and Admission Requirements
Certified General Accountants Association of Ontario
Tel. (416) 322-6520 or 1-800-668-1454
Admission Requirements
Society of Management Accountants of Ontario
Tel. (416) 977-7741

Automotive Service Technicians:

Ministry of Education and Training, Apprenticeship Office
Tel. (416) 326-5800 or 1-800-387-5656

Engineering:

General Information Guide and Application Form
Professional Engineers of Ontario
(416) 224-1100
OACETT Registration Requirements
Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Tel. (416) 621-9621

Health Care:

From the following regulatory bodies, request copies of their Registration Requirements and Processes:

College of Medical Laboratory Technologists
Tel. (416) 861-9605
College of Midwives of Ontario
Tel. (416) 327-8219
College of Nurses of Ontario
Tel. (416) 928-0900
College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario
Tel. (416) 214-1177
College of Pharmacists of Ontario
Tel. (416) 962-4861
Alliance of Physiotherapy Regulatory Boards
Tel. (416) 591-1754
College of Respiratory Therapists of Ontario
Tel. (416) 591-7800

3. Resource Materials

To assist participants in completing assignments in this program, you should compile copies of articles and other information related to the profession or trade. Articles have not been included with this curriculum due to copyright restrictions and because these materials need to be constantly updated to ensure they are relevant. Compile your own binder or file of relevant and up-to-date materials by reading some of the publications and web sites listed in the Resources handout in the curriculum.

4. Guest Speakers

There are several opportunities within the Overview & Orientation curriculum to invite guest speakers in to address the class. While guest speakers are optional, they have often been found to enliven the class, bringing new perspectives on the profession or trade and giving participants an opportunity to ask questions directly.

The following types of guest speakers can be integrated into the curriculum at any point:

An Employment Agency

If there is an employment agency in your community which regularly serves employers and job searchers in the profession or trade you are working with, ask them to come in to address such topics as:

needs of employers
current hiring trends
temporary work -- if any
resumes -- what works, what doesn't.

Work Standards & Safety

Ideally, your guest speaker in this area will have some familiarity the profession or trade you are working with. The guest speaker could address:

general workplace expectations
employment rules and regulations
safety standards

There are specific points in the curriculum at which the following types of guest speakers are suggested:

"A Day in the Life of..."

Participants generally enjoy listening to and asking questions of a practising professional in their field. It is even more beneficial if the guest speaker is foreign-trained and can address any challenges they encountered and "secrets" to success.

Licensing, Certification and/or Registration

Most regulatory bodies are willing to send guest speakers to discuss the licensing, certification and/or registration requirements for their particular profession. Remember that if you have a diverse array of professions/trades in one class -- as in a health care class -- you will not be able to address everyone's needs through one guest speaker. Contact the regulatory body using the telephone numbers above. If you are not in the greater Toronto area, ask for a regional representative in your area.

One other option for a guest speaker is to integrate it into a field trip. (See field trips, below). In particular, staff at Human Resources Development Canada Employment Resources Centres are often able to give very effective presentations in such topics as research tools, "The World of Work" computer program and tours of the Centre.

5. Field Trips

There is one field trip to a public library required in the Overview & Orientation workshop. Participants will learn basic research skills there and use this opportunity to conduct research for their group project in Labour Market Information. In Toronto, the Toronto Reference Library is the most appropriate place to take your class. In other communities, choose the library which offers an array of:

directories
trade periodicals
electronic databases
government publications
general reference material.

If the library is small, you should call ahead to inform the library staff of your intended visit.

You may wish to either replace the public library visit or supplement it with a trip to a local HRDC Employment Resource Centre. If you choose to do so, call the ERC ahead of time to book a convenient time for your group to visit. (See also Guest Speakers, above).

6. Computers

The Overview & Orientation workshop requires a significant amount of computer time. Participants use computers for the following components of the program:

learning about and practising Internet skills (Section E.I.)
looking up Acts and Regulations (Section F)
looking up Licensing, Certification or Registration requirements (Section G)
collecting labour market information (Section H)
their own self-directed research

If your program will be in competition with others for computer time, you will want to work out a schedule well in advance to avoid conflicts. (See Structure of the Program, below).

Structure of the Program

The Overview & Orientation Workshop is designed to be flexible. That is, the Sections do not necessarily need to be delivered in the order presented in the curriculum. However, certain elements do need to be taught before others can be introduced. For example, participants must learn basic Internet skills before they can work on activities which require use of the Internet.

The Workshop contains 30 hours of lessons, including computer time, group activities, guest speakers and field trips. The Workshop can be delivered in full days for five days, or in half-days for 10 days. A number of factors will dictate exactly how you facilitate the workshop -- availability of classrooms, computer time, guest speakers -- for example, as well as the expressed needs of the client group. (They may indicate a desire, for example, to have more computer time.)

The Overview & Orientation Workshop can also be integrated with other components of the STIC Program. For example, Overview & Orientation can be offered during the morning with the Occupational Terminology Workshop offered during the afternoon. The advantage of this structure is that it gives participants more variety in their day. Group Counselling and Profile Development workshops can also be integrated with the other components, though you will need to schedule carefully so that participants acquire the necessary knowledge for each workshop.