Over the last few years, the Work Readiness Program has been working with the communities of Peel and Halton to research best practices in teaching employability skills to persons with disabilities by developing an accessible learning program.

This Program offered persons with various disabilities, assessments and individualized learning plans to develop their employability skills. We worked with program learners to meet learning style and accommodation needs and offered a flexible approach to learning.

This project achieved the following outcomes:

• Mapping of hundreds of employability skills development resources in the community through an accessible, online web-based tool.
• Created and tested 2 full and 3 smaller streams of access for online learning.
• 11 Work Readiness Skills Modules in Atutor.
• 1 Module in Moodle offered through Alpharoute.
• 1 Communication Module with ASL.

This program was delivered in a Blended Learning Format. In this situation, blended learning refers to teaching using a combination of methods including on-line learning, group learning, and peer supports,. On-line learning tools were used to accommodate a variety of learning styles and disability related accommodation needs. The focus of the program was on the development of Employability Skills. Employability skills are the essential skills needed to succeed in any job. You can learn more about these skills by clicking on the Employability Skills Icon at the top of this page.

One aspect of this learning program was the development of online learning modules that combined video, audio and interactive learning exercises. We will be posting the “How do you rate your skills for work” online module in the near future. Please check back for updates.

In addition, the project involved a Community Mapping exercise.
You can find our useful map and database on this website which shows Learning Resources and Computer Access for Employability Skills Development.
Establishing what strengths are in a community and building upon them with members of the community can transform services and outcomes. A key to the success of this project will be determining the learning opportunities that are available in the Regions of Peel, Halton and Dufferin that support Employability Skills Development. In addition, we want to learn where people can access community-based computers including the various accommodations for persons with disabilities. We have also identified some on-line resources as well as government support.

This information is collected in two formats. The first is an Excel Spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is divided into several regions within Dufferin, Halton and Peel. There is also a tab for Online Learning Resources. You will find a description of various online services that support Employability Skill Development and links to a variety of websites. Some are free resources, while others have a cost involved. Thirdly, at a glance you will find numbers for government services.

The other format you will find is that of actual maps of your community. The dots on the map represent the locations of the places listed in the database. The dots will link you to information about the service. We conducted surveys with agencies and will strive to update the information on a regular basis.

In March 2008, our evaluation phase concluded with a final report outlining results that is posted to this site.

This innovative project is a Community Learning Networks Project and is funded by:
Human Resources and Skill Development Canada through the Office of Learning Technology (OLT) explores the objectives and activities of the Office of Learning Technology.
www.hrsdc.gc.ca