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Workforce training
The Literacy Group : Facilitate Contacts Between LBS Programs and Businesses Chris Prosser is the Executive Director of The Literacy Group, a LBS provider located in the Waterloo Region.
HOW DID YOU START 10 YEARS AGO? WHAT KIND OF TRAI- YOUR BUSINESS PLAN DERIVED FROM A SWOT1 ANALYSIS NING WERE YOU PROVIDING AND HOW DID YOU MORPH OF YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. WOULD YOU REINTO A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE PLATFORM? COMMEND ANY NON-PROFIT LBS PROVIDER TO DO THAT ANALYSIS AS WELL? Even though the start of onsite training predates me, the first opportunities TLG had with this type of training was through the smaller businesses of volunteer tutors. A lot of volunteer tutors are professionals who own their small to medium-sized companies and as they knew of the importance of skills upgra ding and what TLG did, conversations and programs were soon arranged to have TLG come into their company and upgrade smaller groups of employees whom they recognized as being in need of literacy training. The kind of training provided back then was to support the specific responsibilities of the group of employees and was most often basic literacy using actual workplace documents. However, what was noticed very early in all the programs was the increase in engagement and contribution from the employee’s day-to-day basis.
From the success of these programs, all we needed was an opportunity. More of the similar smaller programs through volunteers and learner employees. In 2019, TLG was successful in a grant project with a local refugee support organization and local manufacturing businesses where we formed the delivery model we use today.
I think any LBS provider needs to look hard and realistically at its limits and capacity. The process to work with new unchartered territory with a for profit was exciting and rewarding, but involved a lot of organizational learning, consumption of time and a drain on resources. We found initially that the programs grew quickly and sometimes beyond the budget and resources put in place.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE COMMUNITY NETWORK WAS VERY HELPFUL IN THE RISING OF TLG. IN WHICH WAYS? Right now, we are very lucky to be working in two corporate networks, one of manufacturing organizations in Ontario and another of senior leaders. To be positioned in these networks have been invaluable and I would recommend any LBS provider to find that regular support when developing this type of program.
SWOT is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. A SWOT analysis is useful for the evaluation of the strategic position of organizations and the identification of the internal and external factors favorable and unfavorable to achieve their objectives. 1
