Evaluating the Short and Long Term Impacts of WRDC’s Employment Assistance Services and Career Development Programming
About
Women in Research and Development Corporation (WRDC) has a longstanding relationship with College of the North Atlantic (CNA), through CNA’s delivery of the Orientation to Trades and Technology for Women (OTT), a 16-week career development program for women, delivered since 1999 with over 850 women having participated. In 2013, an evaluation of WRDC’s OTT program was conducted. The purpose of the evaluation was to assess whether WRDC has met the objectives of the OTT program. Through this evaluation, it was determined that the OTT program is very successful. However, due to time and resource constraints, limitations of this research include: low number of contact attempts and limited or missing contact information.
In 2015, an evaluation of WRDC’s employment assistance services (EAS) was conducted. The evaluation focused on women who used WRDC’s services between April 1st, 2014 and March 31st, 2015. Satisfaction levels were high for all services assessed. However, the primary limitation of this evaluation is that it was unable to assess the effectiveness of EAS in terms of employability outcomes over the long term. Also, the evaluation focused on clients who had used WRDC’s employment assessment services over a 12 month period.
This project will allow more time for data collection and will use a variety of promotional activities and research methods to ensure survey response rates are maximized. The sample for the project will include clients from 1999 to 2017. Therefore, the research project will assess short and long term employment outcomes, allowing an assessment of the overall impact of WRDC’s employment assistance services on employability.
Primary Research Question
What are the short and long term impacts of WRDC’s employment assistance services and career development programming? Specifically, does WRDC’s employment assistance services and career development programming:
- Enhance essential skills such as literacy and technological abilities
- Increase employability in trades and technology
- Decrease barriers for women who want to work in trades or technology
Who
Research led by Women in Resource Development Corporation (WRDC) in partnership with the College of the North Atlantic.
Where
Research to be conducted electronically through telephone surveys, online, focus groups, and interviews throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. College of the North Atlantic campuses will be used in collecting data.
When
June 2018 – August 2020 *This research project is completed.
Research Project Deliverables
Results from the research project confirmed that WRDC’s programs and services decrease barriers, enhance essential skills and increase employability for women who want to work in trades or technology.
This slide deck was presented at a Stakeholder Briefing on February 10, 2022.
This video was presented at the NL Workforce Innovators Roundtable 2021 on October 5.
