FACILITATOR'S GUIDE

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Module 2 - The Certification Pathway

Total Time: 215 minutes

Training Module Objective

To familiarize participants with targeted interventions on the certification pathway to help clients prepare for employment and certification in the skilled trades.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to:

• Identify the detailed steps involved in becoming certified in Ontario
• Recognize barriers faced by clients during the certification pathway
• Deliver appropriate service interventions during the certification pathway:
  • screen for appropriate documentation and advise on obtaining absent documentation
  • administer self-assessment tools based on the training standards manual and the competency attestation form
  • cross-reference skill sets of closely related trades and determine the relevancy and scope of ITT's training and experience
  • identify potential gaps in their training and experience
  • provide trade-specific information and referral
  • provide exam preparation strategies, resources and organize study groups
  • utilize tools and resources to assist clients

Resource Kit Handouts

• Certification Pathway Flowchart
• Steps to Certification
• Certification Pathway Checklist
• Documentation Checklist
• Study Guide for Certificate of Qualification Examination
• Self-Assessment Checklists (Construction Maintenance Electrician and Industrial Millwright)
• Apprenticeship Pathway Fact sheets (Construction Maintenance Electrician and Industrial Millwright)
• Certification Pathway Fact sheets (Construction Maintenance Electrician and Industrial Millwright)
• Case Scenarios 3 and 4 (Construction Maintenance Electrician and Industrial Millwright)
• Apprenticeship Formality Continuum

Resource Kit Activities

• Certification Pathway Review - Line Up Activity

Introduction

Time: 5 Minutes

The facilitator instructs participants to refer to the flowchart, The Certification Pathway: Service Provider Interventions and provides an overview of the steps to certification three interventions for obtaining certification: 1) MTCU Assessment Preparation, 2) Temporary Certification Preparation, and 3) Trade Certification Preparation.

1. MTCU Assessment Preparation

Time: 15 minutes

Facilitator presents the detailed steps one to three and provides client information, service interventions, and the tools and resources to be utilized during these steps. Group discussion is held over barriers that ITT's may face during these steps in the process.

Review

Time: 5 minutes

After completing MTCU Assessment Preparation, the steps are reviewed by asking questions to the participants. The following sample questions may be asked: What documentation is required for an MTCU assessment? What should a client do if they do not have appropriate documentation? What does a client need to accomplish in the assessment interview in order to be eligible to write the C of Q exam?

2. Temporary Certification Preparation

Time: 20 minutes

Facilitator presents the detailed steps 4-6 and provides client information, service interventions and tools and resources to be utilized during these steps. Group discussion is held over barriers that ITT's may face during this step in the process.

Review

Time: 5 minutes

After completing Temporary Certification Preparation, the steps are reviewed by asking questions to the participants. The following sample questions may be asked: How long can someone work on a provisional certificate or letter of permission? What information will help prepare an ITT for the Certificate of Qualification Exam?

Discussion: Providing job search support to ITTs

Time: 10 minutes

What do you think may be some of the challenges that ITTS face when seeking work on a provisional license? What service delivery initiatives and or programs would support their entry to the trades?

3. Trade Certification Preparation

Time: 10 minutes

Facilitator presents the detailed steps 7-9 and provides client information, service interventions, and the tools and resources to be utilized during these steps. Group discussion is held over the barriers that ITT's may face during this step in the process.

Review

Time: 5 minutes

After completing Trade Certification Preparation, the steps are reviewed by asking questions to the participants. The following sample questions may be asked: What does a client do after they have failed a C of Q exam? What should a client do if they have failed the 3rd and final exam? What could an improvement action plan contain?

Activity - Certification Pathway Review-Line-up Activity

Time: 15 Minutes

Oversized sheets with each step of the pathway are handed out to each participant. Participants are asked to get themselves in order from beginning to end in a line at the front of the room. Once they are in line, review each step of the process and make any adjustments that are needed. If the group is large, select a number of people to complete the exercise in front of the group. The steps should be written large enough for the whole group to see.

Q & A Period

Time: 10 Minutes

Activity - Team Challenge: Quiz Questions

Time: 30 Minutes

Facilitator breaks participants into two groups/teams and directs them to prepare four questions to ask the other team about the content learned in Trades Apprenticeship in Ontario and the Certification Pathway.

Activities

Time: 75 Minutes

Certification Pathway Case Scenarios

The two case scenarios to be utilized for the certification pathway are Construction Maintenance Electrician and Industrial Millwright Mechanic. These two case scenarios were profiled from the middle to the right of the apprenticeship formality continuum. These clients would likely meet the prior training and experience requirements to apply for Certification in Ontario. Participants will be asked to determine this when they complete the case scenario activity.

Activity - Grouping Activity

Facilitator breaks participants into two small groups using the grouping activity. Each individual is given a piece of a puzzle - the puzzle is part of a picture related to one of the trades in the four trade-specific case scenarios. The pictures are taped to two different areas in the room where participants will work together in their group. The participants are instructed to find their group members, who hold the rest of the pieces of the trade-related puzzle. Each group will participate in a case study for one of the four trades. If it is a large group, participants can be broken into four groups, with two groups working on the same case scenario allowing for group examination of different insights and approaches to the case scenarios.

Facilitator introduces the Apprenticeship Formality Continuum and describes its application. It is then explained that the case scenarios are based on the four target trades and the apprenticeship formality continuum. Participants are given their case scenarios and told to refer to the following tools and resources that should be used to complete their case studies:

• Case Scenario 1, 2, and answer sheets
• Case Scenario Self-Assessment Checklists
• Certification Pathway Fact sheets
• Apprenticeship Formality Continuum
• Certification Pathway Service Provider
• Steps to Certification

When answering question number three, participants will need to use the self-assessment checklists that are checked off to determine the percentage of competencies that the client has. Does it fall into the guidelines of 80% utilized by the Workplace Support Services Branch Offices Assessment? They would also need to refer to the Certification Pathway fact sheet to determine if the years of prior experience meet the requirements of an apprenticeship for the trade in Ontario.

All other tools and resources can be utilized and/or referred to and cited in the case study activity as deemed appropriate by participants.