Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

Requirements

“All EO service providers must provide Ontarians with information on and referrals to all EO employment and training programs and services, regardless of which programs and services they are contracted to deliver.

Each LBS service provider must:

• have an efficient and effective process to identify each client’s information and referral needs;

• make information about all EO Services accessible to the client (e.g., print, telephone, digital media);

• ensure clients receive accurate and current information on the EO services relevant to their needs;

• help clients understand their program and service options from across the EO network;

• match clients with the service and provider that best meets their needs efficiently, accounting for culturally appropriate service delivery;

• continually improve their information and referral service, based on client feedback; and

• ensure their contact information and service descriptions are accurate and timely on the Web, in social media, and in any print materials.

The second section, 3.1.1, Program Services, Information and Referral, adds more details about MTCU’s expectations regarding the provision of information and referrals to all Employment Ontario employment and training programs and services.

“LBS service providers must:

• promote the LBS Program within the community, as part of an integrated system of literacy service provision within Employment Ontario, and with related programs and services provided by other ministries and other levels of government;

• evaluate the effectiveness of the outreach strategy and activities, and revise accordingly;

• coordinate and integrate services to provide learners with supported access to other services that help them achieve their goals;

• ensure that the LBS service provider’s information and referral services build on the results of the literacy services planning and coordination process and are complementary to other resources in the community; and

• implement a systematic approach to tracking, reporting, and analyzing information and referral activity and follow-up.”

Looking at these two sections of the LBS Service Provider Guidelines, we can summarize the I & R service with the following four topics:

• client and learner needs determination

• service coordination, integration (with other LBS service providers, within EO, and within the community) and information gathering (on LBS programs, other EO programs and other community and government services which can support clients and learners to reach their goals)

• outreach and communications

• recording, tracking and evaluating Information and Referral (for each of the above)

We will deal with each of these topics, separately, in the following sections of this module.