While reflecting on this project, several areas emerged as challenges to the future growth and success of this program. The first, and foremost, is the importance of communication between the Essential Skills Team members, the broker organization, the community providers, and the instructors themselves. It is imperative that this program, and any other instruction-based initiative, stand successfully on the strength of the curriculum and delivery methods based on the outcomes and skill development inherent in the courses and not on the personality or performance of individual instructors. The second issue centres on the use of the brokering model which encompasses as many community providers as possible. While this model has its obvious benefits in terms of community involvement, it is crucial to recognize its limits as well. The greater the number and variety of providers, the more essential it becomes to ensure that all the instructors are involved in the team building process. As the program continues to grow, its future success will be closely tied to how well these two issues are addressed.

About the Author

Pieter Toth is a certified teacher and professional corporate trainer. He is currently the Program Coordinator for the Adult-Based Continuing Education and Training Corporation and a strong supporter of productive partnerships between business and education.