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Smartphone Skills and Employment

Project Description

Smartphones and Employment Skills is a one year online province-wide project funded through Skills Development Fund for the year 2022-2023. It is designed to help individuals learn how to use their smartphones to improve their digital skills and knowledge to successfully participate in employment training and to seek and find work.

Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy (MTML) has partnered with six Literacy Basic Skills and Employment Services providers (LBS,ES) to:

Develop and deliver 12 smartphone and employment skills training modules,
Train over 2000 job seekers throughout Ontario,
Train LBS,ES providers to deliver training and employment services via smartphones,
Create an online trainer's guide and produce an information video on why smartphones are a labour market value-added tool.
Host a province-wide online forum for workforce development stakeholders on the research results, project learnings and how to further advance the use of smartphones as an important labour market tool for job seekers, employees and employers alike.

Smartphones and Employment Skills Project - Online Workforce Development Forum

Below is the detailed booklet for the event

Final WD-Forum (1).pdf

Click below to watch the forum recording and access the presentation slides:

Forum Handout_Slides.pptx.pdf

Training Sessions

Booklet for the training sessions:

Professional DEvelopment.pdf

Session 1: Oct 28, 2022 from 10 am- 12 pm. Watch the recording here
Session 2: Nov 8, 2022 from 1-3 pm.
Session 3: Nov 29 from 12-2 pm.
Session 4: Jan 17 from 1-2:30 pm. Watch the recording, click here
Session 5: Jan 31 from 10:00-11:30 am
Tuesday Feb 21 from 2:30-4:00 pm (for ES only). Watch the recording here.

Project Infographics

Website Infographic V6 (3).pdf

Shareable Flyers

Your Network

Smartphone Flyer for Service Providers.pdf

Your Learners/Clients

Copy of Smartphone Flyer for Clients and Learners.pdf

Project Advisory Committee

Elie Saykali

Director of Employment Outcomes, HWTC

Elie is a senior Human Capital professional with over 20+ years of international experience and has previously, worked and served the United Nations peacekeeping/building operations in more than 7 countries on 5 different continents where he has acquired deep knowledge of human behavior, societies, and standards.

His role at Hospitality Workers Training Centre is to support the hospitality workers and employers to optimize their skills and resources respectively in support of the industry in Toronto & The GTA and across the province.

He is an advocate for gender equality, respect for diversity, and inclusion. He believes that everyone is a talent yet to discover.

Sampada Kukade

Director of Employment Engagement and Partnerships, Program Marketing & Program Design, Skills for Change

Sampada has over 20 years of experience in the non profit sector, in marketing communications, partnership development and events management. She has a Bachelors of Arts at the University of Western Ontario and a post-graduate certificate in Marketing and Events Planning from George Brown College.

She is extremely passionate about creating new ways to support and advance issues of underserved communities and works with many corporate and community leaders to develop innovative programs to put their ED&I policies into practice.

Brad Beyak

Employment Counsellor & Manager, Atikokan Employment Centre

Brad has a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Psychology), Honours Bachelor of Physical Education Degree and a Master of Science Degree. Throughout his education he has specialized in studying human behaviour, motor learning and human factors. He is a published co-author in the field of motor behaviour/human factors.

Once completed his education Brad worked with the Atikokan and District Association For Developmental Services, the March of Dimes, St. Joseph’s Care Group (Chronic Pain Management) prior to permanently relocating to his home town of Atikokan, Ontario with his family. He is currently employed by the Atikokan Economic Development Corporation as an Employment Counsellor, managing the programs available through the Atikokan Employment Centre. Brad is a registered health professional in the province of Ontario as a Registered Kinesiologist with the College of Kinesiologists of Ontario. Regardless of where he has resided, Brad has always been an active community member serving with various boards, groups and organizations.

Jennifer Fournier

Employment Services Supervisor, CSE Consulting

Jennifer has worked in the field for seven years. With a background in psychology and sociology, her keen interest in career development has developed into a successful career of assisting Ontarians get employed. More recently, Jennifer has moved into a leadership role assisting newer Career Coaches in getting started in the field and developing their natural skills and interests.

Jennifer is passionate about this project because of how it will help the clients she works with on a daily basis. In a world that favors individuals with easy access to a computer, those that don’t have a computer at home or are unable to get to one struggle in the world of finding work. This project addresses a gap in services that has existed for many years.

Crystal George

Executive Director, NTAB

Crystal is the Executive Director at Northwest Training & Adjustment Board, serving both the Kenora and Rainy River Districts. The role of Ontario Workforce Planning Boards is to engage communities and community partners in local labour market development. By conducting and analyzing local labour market research, trends and planning processes, we work to develop community partnerships to find solutions to local issues.

Crystal has a strong background in Employment Services, with 14 years of experience as an Employment Counsellor and Job Developer, specializing in assisting the local youth in accessing labour market opportunities and training. Her main NTAB office is located in Dryden, Ontario, but she also works from her home office in Fort Frances, Ontario.

Sheromie Rajahkumar

Integrated Benefits Caseworker, Ontario Works Regional Municipality of York

As an active member of the OW community engagement team, she focuses on connecting with internal and external community partners to learn about available supports and how to best share this information with those who could benefit from it. One of the key goals of this team is to leverage relevant supports to help OW customers move towards life stability.

With an educational background in Mental Health & Health Studies, she has also developed a deeper understanding of the effects on the social determinants of health (SDOH). Sheromie is committed to building stronger communities by effectively applying her knowledge and experience to best serve the people she is working for.

Frankie He

Manager, Employment Service, SCIO

Frankie has a master’s degree in Business Administration and 17 years of experience working with Employment Ontario employment services. He has developed a good understanding of the issues and employment challenges faced by persons with disabilities. He is involved in program management, program evaluation, partnership development, business development, budget management, human resources management, and employment services transformation.

In his role at Spinal Cord Injury Ontario he is in charge of the service delivery of OEAS and ODSP Employment Supports programs.

Sasha Bogin

Curriculum Developer & Professor of Culinary Arts, George Brown College

Sasha is a curriculum developer, who has redesigned deaf curriculum, learning material and resources for people transitioning to postsecondary (people who have mental health and addictions) in the Office of Academic Excellence.

At the college, she teaches a career prep course amongst others and also has lead anti-racism workshops for faculty to help them develop anti-racist classrooms. Sasha aims to transform inequitable systems to create learning processes and environments grounded in access and inclusion.

Sasha also facilitates workshops in Universal Design for Learning, a learning framework devoted to removing barriers to inclusion for all learners.

Project Partners

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