At a glance:
The Brant Skills Centre, a tight-knit team of five, provides literacy and essential skills programming to the city of Brantford and Brant County in Southern Ontario. They’re known for bringing technological training into their programs. With a computer lab, iPads and laptops, they can provide instruction on- and off-site.
Programs of note:
The program making the biggest splash with learners right now is the Point of Sale (POS) System Training course for retail and food service sectors. The course highlights many of the essential skills, including: numeracy, digital technology, oral communication, and problem solving. Learners get hands-on experience with some of the technology they’ll be using in the workplace, and have the chance to practice role-play to get comfortable with situations they might encounter on the job. This leads to learning as well as a lot of fun. “Learners can really get into playing the disgruntled customer,” explains Executive Director, Lori Bruner, “and it can get the whole class laughing.”
Also in high demand are their courses on Writing and Numbers in the Workplace, which address both Microsoft Word and Excel. Lori feels their popularity comes from how hands-on and task-specific they are. “It gives people confidence, and gets them experience for their resume,” she says, “so they’re going to be more confident doing these tasks when they get hired.”
Current focus:
The Brant Skills Centre team knows that technology isn’t going anywhere—in fact, it’s only getting more essential and more advanced. Improved technological skills are connected to employment and increased independence, the two main goals of Brant Skills Centre learners. “There is a huge demand for our digital training,” says Lori, “and we only expect it to increase.”
Coming up next:
Brant Skills Centre is constantly re-evaluating its programs to ensure learners are supported in their skill building. Currently in the works is the Apprenticeship Pathway, a new program for individuals interested in pursuing an apprenticeship. It details what opportunities are available, how to get there, and how to find a good fit.
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