Resources

 Up Skills for Work

“Up Skills for Work” helps adult learners develop key employability skills through free downloadable workbooks. There are nine workbooks in this series.

The workbooks in the “Up Skills for Work” series cover the following skills:

1. Motivation
2. Attitude
3. Accountability
4. Presentation
5. Teamwork
6. Time Management
7. Adaptability
8. Stress Management
9. Confidence

 Soft Skills Resources

The Learning Networks of Ontario created the “Soft Skills Resources” website to share information and resources that will help practitioners to build the soft skills of adult learners.

The “Soft Skills Resources” website is designed to:

• Assist LBS programs in documenting what they already do to increase learners’ soft skills
• Identify community partnerships that show good practices related to soft skill development
• Provide resources to LBS programs that want to increase their soft skill programming

The website is divided into three sections:

1.  Background Information
2. Soft Skills Resources
3. Partnerships

 GCF Learn Free

GCF Learn Free helps millions around the world learn the essential skills they need for work and life. GCFLearnFree.org offers online learning opportunities on more than 200 topics, including more than 7,000 lessons, more than 1,000 videos, and more than 50 interactives and games, completely free.

On GCF Learn Free, you will find many topics to support adult learners with employment goals, including:

• Reading, Writing and Math
• Computers, Email, Internet, Digital Skills and Online Safety
• Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher and Access
• Job Search, Career Planning and Networking
• Job Applications, Resume Writing, Cover Letters and Interviewing Skills

To view the topics available on GCF Learn Free, visit: https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/topics/

 Good Learning Anywhere

“Good Learning Anywhere” (or GLA) has numerous online courses to support Ontario adults access help to prepare for employment, develop life skills, and prepare for post-secondary education. 

There are three types of online courses available via “Good Learning Anywhere”:

• Live classes (via Adobe Connect)
• Independent study (via Plato)
• Short courses (via Moodle)

There are a wide variety of online courses available via GLA, including, career exploration, customer service, financial literacy, accounting, GED prep, creating a small business plan, and many more. 

“Good Learning Anywhere” is part of e-Channel, free online education for adults living in Ontario. Learn more at: https://e-channel.ca

 The Learning HUB

“The Learning Hub” is an online environment where adult learners can take upgrading courses with the help of an online mentor. Courses are available in two forms: a live class or an “anytime learning” class. The Learning Hub can be used for distance learners or as a supplementary tool in a LBS classroom. 

Courses include Reading and Writing, Math, Science, Digital Technology, College Prep, Apprenticeship Prep, Employment Prep and GED prep. Courses start at a basic level and move to an advanced level.

The “Employment Readiness Series Bundle” is a set of courses packaged together to provide a holistic learning experience. These courses help learners brush up on soft skills that are valued by employers and they share practical job search techniques. There are four sections included in this bundle:  Ready Set Go; Career Decision Making; How to Shine on the Job; and Job Search Toolkit. Each section also comes with OALCF levels and milestone suggestions. 

“The Learning Hub” is part of e-Channel, free online education for adults living in Ontario. Learn more at: https://e-channel.ca

 Numeracy in Action: Curriculum and Resources to Understand and Use Numbers

CLO’s “Numeracy in Action: Curriculum and Resources to Understand and Use Numbers” helps meet the needs of learners requiring enhanced numeracy skills.

“Numeracy in Action” contains the following chapters focusing on these task groups:

• Manage Money
• Manage Time
• Use Measures
• Manage Data

Each chapter is just over 100 pages long, and contains 4 – 5 sample task-based activities for each of the Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework’s level indicators related to this competency. 

 Your Financial Toolkit

“Your Financial Toolkit” is divided into 12 modules:

Each module has activities to practice financial skills and an action plan which helps learners track their progress and provides examples of how to apply the lessons in their day to day life. The tools included in each module are videos, interactive worksheets, calculators, quizzes, questionnaires and case studies. The Trainer’s Toolkit includes helpful guides and presentations for either one-on-one individualized training or group presentations.

 Task-Based Activities Portal

The “Task Based Activities for LBS Online Portal” was created for Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) practitioners in Ontario. It contains task-based activities to use with adult learners. The Portal is an amazing resource to support instruction in the LBS classroom.

All the materials have been aligned to the Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework (OALCF). The activities are versatile and cover all five LBS goal paths; most definitely including employment. In fact, the Portal contains 276 activities designed for learners on the employment goal path. The activities on the Portal will also help practitioners to prepare learners to complete milestones.

All materials must go through a peer-review process in order to be used on the Portal. Materials are also reviewed for plain language and re-cast into OALCF language. Currently, there are 570 task-based activities from all goal paths on the Portal, including thousands of tasks. The materials on the “Task Based Activities for LBS Online Portal” are written at a variety of levels and are suitable for diverse goal paths and needs.

 Skillswise

BBC Teach developed the “Skillswise” online resource which focuses on helping adults develop their skills, including adult literacy and basic skills and job readiness.

Each topic includes a video and downloadable resources like factsheets and worksheets. There are also short video clips explaining pertinent skills. The website also includes a video series “Apprentice for a Day” which shows what a typical day looks like for different jobs.

Topics currently available on the “Skillswise” website are:

• English and Math for Adults
• Essential Skills for Jobs

 Khan Academy

The slogan of the Khan Academy is “You can learn anything.” And with the free, online resources offered by the Khan Academy it’s true! The Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that allows learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom.

The Academy is geared primarily to elementary, high school, college and university students, but it contains many helpful resources for adult learners as well, particularly on the topic of math. Topics covered include math, grammar, careers, science and more.