TESL Ontario Conference: November 13, 2008

1. The Language of Corporate Canada Andrea Strachan Paula Calderon Ollie Zaydik TESL Ontario Conference: November 13, 2008

2. Agenda • Career Edge Organization Overview • Success Stories Video Segment • The Career Bridge Program • Career Bridge Language Screening Tool • Development • Implementation • Realities • Evolution • Summary of Key Insights • Outcomes • Questions?

3. Career Edge Organization Overview • Created in 1996 by major employers seeking an innovative way to help graduates enter Canada’s workforce • A national not-for-profit organization that works with reputable employers to provide paid internships to new and recent graduates (Career Edge), graduates with disabilities (Ability Edge) and internationally qualified professionals (Career Bridge) • To date, Career Edge Organization has partnered with over 1,000 host employers and provided over 8,800 talented interns with meaningful work experiences in supportive and professional work environments

4. Three Paid Internship Programs Entry-level positions Mid-level professional positions

5. Career Edge OrganizationSuccess Stories Video

6. Employer Needs • Typical barriers to hiring internationally qualified professionals: • English language skills • Business communication skills • Understanding of candidate’s credentials, experience and transferable skills

7. Addressing Employer Needs • English language skills • Business communications skills • Understanding of candidate’s credentials, experience and transferable skills Language Screening Tool

8. The Career Bridge Program • The Career Bridge program: • originated as a pilot bridging project with Government of Ontario • now a self-sustaining CEO program • responds to Canada’s labour market demand for internationally qualified professionals in unregulated professions • helps break the frustrating cycle of “no job, no Canadian experience, no Canadian experience, no job.”

9. Career Bridge Candidate Profile

10. Career Bridge Registrant Statistics Education Discipline

11. Some of Our Host Employers

12. Origins and Process Career Bridge Language Screening Tool Evolution Development Implementation Realities

13. Development of Language Screening Tool • Analysis of language to be assessed • Employers, employment counselors, HR specialists • Use Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) • CLB 8 • CLB language assessment developed • S/L/R/W • Screening tool to determine whether candidate is • Eligible (internship criteria) • Employment ready • CLB 7-10 range

14. Interacts socially Describes credentials Describes work experience Discusses career goals Organizes information Responds to questions Demonstrates clarity of speech Uses sector-specific language Demonstrates fluency Overall task completion Development of Language Screening Tool • A Screening Tool to observe how the candidate: • Categories integrate interview target situation & CLB

15. 10 descriptors CLB 6-10 performance descriptors: a 5-point scale Total possible points: 50 33 and above qualifies Example: Description of credentials Development of Language Screening Tool

16. Implementation Stages STAGE 1 (pilot bridging project) • Screening by Employment Counselors (CLB 7-10?) • Testing by ESL Specialists: Reading and writing test online (1 hour) If scored CLB 8 on R/W then full CLB interview (30 min) STAGE 2 • Screening by Employment Counselors • Language screening training and calibration developed STAGE 3 (current) • Screening by ESL Specialists/Account Managers • Tool becomes more specific to the needs of the internships

17. Implementation of Language Screening Tool • User Manual • Documentation of process • Reference for existing screeners • Calibration Materials • Training new screeners • Master files for revisions and updates • Exemplars • Authentic interviews • Used for calibration • Used to set the standard

18. Realities of Language Screening Tool • Using the Canadian Language Benchmarks framework • Speaking & listening only • Social interaction and information (interaction one-on-one) • Is it Screening or Assessment? • Assessment of language skills as observed in an interview • No reading and writing component • Balance employer needs and program objectives • Review eligibility while observing language skills • Assessment of readiness to interview successfully • Cross-cultural communication skills • Identifying and communicating the need for awareness

19. Evolution of Language Screening Tool • Original 4 skills language test evolved into the Workplace Language Assessment (WLA) available through CCLB • Original pre-screening tool part of the WLA package • Career Bridge screening tool became more complex and detailed because it replaced the full test • Employer Feedback = Career Bridge screening tool reflects the language demands of the job interview

20. Insights Around Our Screening Process • About the benefits of using the Career Bridge Language Screening Tool … • About the CLB as applied to this process … • About the candidates who participate in the process …

21. Career Bridge Outcomes • Internationally qualified professionals enter at mid-level professional positions in their field • Within 6 months of completing the internship, over 80% of interns within a specific sector have found employment in their field • Successful employers are adapting HR practices • Coaching component has become an essential piece of the success of the internships • Employers view CEO as a viable staffing solution

22. Questions?

23. Thank you! For more information: Donna Smith, Vice President Phone: 416-977-3343 x 259 dsmith@careeredge.ca www.careerbridge.ca