Elevate: Raising the Grade for Food Processing Project

The Elevate program, funded by Employment and Social Development Canada under the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program (2014-2015), was designed to examine and test the effectiveness of workforce training that integrated job skills and essential skills in the food processing sector.  The program focused on one position in the food processing sector – food processing operator.  The program was necessary because the landscape of the food industry is changing with entry-level occupations now requiring higher-level skills in technology, food safety, and communications.  The program trained approximately 84 individuals in 5 different communities in Southern Ontario with skills relevant to the food processing industry. 

CAP Consulting carried out the evaluation of the Elevate program, in collaboration with staff from Essential Skills Ontario.  The evaluation included both outcome and process components and used person-to-person and telephone structured interviews with  participants, employers, trainers and other stakeholders.  The outcome evaluation assessed employment outcomes, essential and basic skills (assessed pre and post, job preparedness and skills learned, satisfaction with job at follow-up; and other outcomes reported by participants at post and follow-up interviews. The process component of the evaluation assessed:  model fidelity (whether curriculum was implemented as designed and if program was delivered as intended); strengths and weaknesses of the model and curriculum; the recruitment and screening process; satisfaction with the program; the supports received by learners; and the replicability of the model.