Knowledge e-Program for Employment Readiness and Retention (Ke-PERR)

Ke-PERR is Springboard's fourth e-learning program and is just entering its development stage.

Ke-PERR is an interactive multimedia program designed to assist disadvantaged individuals in acquiring skills necessary for employment readiness and retention. The program will focus on teaching an understanding of the existence of "barriers to work readiness and retention" and the skills necessary to identify them. It imparts skills necessary to identify and overcome one's own barriers as well as develop a personal job methodology and plan.

Ke-PERR is designed to complement existing employment programs already in operation. With the addition of Ke-PERR to their services, existing programs will be able to serve many more clients. Employment programs are already being enhanced through the involvement of partners in industry, welfare, and employment insurance. These programs will be better able to reach disadvantaged individuals, and will support seasonal workers, socially marginalized persons, the disabled, and immigrants in meeting their potential.

The Ke-PERR concept will utilize many of the technologies usually associated with interactive multimedia training, commonly termed e-learning. It will incorporate text, voice, video, interactive streaming, and expert systems. It will provide the client the opportunity to interact with the learning modules and execute, review and retain skills from lessons that are relevant to that particular individual.  For example, the participant can view video depictions of different scenarios and the consequences to be expected from the behaviour. Text is always accompanied by voice and expertise is built on rules established by the "best practices" of cognitive behavioural therapies.

In Ke-PERR, case workers will gain a powerful ally to advise, assist, teach, and reinforce the skills involved with being an employable and employed member of the community. They will be able to assign clients to learn skills at their own pace and as appropriate to their unique circumstances.

Ke-Perr program modules are designed to impart the following skill lessons:

• Identification of the barriers to employment;
• Identification and assessment of personal barriers;
• Specific skills to overcome barriers; and
• A skills methodology and a checklist for job searching.