What a first quarter it has been! We are very happy to say that transitioning the ASCEND program on to the Absorb Learning Management System has been smooth, and we continue to identify new and valuable ways to support our partners and your clients in the program.
This first issue of the Newsletter focuses on:
- Summary of Q1 outcomes for partners
- ASCEND Partnership Agreements
- ASCEND Partner Google Map
- ASCEND Marketing Toolkit
- ASCEND Participant ‘Quotes of the Quarter’
Feel free to email comments to ascend@iecbc.ca so we can know if this newsletter is of value for you, and leave any ideas and suggestions for future versions. This will help us all stay connected and supportive, in the hopes of continuing to expand the ASCEND partner community of support!
Summary of Q1 outcomes for partners
- Across Canada, 16 unique partners from 5 provinces offered ASCEND to their clients.
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Ontario
New Brunswick
- These 16 partners ran 21 unique cohorts
- 231 participants enrolled in ASCEND
- Of the cohorts that ended in Q1, an amazing 92% of participants fully completed the ASCEND program 65% of clients took the blended program version (with both online modules and workshops). In terms of gender, 80% of ASCEND participants in Q1 were female! We’re very happy to say that 100% of participants would recommend ASCEND to another newcomer to Canada. Additionally:
- 100% of participants that completed ASCEND gave a rating of ‘Satisfied’ or ‘Very satisfied’ for the program’s online modules
- 96.4% of participants that completed ASCEND gave a rating of ‘Satisfied’ or ‘Very satisfied’ for the Workshops. Great job ACSEND facilitators!!!
Here are a few highlights of the behind the scenes work we’ve been doing for you in Q1:
Partnership Agreements
Each organization that offered ASCEND to clients in Q1 has been emailed to provide the details of their signing authority so that we may send them the ASCEND Partnership agreement directly for sign off. A huge thankyou to all the organizations that have already signed off on their agreements. If your organization has not yet signed off on your partnership agreement, please do so ASAP, it has many benefits, including inclusion in our Partner Google Map and access to our ASCEND Marketing Toolkit (both are detailed below).
Partner Google Map
Each partner that signs the ASCEND partnership agreement is invited to have their organizational contact details added to our ASCEND Partner Map.
The map only includes those partners that have signed their ASCEND agreements.
Try zooming in on an ASCEND icon on the map, or expand it to full screen, to learn more about other ASCEND partners in your region:
This fantastic interactive map has multiple purposes and benefits:
- It allows potential clients interested in ASCEND to search and identify an ASCEND Service Partner near to them (partners can choose to include their ASCEND contact details, which we add directly on the map)
- It allows ASCEND Service Partners in a given province or region to connect with one another directly
- When our ASCEND Team receives inquiries from potential program participants on who in their area offers ASCEND, we can direct them to the map to make recommendations for which partner(s) they can contact in their area
Please note that we are only including ASCEND partners that have signed the ASCEND partnership agreement, so the list of partners on this map is constantly growing! If you would like to have your organization (and contact details) added to the ASCEND Partner Map, please complete the ASCEND Partnership Agreement ASAP!
ASCEND Marketing Toolkit
In order to standardize the ASCEND marketing and program promotion that our partners across Canada provide to their clients, we have been developing a complete ASCEND Marketing Toolkit. Within the ASCEND Partnership Agreement, there are options for your organization to choose the tailored marketing collaterals that you would like to use for your toolkit. Once your organization signs off on the ASCEND Partnership Agreement, we start building your organization’s unique marketing tools, which you will receive this quarter to use for your client recruitment, client information sessions, and to answer client questions. We will soon hold a short webinar for all partners to explain how you can use the ASCEND Marketing Toolkit effectively.
Participant Quotes of the Quarter
Finally, we’d like to give the last word in this newsletter to your clients. We ask each participant that completes ASCEND to provide a testimonial on the program. Here are three quotes we chose that really speak to how valuable your clients found the ASCEND program in Q1:
“I have been living in Canada for 7 years, I have had many jobs in a short period of time. I have had good and bad experiences. I wrote in my last post of module 7 . If I had known what I know now…I would not be…but, I am here, finishing this course and looking forward to succeed in the company that I work for or anywhere life takes me. Programs and institution like this make a big difference when starting a new job as immigrant. Taking this course made me think in the bad experiences I had, many of them were from the lack of knowledge of Canadian workplace culture.” – Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association (CIWA) Q1 ASCEND Participant
“All newcomers would certainly benefit from this amazing program! I, myself, have learned a lot from this program! ASCEND organization has worked so hard to provide us with this structured and highly interactive program that focuses on work empowerment and soft skills development. The learning process was so smooth that I was exposed to different concepts in a lively, trendy and effective manner. This step-by-step guide is a valuable tool that all job seekers need to strengthen their abilities before entering the work place. This effective program would undoubtedly simplify the whole work hunting process!” – Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) Q1 ASCEND Participant
“ASCEND is a must for immigrants and students coming new to Canada in order to navigate the employment market and find a job that fits well.” – Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society (CVIMS) Q1 ASCEND Participant
We hope you have enjoyed reading this newsletter. Let us know your thoughts and leave any ideas for future issues by emailing us at ascend@iecbc.ca
–The ASCEND Team