Potential Changes to the LMI Workshop

It's been a month since I started in the Guangzhou office. Time flies indeed, as there is only 2/3 of my time left here. By now, I have had a pretty good understanding of the service process. After two learning sessions and many conversations with the team, I am ready to suggest some changes to the model. Since the LMI workshop is the core component of the model, that is the best starting point. Together with the client counsellors, we will create a modified workshop and seek approval from CIIP headquarters for a trial.

An Enriched Framework for the LMI Workshop

We will be adapting Starting Points (see former posting entitled "First Team Learning Session") in framing the LMI workshop. Starting Points is based on the concept of employability dimensions - career exploration, skills enhancement, job search enhancement, job maintenance / growth. Since the CIIP clients are only at the stage of preparation, we will have to adapt these dimensions to suit their situation while keeping the overall principles. The idea is to use the "trip planner" metaphor to create a pre-departure preparation roadmap for the clients. This roadmap will help them research and process the information that can help them better plan for career transition after arrival in Canada. This roadmap will guide the client counsellors in "re-organizing" the existing content and perhaps adding new content of the PowerPoint presentation used in the group session. The end result is for the clients to see the preparation stage from the perspective of "employment readiness".

Managing Change and Transition

Another change to consider is to add a discussion of "managing change and transition". We believe that this addition will help clients process the labour market information in a meaningful manner. This discussion will precede the introduction of the "roadmap" metaphor, so that the clients will have the opportunity of grounding themselves in the process of change brought about by immigration. They will get to review their own values and belief systems, which will affect how they interpret and select the information they will collect.

Envisioning Success

In the end, information becomes more valuable if it helps one in the course of achieving success. We would like to add to the very beginning of the workshop a small component of "envisioning success". Doing an exercise of envisioning success grounds the workshop in a positive context, and helps the clients see challenges and barriers in a positive perspective. This optimistic approach should work well with the last component of the workshop - action planning.