Partners in the delivery of innovative training

PTP has long recognized that strong partnerships extend our impact across organizations and programs. For more than 25 years, we have worked alongside other agencies to create and deliver innovative programs, providing coordinated support from basic skills training to higher education.

An example of our partnerships is our longstanding work with WoodGreen Community Services and Seneca College, an accredited community college, where we coordinate services to deliver integrated programming that would not be possible for any single organization. In this partnership, WoodGreen’s Homeward Bound program helps single, female-led families living in unstable conditions make a successful transition to sustainable employment, permanent housing and independent living for themselves and their children. PTP delivers the academic upgrading that Homeward Bound participants require to advance to Phase 2 of the program, where they receive supportive housing, childcare, and even college tuition. Graduates who are ready to move on to further education can enroll in PTP’s Grade 12-equivalent English and Mathematics curriculum, developed in partnership with Seneca and recognized by Ontario community colleges. This three-way partnership is therefore the bridge that connects Homeward Bound learners to post-secondary education and specialized training opportunities.

As another example, we deliver our Women and Wellness program in partnership with Opportunity for Advancement (OFA), providing peer counselling support to women enrolled in programming at our PTP West Centre.

More recently, we have partnered with Accessible Community Counselling and Employment Services (ACCES) and the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 506 Training Centre to develop the Construction Trades Program. Originally geared to helping Syrian refugees find employment in the construction sector, the program is now open to any newcomer interested in pursuing a career in the construction trades, an industry where there is currently strong demand for skilled workers. Meeting the needs of these job seekers requires collaboration across several partner organizations, including ACCES Employment and LiUNA (who jointly led the program), PTP Adult Learning and Employment Programs, Catholic Crosscultural Services, the Ontario Masonry Training Centre, and the Refugee Career Jumpstart Project.