In the early 1990’s, Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) was expanding its efforts to outsource employment services and was actively seeking qualified contractors to deliver community based career services.

Tannis Goddard saw opportunity to apply her expertise in adult education, psychology and counselling to the development of these services. In 1992 she began designing and facilitating career services as a subcontractor and three years later, won her first contract with the federal government. In 1996 Tannis dissolved Cascadia Career Consulting and incorporated Training Innovations Inc. Over the next 10 years Tannis continued to expand her business winning new service delivery contracts with HRDC and the Province of BC.

Training Innovations has delivered a variety of programs including: career exploration, job search, employability skills, workplace-based training, job placement programs and programs for skilled immigrants. Training Innovations also has a long history of delivering 1:1 employment services through its Employment Resource Centres. In 1997 we were one of the first organizations selected by HRDC to establish and operate an ERC in the Lower Mainland. Over the past decade we’ve helped establish best practices and work processes that have been adopted by Service Canada and other ERCs in the region. Training Innovations currently operates Employment Resource Centres in Burnaby, North Vancouver and Squamish.

It was in the late 1990’s that Tannis began considering the value of online learning for individuals and organizations. Her desire was to increase the accessibility and flexibility of employment programs to better meet the needs of participants. Despite extensive research, Tannis could not find examples of online career programming in North America, the U.K. or Australia. She set out to design a concept that eventually led to the development of Career e-Volutions – a fully facilitated online program for job seekers who want to explore their career options. This program was launched as a pilot project with Service Canada in 2004.

Because of its pioneering work in the development of e-career services, Training Innovations is recognized as a global leader in this emerging field. Tannis has been invited to speak at conferences in Canada, the United States, Italy and Australia. Training Innovations has expanded its online service offerings and in 2007 launched IMMPowerBC – a blended program that offers face-to-face and online services to skilled immigrants.

In just over a decade Training Innovations has grown from a single-project, owner-operated company to a vibrant organization delivering multiple contracts with over 50 talented employees. In addition to our continued work with the federal and provincial governments, Training Innovations is now helping other organizations and practitioners design and deploy their own online services.

We continue to grow as we collectively pursue our mission “…to deliver innovative career management services and workplace learning to individuals, organizations and communities”.