This paper reports results to date of a three-year project by Athabasca University, intended to determine the education and training needs and interests of employees in a work camp in northern Alberta's oil sands. (Future reports will address results of efforts to provide programming suiting the needs identified, and the uptake, satisfaction,…

Ontario's colleges share the provincial government's belief that apprenticeship must play a greater role in addressing skills shortages and contributing to innovative, high-performance workplaces that enhance Ontario's competitiveness. Given the severity of the economic downturn, Ontario faces an immediate, serious challenge as apprenticeship…

Canadian society is undergoing a significant transformation, largely in response to the forces of globalization and the development of the knowledge/information economy. The key to the economic and social well being of Canada's diverse communities lies in the knowledge-and-skills base of its citizens. Canada must design policies and programs which…

The speaker points out the enormous progress made by Canada in the area of vocational and technical education, discusses the proper role of the community college (job training, not "back door" entrance to the university), and asks for more active help and specific input from industry. (AJ)

A promising way of improving school-industry communication about requisite job skills is to use competency models to relay employers' needs to educators and by which educators can transmit clear descriptions of their products back to employers. The DACUM Chart described in the article also serves for organizing and conducting training. (Author/AJ)

A Canadian study explored the economic benefits of improving literacy skills in the workplace from the perspective of both employers and employees. The Conference Board identified and measured these benefits by conducting a survey of 40 employers, as well as by analyzing data gathered in the International Adult Literacy Survey. The study found…

At Wisconsin's Madison Area Technical College (MATC), both external and internal partnerships are a fundamental part of instructional programming. As the need for technological and mathematical competence in the workforce has increased, partnerships between the college and business and industry have become more important and represent an…

A research project was conducted to determine how and what clown-doctors know on entry to the profession and how and what they learn both formally and informally in a hospital environment; the linkages between informal and formal learning in clown-doctor training and practice in Canada; and "best practices." Information was gathered…

An analysis and summary of 19 recent Canadian and U.S. reports on training needs show that all of them warn that Canada (like North America generally) is facing a serious skills crisis at a time of growing demand for capable workers. In addition, the studies point out that the private sector must contribute much more than it has so far to human…

This study, in English and French, analyzes the trends emerging in labor demand and supply in Canada, and examines the challenges to preparing an adequately trained and prepared workforce. The economy and the labor force seem to be developing along divergent paths, creating a potential gap between the flexibility and skills of workers and the…

Ontario is Canada's largest provincial destination for immigrants. Language barriers, lack of recognition for foreign credentials and lack of work experience in Canada prevent many from gaining employment in their field of expertise. There is an urgent and growing need for occupation-specific language training in Ontario. Immigrants cannot apply…

This report on a seminar on adult literacy and public policy aims to make available for discussion current significant issues in the relationship between literacy and the economy, including matters that extend well beyond the institutional boundaries of the economy. This document summarizes a presentation by Jarl Bengtsson, Head of the Centre for…

The Rural Library Training Project has been undertaken to design and implement a basic training curriculum for the staff of rural school and public libraries in Alberta, Canada. The first phase, Planning and Analysis, began on December 1, 1984, and this official report covers activities to April 1, 1985. Phase One addressed the nature of the…

In November, 1995, ABC CANADA and the National Literacy Secretariat hosted a national think tank on principles of good practice in workplace and workforce education. This report contains the results of the think tank sessions, including how the discussion was conducted, a list of good practice statements, and some ideas about how to conduct a…

The Rural Library Training Project was undertaken to design and implement a basic training curriculum for the staff of rural libraries in Alberta, Canada. Phase One of the project, which began in December 1984, is described in the First Phase Report published in April 1985. This first interim report describes the Phase Two/Three activities from…