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Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board

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Title: Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board


1
Saskatchewan Labour ForceDevelopment Board
  • Pathways for the Recognition of
  • Prior Learning in Saskatchewan
  • Collaboration is the Key to Building Capacity
  • Recognizing Learning Conference
  • Winnipeg, Manitoba
  • October 21, 2003

2
Panel Members
Conrad Pura, Saskatchewan Labour Force
Development Board Abu Bockarie, Saskatchewan
Forum of Racialized Canadians Bebe Ivanochko,
Northlands College Shelley Hosaluk, Marion M.
Graham Collegiate, Saskatoon Public School
Division
3
Mission
  • The Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board
    shall foster, promote and coordinate, through
    partnership and equity, the effective development
    of the Saskatchewan labour force.

4
Mandate
  • Provides a forum for meaningful dialogue and
    consensus-building
  • Consults with the federal and provincial
    governments
  • Provides leadership in the areas of training and
    social and economic development
  • Promotes equity of access to training and
    employment programs

5
Guiding Principles
  • Uniqueness of Saskatchewan
  • Business and Labour are Primary Partners
  • Partnership with the emerging workforce,
    agriculture, and education training providers
  • Equity and Inclusion based on consensus
  • Match training to economic development
  • Address needs of industry and individual

6
Guiding Principles
  • Provincial representation based on broad
    constituency Reference Groups
  • Accountability to communities and citizens
  • Business and Labour represent all sectors
  • Focused training to meet individual and
    industrys need
  • Board members nominated by their Reference Groups

7
Board Composition
  • Business (8)
  • Labour (8)
  • Education and Training (2)
  • First Nations (1)
  • Metis (1)
  • Youth (1)
  • Women (1)

8
Board Composition
  • Persons With Disabilities (1)
  • Racialized Canadians (1)
  • Low Income People (1)
  • Agriculture
  • Government
  • (HRDC, Education, Labour)

9
Key Projects
  • 1. PLAR Services Project Oct. 2000
  • 2. PLAR Enhancement Funding Initiative
  • Bonus Initiatives
  • 1. Forestry Sub-project
  • 2. A Youth Project
  • 3. Professional Development Opportunities
  • 4. Training for Excellence Award

10
1. PLAR Services Project
  • Project Goals
  • 1. Development of PLAR services for improved
    access.
  • 2. PLAR models and assessment tools to be
    demonstrated to the forestry sector.

11
1. PLAR Services Project
  • Key Findings
  • Administration
  • Services and Products
  • Promotions and Resource Building
  • Policy Development
  • Forestry
  • Unanticipated Outcomes
  • Evaluation Results
  • Conclusions and Recommendations

12
2. PLAR Enhancement Funding Initiative
  • Pilot Project Criteria
  • 1. Demonstration of institutional readiness to
    action.
  • 2. A project work plan or description.
  • 3. Project outcomes enhanced long-term capacity
    building for PLAR in the institution/province.

13
2. PLAR Enhancement Funding Initiative
  • 1. 11 PLAR Pilot Projects
  • 2. Findings
  • 3. Lessons Learned and Best Practices

14
Next Steps
  • Provincial Policy Development
  • 1. Provincial Framework for RPL
  • 2. Recognition of Prior Learning
  • in Saskatchewan
  • Communities of Practice (Proposal)

15
Recognition of Prior LearningSaskatchewans
Definition of RPL
  • RPL is a broad umbrella concept that includes
    learning recognition practices undertaken in the
    fields of
  • 1. Qualification Recognition (QR)
  • 2. Credit Transfer (CT)
  • 3. Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
    (PLAR)

16
Overview of Provincial Framework for RPL in
Saskatchewan
  • The Framework is a culmination of the work
    undertaken during the SLFDB-PLAR Services Project
    with the leadership of the SLFDB and the RPL
    Management Committee.
  • It has been instrumental in guiding strategic
    planning to improve the learning recognition
    system in Saskatchewan.
  • The vision will be achieved through continuing to
    build collaborative partnerships across sectors.

17
Vision
Saskatchewans education and training sector,
professional/trade associations, regulatory
bodies, government, business, industry and
communities work collaboratively to promote and
support the recognition of all learning,
18
Vision continued
contributing to the development of a
skilled, flexible, and responsive labour force,
making Saskatchewan an ideal place to live and
work. All learning is valued because it
contributes to the social and economic well-being
and growth of individuals in our communities.
19
Three Primary Objectives
A. Demonstrate Leadership B. Deliver
High-Quality, Accessible and Relevant RPL
Services in SK C. Demonstrate Accountability Th
e framework document is available online
at http//www.slfdb.com/rplpolicy.pdf
20
Role of Stakeholders
  • The adoption of a collaborative approach to the
    management and delivery of RPL services is
    required to achieve the vision.
  • Each stakeholder has a role to play, supporting
    actions and initiatives that aim to achieve a
    series of goals/objectives.
  • Many actions are already underway.

21
Brain Gain The Economic Benefits of Recognizing
Learning and Learning Credentials in Canada
(September 2002)
The Conference Board of Canada estimated that
eliminating the learning recognition gap in
Canada would enable Canadians to earn an
additional 4.1 billion to 5.9 billion in income
annually. Without appropriate recognition of
their skills and abilities, many highly skilled
people remain unemployed or underemployed.
22
Brain Gain The Economic Benefits of Recognizing
Learning and Learning Credentials in Canada
(September 2002)
  • Three groups are primarily affected by the
    current learning recognition gap in Canada
  • immigrants
  • people with work-based training and
  • people who have transferred between educational
    institutions or provinces in licensed professions.

23
CAPLA Conference
  • Pathways for the Recognition of Prior Learning in
    Saskatchewan Collaboration is the Key to
    Building CapacityA Saskatchewan Forum of
    Racialized Canadians Perspective

24
About the Forum
  • Established in the early 1990s as a provincial
    organization to provide a venue for discussions,
    and offer suggestions for decision making, on
    labour force development, immigrant and racial
    issues
  • Membership restricted to immigrant and visible
    minority agencies, associations and organizations

25
About the Forum, cont.
  • Forum representatives sit on some key provincial
    organizations, like the SLFDB and several of its
    committees and the ATCC.
  • Forums RPL activities generally focus on
    collaboration with other provincial
    organizations, as well as support for the
    activities of member-agencies

26
RPL Trigger/Catalyst for Forum
  • Although the origins of the Forums interest in
    RPL dates back to the early 1990s, it was not
    until the release of the findings of Nyathis
    (1998) study that the subject became a major
    concern
  • Nyathis research, undertaken on behalf of the
    Forum, was titled Assessment and Recognition of
    Foreign Qualifications and Credentials A
    Racialized Canadian Perspective

27
RPL Trigger/Catalyst, cont.
  • The study sought to examine the reasons for the
    low representation of racialized Canadians in the
    provincial workforce relative to their
    population, and offer suggestions for improvement
  • The findings of the study concluded that the
    absence of a fair and equitable system to assess
    and recognize the education, knowledge, skills
    and abilities of racialized Canadians is one of
    the most critical barriers they face in the
    province

28
RPL Trigger/Catalyst, cont.
  • The research recommended establishment of a
    Working group of Friends of PLAR to
  • organize a publicity campaign for IQAS to raise
    public awareness, especially among racialized
    Canadians attention was also to focus on
    informal and work experience education and
    training
  • develop a skills database directory to aid
    employers in understanding the skills of
    immigrants

29
RPL Trigger/Catalyst, cont.
  • conduct PLAR initiatives in post-secondary
    institutions, among professional associations and
    regulatory bodies, public and private employers
    and employees
  • highlight the need for coordination among
    post-secondary educational institutions,
    professional associations and regulatory bodies,
    and private and public employers in developing
    and promoting PLAR programs
  • monitor progress in developing PLAR activities on
    a regular basis

30
RPL Trigger/Catalyst, cont.
  • In terms of actual outcomes of these activities
    for forum members, not much was realized, but the
    Forum became a strong voice on PLAR issues across
    the province also it was given a seat on SLFDB
    and later, on the ATCC PLAR became one of the
    key projects of the SLFDB

31
Current RPL Activities
  • Collaboration with other provincial organizations
    and member-agencies on RPL activities constitutes
    a hallmark of the Forums work
  • The SLFDBs PLAR Services Project was launched
    between October 2000 and March 2002, partly as a
    direct result of the leadership provided by the
    Forum
  • The Forums involvement in the PLAR Services
    Project was through our membership of the SLFDBs
    RPL Administrative and Management Committees,
    both of which oversaw the general administration
    the project

32
Current RPL Activities, cont.
  • A Forum representative continues to serve on the
    SLFDBs RPL Management Committee through which we
    have been able to provide significant input into
    the development of a RPL provincial policy
    framework
  • Along with other CBOs, the Forum has been
    assigned a lead role in the implementation of
    several action plans in the RPL policy framework
  • As a reference group of the SLFDB, we continue to
    hold occasional information sessions with our
    member organizations to promote, discuss and
    share information about RPL
  • We encourage our member-agencies to send
    representatives to RPL activities organized by
    provincial organizations

33
Current RPL Activities, cont.
  • As well, some of our member-agencies continue to
    undertake RPL work
  • For example, the Sask. Association of Immigrant
    Settlement and Integration Agencies (2003)
    (SAISIA) sponsored a recent study of RPL within
    the immigrant community
  • The study sought to determine the ways new
    immigrants and refugees to Saskatchewan might
    benefit from RPL

34
Current RPL Activities, cont.
  • Among the key findings of the study were that
  • research subjects had no knowledge of RPL
  • they thought they possessed skills that were not
    acknowledged by employers, and Accreditation
    Agencies although they failed to indicate
    whether or not their skills were being overlooked
    by educational institutions

35
Current RPL Activities, cont.
  • Key recommendations arising from the study
    included
  • the need for RPL orientation workshops within the
    immigrant community
  • RPL programs in the workplace are essential

36
Current RPL Activities, cont.
  • With regard to follow up on the study, the
    SAISIAs RPL Steering Committee is to
  • identify mechanisms for the delivery of
    orientation services to immigrants and refugees
    on RPL and accreditation processes, including the
    development of appropriate orientation materials,
  • identify mechanisms to develop and implement RPL
    pilot projects in the workplace
  • identify mechanisms to enhance information
    available to potential immigrants and refugees on
    RPL and accreditation processes in the province

37
Workplan for the future
  • A three-year work plan was adopted at a recent
    meeting of Forum representatives. The plan
  • identified RPL as still a key issue
  • emphasized collaboration as a major strength of
    the Forums work in RPL

38
Workplan for the future, cont.
  • suggested that concrete actions on RPL are now
    required, as extensive research has been done
    the RPL policy framework is a huge step in the
    right direction
  • suggested a more strategic approach to the RPL
    issue each professional organization, employer
    organization, etc. will be approached to discuss
    specific RPL issues as they relate to racialized
    Canadians in Saskatchewan

39
References
  • Nyathi, Jubbie (1998). Assessment and Recognition
    of Foreign Credentials A Racialized Canadians
    Perspective. Regina, SK Saskatchewan Labour
    Force Development Board
  • Zoya, Shmyr (2003). Recognition of prior learning
    (RPL) within the newcomer community A needs
    assessment. Final report prepared on behalf of
    the Saskatchewan Association of Immigrant
    Settlement and Integration Agencies (SAISIA).
    Regina, SK SAISIA

40
RPL for Literacy Learners and Aboriginal
Communities
  • Bebe Ivanochko
  • Literacy Coordinator
  • Northlands College, SK

41
Northlands College Mission
  • The Mission of Northlands College is to provide
    quality education and training programs and
    services that will meet the development and
    employment needs of Northerners,

Reading is your right, for family, life and
work
42
Northlands College Mission
Reading is your right, for family, life and
work
  • . . . . . And which will enhance social and
    economic development, and prepare Northerners to
    participate in the global economy.

43
Northlands College Region
44
Some Aboriginal Considerations
  • Cultural values must be honoured
  • Desire for group involvement
  • Flexible schedule
  • Open to all

45
Some Aboriginal Considerations
  • Mother Tongue first languages honoured
  • Provide interpretors
  • Arrange extra time for ESL adults who are
    constantly translating

46
Some Aboriginal Considerations
  • Aboriginal learning styles may differ in various
    ways
  • Allow as many formats for portfolios as possible
  • Mediate for alternative assessment processes that
    fit the learner

47
Some Aboriginal Considerations
  • Academic language is not normal language
    Aboriginal people know
  • Decrease jargon
  • Support study groups
  • Interpret academic requirements
  • Encourage plain language

48
Some Aboriginal Considerations
  • Finally, Prevent Academic Gatekeeping
  • Be a liaison between learner and goal
  • Advocate on behalf of learners
  • Bring institutions into your community
  • Help learners package their material in a
    professional way.
  • Educate institutions about Aboriginal issues

49
National Literacy Secretariat
  • WECS
  • WWESTNET
  • Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board
  • ABC Canada

50
Education and Labour Buy-in
  • University of Saskatchewan
  • SK Institute of Applied Science and Technology
  • First Nations University of Canada
  • SK Labour Force Development Board
  • Pahkisimon nuye ah Library System

51
The Itinerant Instructor Model
  • Workplace Literacy Needs Assessment
  • Provincial Coordination
  • Phase II Final Report
  •   January 1999
  •  Authors
  • Roberta Duncan - SIAST Wascana Campus
  • Pat Hoffman - SIAST Wascana Campus
  • Bebe Ivanochko - Northlands College
  • Lynda McPhee - Cumberland Regional College
  • Sylvie Provencher - College Mathieu
  • Adeline Steinley - Cypress Hills Regional
    College

52
The Itinerant Instructor Model
  • We recommended that . . . in some
    areas, a method of offering workplace training
    may be an itinerant instructor who travels to
    small communities offering scheduled services to
    small businesses.

53
Lessons learned from the Northern Literacy Network
  • Many can not afford to stop working to get
    upgrading, they need regular but flexible
    programs available to working people

Reading is your right, for family, life and
work
54
Northern Literacy Network
  • Training should be available as people need
    itmany are willing to train for better wages but
    can not stop work to obtain BE 10, Adult 12.

Reading is your right, for family, life and
work
55
Northern Literacy Network
  • There is a need for practical on-site training
    (workplace literacy)

Reading is your right, for family, life and
work
56
How we fit RPL into the Northern Literacy Strategy
  • Use holistic approach in literacy for community
    development
  • Include northern values and cultural relevance
  • Base programs on community needs and goals

57
Main RPL Challenge for the North
  • How to document experience of northerners with
    interrupted academic and work history so that it
    accurately portrays their skill and capability.

58
Other Cautions for the North
  • Aboriginal preference to work in group
  • English as a second language
  • Accommodating learning styles
  • Geographic isolation over distance
  • Business and Labour buy-in

59
Collaboration - Partners
  • Small Business Employers
  • First Nations, Metis, Non-status Aboriginal
  • Universities, SIAST Regional Colleges
  • SLFDB
  • Professional bodies, Industry Sectors
  • First Nations University of Canada

60
  • Recognizing Learning
  • a unification of knowledge in action

61
  • If the future is to remain open and free, we
    have to rear individuals who can tolerate the
    unknown, who will not need the support of
    completely worked-out systems, whether they be
    traditional ones from the past or blueprints of
    the future.
  • Margaret Mead
  • New Lives for Old

62
  • Catalyst for change
  • Crucial questions
  • 1. Why is recognizing learning important?
  • 2. Why value the recognition of learning?
  • 3. Why champion it?
  • The recognition of individual success and
    achievement within the spectrum of multiplicity,
    is of inherent value to virtually all people.

63
  • Action Initiatives
  • An investigation of the connection between
    instruction and assessment
  • Identify the need
  • Maintain curricular integrity
  • Access tools and resources exploring the
    potential as a solution
  • Build awareness and linkages across departments
    and/or institutions
  • Continuously evaluate and aim for improvement

64
  • Follow your Heart

65
  • Building the Bridge
  • 1. Increasing demands for skills in a
    knowledge-based economy
  • 2. Portfolio approach explores formal, informal
    and experiential learning - supporting the
    provincial framework for Recognition of Prior
    Learning in Saskatchewan

66
  • Building the Bridge
  • 1. Transitional tool to prepare students for the
    world of further academic study, work, or
    volunteerism
  • 2. Proactive approach to assist students in
    setting career/life goals and defining student
    strengths/areas for improvement
  • 3. If we develop our people - we invest in our
    future

67
  • A Retrospective The History of the Development
  • of a K-12 and Beyond Model
  • Provincial English Language Arts Curricula and
    Practical and Applied Arts Career/Work
    Exploration courses incorporate the portfolio
    approach to learning
  • Research interests
  • The interconnection of vision, communication and
    resiliency in creating a culture for career
    development
  • Professional teaching portfolio - reflective
    practitioner

68
  • An Experiential Approach
  • Student X, tangible student benefits
  • Self-esteem and confidence
  • Action research driven by student interest with
    administrative support
  • Goals
  • Broaden awareness of authentic assessment
    practices in the K-12 Sector
  • Forge alliances and create linkages from K-12 to
  • post-secondary

69
  • Accomplishments
  • Partnerships with Junior Achievement Organization
    (portfolio development)
  • Student Portfolio Exhibitions (spring 2001, 2002)
  • Milestone celebrations of student success,
    attended by parents and community members
  • Student awards granted for service and
    demonstration of excellence
  • Networked community of learners
    (collaboration/common vision)

70
  • Lessons Learned
  • Communication is vital to the awareness building
    process
  • Traditional and alternative assessment processes
    are compatible and valid
  • Best practice favours a coordinated approach to
    learning outcomes
  • Developing people is an economic reality
  • Success unites knowledge and action

71
  • Challenges to the Process
  • 1. Societal pressures/expectations for both
    teachers and students to do more
  • 2. Supports need to be strategically placed
  • 3. Create linkages between K-12 and
    post-secondary institutions to remove systemic
    barriers
  • 4. Continuity from year to year would assist the
    student in the developmental process and provide
    a tool for transition upon graduation

72
  • Vision for a Preferred Future
  • 1. Seamless integration of the portfolio concept
    in the K-12 system will provide a strong bridge
    to post-secondary
  • 2. We can build institutional capacity through
    coordinated efforts/tangible support
  • 3. Celebrate and award recognition for prior
    learning experiences
  • 4. Design the culture shift tolerate the
    unknown
  • Youll never know whats on the other side until
    you land there.
  • Sammy Duvall - World Record Holder, Water-ski
    Jumping
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