Skills Training and the Labour Market

An important but often neglected area is the link between training and the labor market. This includes apprenticeships, as well as examinations of the kinds of skill challenges industry faces in dealing with an aging skilled labour force and the need for re-training programs to deal with these challenges.

We have examined the issue of apprenticeships in Canada in some depth, looking especially at the issue of models of learner supports and models of theoretical training. We have also examined international models of certification and Prior Learning Recognition, and studied issues of career choice and barriers to participation among women in the construction trade. Other work for Sector Councils has included projects examining challenges in managing demographic change among electrical tradespeople in Ontario, and the training challenges involved in managing transitions of mid-career professionals into the Mining Industry from other, less successful resource industries.

The CanEd Project team has served a number of important clients in this area, including: Nipissing University, Seneca College, the Government of Ontario, Human Resources Development Canada, the Council of Canadian Directors of Apprenticeship, the Electricity Sector Council, the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council, the Construction Sector Council, and the Mining Information Human Resources Council.