CVA / English Web Watch
Each month, the Canadian Vocational Association presents a survey of relevant links and documents on various specializations and topics related to the field. Please don't hesitate to send your comments and suggestions to info@cva-acfp.org.
We will add a PDF version of the bulletin to the monthly e-mail. This is to faciliate the printing of the document or enable you to upload it in an e-reader of your choice.
Note that the information in this publication does not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the CVA/ACFP.
NEXT DACUM I PUBLIC WORKSHOPS IN 2013
- February 18-21 2014 Vancouver, BC
- February 24-27 2014 Halifax, NS
- April 7-10 2014 Edmonton, AB
- April 7-10 2014 Toronto, ON
- September 8-11 2014 St-John's, NL
- September 15-18 2014 Winnipeg, MB
- November 3-6 2014 Ottawa, ON
- November 17-20 2014 Calgary, AB
For more information on DACUM: www.cva-acfp.org/en/dacum-model.html
CVA's PICK OF THE MONTH
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How an employee training and development program can help your company Training really sets a foundation for your staff as to what you're trying to get accomplished – your goals and visions. In addition, it gives employees an idea as to what's in the future, because as an employee goes through the interview and training process, he or she wants to know what he or she gains from taking the position. Shared by Bernadette Allen in the CVA/ACFP LinkedIn page Tags: Workplace - training; Trends; Article; Source: Smart Business; |
| ARTICLES and PAPERS | |
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Canada. Engaging Canada's Indigenous Peoples in the Trades / Attirer les peuples autochtones vers une carrière dans les métiers spécialisés Volume 9 of the Canadian Apprenticeship Journal * Needs a one-time free registration to read the articles Tags: Trades; Target group: Aboriginals; Articles - journal; Source: CAF - Canadian Apprenticeship Forum; |
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Canada. Education in the age of the information superhighway: an investigation into initial teacher training in Canada This article discusses particular aspects of current Canadian teacher training that seem healthy practice to an experienced school-teacher from the United Kingdom. With the UK government increasingly interested, some would say determined, in moving the funding of initial teacher training away from universities and to schools, the article focuses on those practices that appear supportive of deep learning for beginning teachers in helping them to develop their own sense of the purposes of education and ways in which they might become agents of change. Tags: ICT - Information technologies; Comparative analysis; Training - programs; Target group: Teaching students; Field: Teaching profession; United Kingdom; Canada; Article; Source: Canadian Journal of Education; |
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Canada. Can Canadian schools nurture students' interests toward jobs that are in demand? While employers await a magical solution and universities dig in their heels, the ranks of under-employed and over-qualified continue to grow needlessly, while successful programs in countries like Germany and Australia where private industry and post-secondary institutions have collaborated to resolve such social ills. With the skills shortage appearing more and more ominous each year, employers stand to benefit significantly from more integrative programs between schools and industry ... except, perhaps those who need well-educated coffee house baristas. Tags: Canada; Skills - mismatch training/workplace; Article; Skills - gap; School-to-work transition; Source: Financial Post; |
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Canada. Young Entrepreneurs And Trades In Canada: Generation Y Not All About University Education Post-secondary education is seen as a necessity, no longer a privilege. High school graduates can often find success in pursuing entrepreneurship or the trades, some of which require working through apprenticeships in unions. Although qualified workers are always in high demand, the jobs are often ignored by Canadians. Tags: Skills - needs; Target group: Youth; Canada; Article; Source: Huffington Post; |
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Malaysia opens VET to foreign providers Foreign education providers will be allowed to expand into Malaysia's vocational education sector, the government has announced, as it aims to increase economic growth by 2020 and alleviate major skills shortages. Tags: Malaysia; VET - development; Employment trend 2020; Trend - employment; Skills - shortage; News; Source: The Pie News via Twitter @CICIC_CICDI; |
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UK. Supporting young people to develop the skills for Apprenticeships and other sustained jobs Discussion paper on traineeships for 16-24 years old. The new Traineeships programme would provide young people with a tailor-made package of support that will give them the confidence, skills and experience to compete in the labour market with more experienced adults. Tags: Target group: Youth 16-24; Apprenticeship - programs; Government program; United Kingdom; Discussion paper; Source: Government of UK/Department for Business Innovation and Skills via Twitter @IFL_Members; |
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What's wrong with competency measurement? In the past few decades, nearly every major organization has implemented competencies in some form to communicate performance constructs, expectations, organizational functions or even values. Yet evidence of the reliability, validity and utility of this kind of organization-wide, competency modeling, especially when employing single item measurement scales is sadly lacking. This paper explores competency uses, types, and measurement challenges related to implementing competencies in military organizations. Tags: Analysis; Field: Military; Competence - evaluation; Paper; Source: IMTA - International Military Testing Association; |
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Online learning in the workplace: a hybrid model of participation in networked, professional learning The design and conceptualisation of online learning environments for work-related, professional learning was addressed through research with users of an online environment for social workers. Online participation needs to be understood as a hybrid concept, in that it is a reflection of offline roles, opportunities and pressures, as well as the usefulness, usability and relevance of what is online. Online sites intended to support work-related learning should start from the perspective of the socio-technical interaction network, with its emphasis on building in the social context at all stages in the life of a site. Tags: Trends; Workplace - training; eLearning; Article; Source: eLearning Europa; |
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Education in a changing world: flexibility, skills, and employability New technologies, globalization, the information revolution, and labor market changes have affected the world economy on an unprecedented scale. As a consequence, the demand for a skilled workforce has increased, world trade and migration have intensified, and the divide between the haves and have nots has vastly widened. This paper puts education under the lens of the changing demands of technology, the labor market, demography, and migration. It identifies the weaknesses in current education systems, such as restricted access, skills mismatches, and weak school-to-work linkages. It calls for making education systems more flexible and responsive to change so that they maximize human resources, equip people with updated skills, and prepare youth for the world of work. Tags: Skills - needs; Employment trend; Employability; Trend - analysis; Paper; Source: World Bank; |
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Are You Meeting All Five Moments of Learning Need? It simply isn't acceptable to throw learners over the classroom and/or eLearning wall into the workflow and then hope that what we did during the online or class event will magically transfer to successful job performance. It doesn't. We know full well that learning doesn't stick unless you put in place provisions that support performance in the workflow, that the success that does occur isn't all that could occur if we attended to the principles and practices of performance support. And the good news is that doing this doesn't require more effort than what most are doing now. It does, however, require a mind-set shift. It also necessitates that we redirect current efforts to bring about this alignment. Tags: Training - workforce; Workplace - training strategy; Source: Learning Solutions Mag via facebook Essential Skills Practitioners; |
| DOCUMENTS | |
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Canada. Solving the Skills Paradox: Seven Ways to Close Your Critical Skills Gaps Record unemployment figures are, paradoxically, matched by record numbers of companies who cannot find the skills they need. The survey analyses the nature and extent of the skills gap—and proposes seven strategies that companies in pursuit of high performance can follow. Tags: Trend - analysis; Skills - mismatch training/workplace; Skills - gap; Canada; Report; Survey; Source: Accenture |
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Canada. The Transferability of Skills This brief discusses the transferability of skills across jobs and occupations. Evidence suggests that displaced workers finding new employment in jobs using similar skills experience significantly smaller wage losses than those taking new jobs in occupations that utilize a vastly different set of skills. Workers find their way back to more similar jobs than would occur with random mobility, and they are increasingly finding their way back to more similar jobs in recent years. Tags: Skills - transferability; Policy brief; Canada; Source: Western University; |
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India. Credit Where Credit's Due: Experiences with the Recognition of Prior Learning and Insights for India Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a potentially valuable tool for India to bring millions of people back into training and education and set the country on a higher skills trajectory. However, implementing RPL is complex and challenging. In India, forward-thinking organizations are running their own pilot RPL initiatives to lay the groundwork for the introduction of the concept on a wider scale. The report focuses on the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in the Indian context, by evaluating LabourNet's RPL initiative in Bangalore. Tags: Document; India; RPL - Recognition of Prior Learning; Prior learning evaluation; Trend - analysis; Analysis – trends; Source: Manipal City & Guilds; |
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European Union. Modernising vocational education and training - Synthesis report European and national policy has set high expectations for VET modernisation. VET should be an attractive option for young people and adults to foster the acquisition of professional qualifications and their updating throughout working life. Professional competences and skills delivered through VET should be a model of excellence, while being transparent to relevant parties at individual, company and State levels. Tags: Trend - analysis; VET - trends; VET - reform; European Union; Report; Source: Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training; |
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European Union. Developing key skills: what can we learn from various national approaches A large number of policies and reform packages often accompanied by large spending programs have been implemented, but progress remains slow and uneven. This report provides a conceptual framework to rethink the development of a country's unique skill policy; identifies for each EU Member State concrete education policies while taking into account the country's national peculiarities and characteristics; reviews several skill policies and identifies the most influential institutions and describes the performance of the education system of the EU Member States. Tags: Report; European Union; Skills - development; Analysis - comparative; Source: EENEE - European Expert Network on Economics of Education via Twitter @VOCEDplus; |
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Modern Apprenticeships & Training Why is it so difficult for governments and business to expand apprenticeships? Apprenticeship is one of the oldest social institutions, but in its contemporary incarnation, it has ambitious aims: to enhance general education and develop technical knowledge and skills to internationally competitive standards. Its implementation in complex modern labor markets requires high levels of trust and cooperation among public authorities, employers, and young people. Tags: Target group: Youth; Trend - analysis; Skills - shortage; Apprenticeship; Source: McKinsey |
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Apprenticeship Training Can Be Profitable for Firms and Apprentices Alike Although apprentices enjoy a smooth transition from school to work and effectively help to reduce youth unemployment, many employers are reluctant to provide training places because of the fear of uncovered training costs. Recent empirical evidence shows clearly that – for many firms – this fear is not justified, as apprenticeship training can already pay off in the short run. Tags: Target group: Youth; School-to-work transition; Apprenticeship; Policy brief; Source: EENEE - European Expert Network on Economics of Education; |
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National Approaches to Improve the School-to-Work Transition Public policies supporting learning and employment for young people differ across countries according to institutional attributes, principally the locus and content of upper-secondary education. This brief emphasises that, while particular types of intervention are used in all countries, what works and the time profile of benefits differ markedly across countries. Tags: Educational policy; Policy - educational; School-to-work transition; Policy brief; Source: EENEE - European Expert Network on Economics of Education; |
| OTHER | |
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Canada/Alberta. Trades in Alberta This is an easy-to-read publication for low literacy individuals that are interested in learning about the trades or working within the trades as a career choice. Through answering two major questions - What are the trades? and How do people enter the trades? Readers explore various trade options such as welder, mechanic, hairstylist, carpenter and cook through the stories of 7 people. Publication Teaching notes Tags: Andragogy; Adult education; Alberta; Canada; Learning material; Apprenticeship - adult; Source: Government of Alberta; |
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Image promoting projects in TVET An informative discussion on how to raise the image of TVET and blue-collar jobs in the eyes of the society. A few practical ideas and pieces of advice have been pushed forward. The issues of the difference of TVET development level and its perception by society in different countries have also been discussed. Search using the title 'Image promoting projects in TVET' * Needs a one-time free registration to access the Forum Tags: Target group: Blue-collar; VET - competence-based vocational education; Forum thread; Source: UNESCO/UNEVOC; |
| NEWS in BRIEF | |
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Canada. Two-year study paints tough picture for new Canadians The surveys and interviews show that 7 in 10 respondents are working in poor conditions such as jobs that have irregular hours or violate labour laws. Nearly half work in the "informal economy" – for cash, without receipts – to supplement their incomes. Seventy-one per cent earn less than $30,000 a year. And just 3 per cent who were professionals in their home countries are now working in their fields. The report also noted that 68 per cent of those who could find only casual work had some postsecondary education. |
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Canada. Jason Kenney urges provinces, employers to step up and improve apprenticeship programs While a potentially costly endeavor since many schools got rid of specialized equipment when programs were disbanded, Kenney said employers may "have a role to play" in helping schools "re-acquire" the tools needed to train potential future employees. Kenney also said more needs to be done to facilitate the completion of apprenticeships. More than 400,000 Canadians are registered in apprenticeship programs, he said, but only a “small fraction” complete them and become fully certified. |
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The Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013 The Top 100 Tools for Learning 2013 list was compiled from the votes of over 500 learning professionals (from education and workplace learning) from 48 countries. |
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Higher Education - Is Europe Passé? American colleges still have strong ties with their European counterparts, but many worry that the partnerships aren't multifaceted and strategic. |
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