The Benefits

The partners in the accord claim the following benefits:

• Public sector facilities will be used more intensively.
• Programs will be developed that can be offered in any of the more than 100 communities served by the college-institute system.
• Students will complete programs that earn credits and can be transferred to other institutions.
• Training provided under the Accord can be used as a ladder to other programs.
• Other programs currently being used, like Prior Learning Assessment, may give students credit for the knowledge they already have.

Non-Profit Trainers

Partners in the Accord have also been cautious to recognize the important role of non-profit training providers. Non-profit organizations recognize and serve the diverse needs of their communities. The Accord specifically recognizes this important role.

Role for unions

• Unions representing educators in the college sector have agreed to work with the institutions in responding to the government as a client.
• Unions have agreed to be flexible in providing training services for government. This might include such things as off-site delivery of training, flexible scheduling and hours, and regional delivery.
• Unions have agreed to support the institutions in developing new programs, curriculum and approaches to meet the training needs of government.
• Unions have agreed to assist the institutions in ensuring that the government receives the best value for its training expenditures.
• The accord requires managers to consider using the public system before contracts are offered to private trainers. In some cases, it requires that private trainers be accredited with the Public Post Secondary Education Commission before receiving training contracts.

- Sources: CIEA and the text of the Accord

LAWS ON TRAINING IN QUEBEC AND BC

There is legislation on training which unions can use in Quebec and in the forest products industry in British Columbia.

In Quebec, companies with payrolls of over $250, 000 must put the equivalent of 1 per cent of total payroll into training or pay this sum as a tax to the government for training. An organization called Emploi Québec distributes these funds to employers and unions who apply for support for their training initiatives. Foundation skills are a priority. The 1998-1999 allocation was $15 million. Unions in Quebec can use this law as a lever to ensure that training is conducted in their workplace in an equitable manner which meets the goals of the union.

In British Columbia, the B.C. Forest Renewal program is funded by a stumpage tax on employers, allocated in part to training of unionized forestry workers. Unions such as the CEP and the IWA can access this funding for training purposes. The CEP and PPWC partnered through the JUMP (Joint Union Management Program) to make LEAP possible. (See earlier story, LEAP and JUMP keep things hopping, p. 56)