• differentiation and recognition of the ALT function within firms,
• an innovation and research support program co-managed by the partners
• strengthening and networking of the 30 Sectoral Committees
• the establishment of 17 Regional Committees
• the modernization of the Workplace Apprenticeship Program and;
• establishment of the Workforce Skills Development and Recognition Framework.

The development of these bodies and programs has led to significant changes in coordination ('concertation') and consultation at all levels among the four clearly identified groups of actors: employers, unions, representatives of the social economy and government. Moreover, the most recent legislative reforms in 2007, which have strengthened this coordination and extended it to initiatives to recognize skills and provide new ALT joint initiatives among SMEs, through the mutuelles de formation, clearly indicate that all players view these aspects favourably.

The separate development of ALT funds (industrial and residential) in the construction industry (Charest et Dubeau, 2003), using the mandatory contributions of employers, should also be noted. In all these cases, the duty imposed is the result of consultation and the funds (which may not be deposited into the government's consolidated revenue government fund), are managed co-operatively.

Finally, we should note the tendency to include provisions on adult learning and training in collective agreements; also, through the increasing interplay between employers and unions on qualification and skill development issues at the sectoral level, a new trend is emerging for sectoral consultation and informal negotiation among economic partners (Charest, 2006).

The third distinctive feature of the situation in Quebec is the adoption in 2002 by Cabinet of a Government Policy on Adult Education and Continuing Education and Training. One of the pillars of this policy is the promotion of and emphasis on work- related learning and skill development by stimulating the learning demand, increasing the participation of the various stakeholders in defining workplace needs and adjusting the terms and conditions of ALT to the needs of the labour force. The two main government ministries that are involved, Education, and Employment and Social Solidarity, are in the process of developing the 2008–2013 Action Plan, to follow the 2002–2007 plan.

The picture of ALT painted in this report also includes the "engineering" of ALT and continuing skill development, and the increasingly differentiated role played by ALT in the structure and policies of firms. Thus, according to the available data, planning and capturing the expression of learning demand are becoming more structured, but have still not developed evenly. This is true not only when comparing by sector of activity, type of personnel or the extent to which individual aspirations are taken into account, but also in terms of the extent to which recognition of employees' prior informal and non-formal learning takes place. The trends observed in the engineering of ALT, for example, the handling of different ALT approaches in light of the work context and skills in question (technical versus soft skills), offer promising avenues for research and development.