Provincial Educational Initiatives

A number of recent and current provincial educational initiatives related to Employment
Ontario also have particular implications for expanding LBS/AU.

Student Success Strategy/Learning to Eighteen: This provincial government strategy targets youth (those under 18) to stay in school and has resulted in a number of joint school/college initiatives particularly aimed at those bound for an apprenticeship as well as youth-at-risk. Some of these initiatives include expansion of co-operative education programs, recognizing dual credits between high schools and postsecondary destinations, and creating a Specialist High-Skills major within the high school diploma.

Pathway to Prosperity: Ontario’s twenty-four colleges through Colleges Ontario (formerly the Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario) took the lead on a province-wide consultation on the workforce challenges of the 21st century. The consultations included students, employers, businesses, industries, labour groups, educators, and political and community leaders. The consultations confirmed concerns about an impending skills shortage in Canada and the lack of a national plan to address it.

Two priorities that have implications for LBS/AU are

  1. Need for relevant skills – both a higher level of skills (hard and soft skills) and a greater number of people with skills
  2. Need for a flexible system – a more versatile postsecondary education and training system that can accommodate diverse needs of learners and employers

ROYL Report: In the fall of 2006, Colleges Ontario presented a report to the Committee of Presidents on the future of enrollment in postsecondary programming. It was identified that enrollment of direct entry students to colleges had stabilized, but that participation of mature students would continue to grow. This focused interest on the recruitment of adults as well as on the programs that prepare them for success in postsecondary.

Reaching Higher: This provincial government initiative encourages the movement of those traditionally under represented into postsecondary education. Specific target groups are: