As outlined in Chapter 4, Nicholas has four options for completing his high-school diploma: he can complete a regular secondary diploma; he can obtain a special adult diploma; he can write the GED test; or he can take an academic upgrading program at a college. Any of these options would provide a useful stepping stone towards his goal of obtaining a diploma in hospitality management. However, if Nicholas decides to pursue the GED, he would need to ensure that the GED is accepted by the post-secondary institution to which he plans to apply. (The GED is not usually accepted by post-secondary institutions in Québec). If Nicholas lives in Nova Scotia he may have the additional option of pursing credits that count both towards his high-school diploma and towards a diploma in hospitality management.

Regardless of which option he chooses for completing his high-school diploma, the cost of obtaining a post-secondary credential is quite high. As Table 7.2 suggests, most, but not all, provinces provide free tuition for high-school, and post-secondary tuition fees vary significantly.

But tuitions fees are not the biggest financial barrier. Even in Québec where tuition fees are quite low, Nicholas still needs to figure out a way to cover his living expenses while he is in school. Most individuals find combining full time work and school quite difficult. However, unless Nicholas is able to rely on support from family and friends he would likely have no other option. Moreover, achieving Nicholas’s learning goals is no small undertaking. At a minimum it would likely take Nicholas three years of full time study to complete high-school diploma and obtain a diploma in hospitality.

For the high-school portion of his upgrading, Nicholas would not be eligible for grants or loans, regardless of the province he lived in. The only exception is Alberta, where, under some circumstances, working individuals may be able to gain special permission from Alberta Human Resources and Employment to return to school. If special permission was granted, Nicholas would have his tuition costs covered and he would be given a modest living allowance. Once Nicholas entered a post-secondary program he would likely be eligible for some more support. If he chooses to study part-time he would likely receive a Canada Study Grant of $1,200 and he would likely be eligible for federal and provincial student loans.

In an ideal world, either Nicholas’s union and/or his employer would provide him with some financial assistance. Many Canadian unions do provide some form of scholarships or bursaries to their members who wish to upgrade their skills, however the amounts are likely to be modest. It is possible that Nicholas’s employer has an educational policy that provides at least reimbursement for the costs of tuition and books for programs that are deemed to be job-related.

If Nicholas lives in Nova Scotia, his employer may be encouraged to provide some relevant training through the province’s Workplace Education Program. However, as we suggest in Section 6, in general, most workplaces do little to encourage the educational advancement of their least educated employees.