- We recommend that all of the partners in cooperative education make every effort to
integrate the learning experience, so that students clearly see the reciprocal relevance
of both learning settings -- the school and the place of work.
- We recommend that future teachers be trained in the cooperative education approach
as part of the core curriculum at university faculties of education.
- We recommend integrating an appropriate monitoring and evaluation system into
cooperative education programs. All stakeholders should take part in the monitoring
and evaluation process: educators, supervisors, and counsellors in the schools and
employers and employee representatives in the workplace.
- We recommend that key personnel in the education system (school boards, colleges,
and universities), private training institutions, apprenticeship programs, and
community-based groups establish linkages to create a continuum of opportunities
and career paths.
Training
- We recommend that labour market partners, working through local boards, identify
the training needs in a community -- both employers' needs and individuals' needs.
Local boards should assess training needs, collect and disseminate information on
skills in demand and training programs available, and guide training delivery.
- We recommend that training providers (educational institutions and community-based
trainers) adopt a holistic approach to training delivery -- integrating a wide range
of services to support specific clients' needs and developing a capacity to respond
quickly to local labour market needs.
- We recommend that professional associations and employers ensure that training and
career development are provided to training professionals, to allow them to adapt to
and support the changing learning environment.
- We urgently recommend that federal and provincial/territorial governments work
together to coordinate training initiatives.