- We recommend that training programs be made accessible, regardless of income
support that candidates receive. Systemic barriers -- for women, aboriginal peoples,
persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and those with low levels of
education -- should be removed. To improve access to training, we recommend that:
- eligibility criteria for training programs be reviewed and unnecessary
impediments removed,
- counselling be available to all in need,
- scheduling of training be more flexible, and
- training be delivered in a variety of modes to meet the diverse needs of the
community.
- We recommend that the federal government restore access to the training system to
people not eligible for unemployment insurance.
- We recommend that federal and provincial/territorial governments fund multiyear
training programs to ensure their stability over longer periods. Local boards should
playa major role in identifying training needs and monitoring and evaluating training
programs to ensure that these needs are being met.
- We recommend that adult programming and continuing education offered by public
institutions and community-based organizations reflect the needs of trainees and the
demands of the labour market.
- We recommend that employers and labour develop national occupational or skills
standards in consultation with the appropriate labour market partners, such as
government, equity groups, and the education and training community. This
consultation is critical in developing standards that are recognized by both the
education and training system and industry. This is the only way to establish
standards that lead to portability and transferability of
- We recommend that the CLFDB and the federal government support the development
of national occupational or skills standards, where appropriate, and that the federal
government reallocate resources to achieve the development and implementation of
standards. Federal assistance for training should be based on the existence of
standards and should be provided for programs that deliver the skills identified in the
standards.
- We recommend that the CLFDB continue to develop a national standards framework
and establish flexible guidelines and methods for the development, validation, and
evaluation of standards. This framework should promote the electronic storage and
retrieval of standards to prevent duplication and facilitate the sharing of information.