The federal government wants to produce skilled workers at the lowest cost. Consequently, its programs are aimed at those persons who can be trained immediately -- those who are already literate and those who possess basic science skills. Clearly, under-educated women are not preferred clients for the training programs (see Tables 2-13 and 2-14).

It is no coincidence, therefore, that the federal government is rapidly phasing out Basic Training for Skills Development (BTSD) programs below the grade seven level and that the number of trainees in these programs is decreasing (see Table 2-12). BTSD programs are basically upgrading and life skills programs which allow participants to complete those elementary and secondary school skills required for further occupational training. Substituting for the lower grade BTSD programs are Basic Job Readiness Training (BJRT) programs which are oriented more toward providing job search skills than academic skills.

It is also no coincidence that the number of women trainees funded under the National Training Program is declining. Moreover, the majority of the trainees in the general, non-job-specific training programs are women; and even in these programs, the number of women trainees is declining (see Tables 2-13 and 2-14).

One of the goals of the National Training Program is to increase the participation rate of female trainees to 42 percent overall and to 30 percent in non-traditional areas. Given the lack of emphasis on scientific training in the education of women and systemic sexual discrimination in all areas of society, these goals are not being met. Moreover, the number and proportion of women trainees have declined in all areas of institutional and industrial training. In institutional training programs, the participation rate for women trainees has declined from 29.2 percent in 1981/82 to 25.7 percent in 1982/83, and in the industrial training programs, from 27.1 percent in 1981/82 to 22.7 percent in 1982/83 (see Table 2- 13). Furthermore, the number of women in WINTO (Women in Non-Traditional Occupations) programs declined in every province from 1981 to 1983. In 1981/82, there was a total of 2,192 trainees in the WINTO programs. By 1982/83, this figure had dropped to 1,226 (see Table 2-14).

In her examination of the National Training Program, Henderson (1984) found that:

...although women generally do not enter the National Training Program with less education then men, they generally tend to lack in those areas of expertise most needed to get a non-traditional job; e.g., maths and science credits for computer technology, or practical experience with simple mechanics, tools, etc.¹⁵

Henderson subsequently concluded that there is a need for "bridging" programs for women, particularly in the areas of pre-trades and pre-tech programs in which they could acquire at least some training in basic mathematics and sciences, particularly in physics.

To acquire the basic science skills necessary for participation in the technical training programs, persons must be at least functionally literate. Under-educated women, therefore, cannot take advantage of pre-tech or pre-trade training programs. Before they can enter these "bridging" programs, they must first become functionally literate.

It has been shown that 24.1 percent of the adult female population in Canada is functionally illiterate, and that only 2.0 percent of these under-educated women attend full-time education programs. It has also been shown that under-educated women need to attain not only functional literacy skills, but also technical literacy skills, particularly in mathematics and physics. This implies that education programs for under-educated women must include more than literacy, numeracy and life skills training. They must also include basic education in science. Most importantly, ABE programs for under-educated women should aim to inform women about non-traditional occupations and to give them the confidence to train for, and enter into, these occupations.

Job-oriented ABE programs would help to bridge the gap between under-educated women and the National Training Program, and indeed, any program through which they could acquire the skills for entry into non-traditional occupations. Without this bridge, under-educated women seem destined for a life of poverty and passive citizenship.