Ottawa, December 11, 2019 – Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) in partnership with the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum (CAF) is launching a two and a half year project funded by the Government of Canada as part of the Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness (STAR) Program. The Inclusive Pre-Apprenticeship Pathways Program will help Canadians, and particularly those facing barriers to education, access pre-apprenticeship training adapted to support their success.
To achieve this goal, the pan-Canadian program will gather data to provide a comprehensive overview of pre-apprenticeship training available to Canadians at colleges and institutes. It will then pilot up to five pre-apprenticeship programs designed by colleges and institutes for groups facing barriers in urban and rural locations. To measure pilot outcomes, a results measurement framework prototype developed by CAF will be used.
Ultimately the project will increase Canadians’ ability to explore careers in trades and gain work experience through promising pre-apprenticeship programs. Apprenticeship educators will also be able to evolve their program based on best practice results and lessons learned to support the success of all Canadians.
The Government of Canada’s STAR program funds projects that encourage Canadians, including groups that face barriers (e.g. women, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers, persons with disabilities and youth), to explore the trades, gain work experience, make informed career choices and prepare for careers in the skilled trades.
Quotes:
“As colleges and institutes excel in both trades programming and the inclusion of groups facing barriers, their expertise will be of vital importance in developing this initiative. The Inclusive Pre-Apprenticeship Pathways Program will identify leading and promising practices in offering pre-apprenticeship programs for underrepresented groups that will be adapted and scaled. This will lead to expanded employment opportunities thanks to pre-apprenticeship training opportunities that support a successful workplace transition.
Denise Amyot, President and CEO, Colleges and Institutes Canada
“This project is a great opportunity to partner with Colleges and Institutes Canada. The Canadian Apprenticeship Forum has been leading the research around pre-apprenticeship in recent years and is developing an evaluation framework and tools as a result of input received from 425 apprenticeship stakeholders during nation-wide consultations. We are pleased to have the opportunity to implement these tools during this collaborative project with Colleges and Institutes Canada. Pilot outcomes will help apprenticeship stakeholders understand the impact of pre-apprenticeship programs on individual learners.”
France Daviault, Executive Director of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum
About Colleges and Institutes Canada:
Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is the voice of Canada’s publicly-supported colleges, institutes, cegeps and polytechnics, and an international leader in education for employment with ongoing programs in over 25 countries. CICan’s members add over $190B to Canada’s economy each year and contribute to inclusive economic growth by working with industry and community partners to offer more than 10,000 programs to learners in urban, rural, remote, and northern communities.
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For more information:
Julien Abord-Babin
Senior Strategic Communications Officer
Colleges and Institutes Canada
Email: jabord-babin@collegesinstitutes.ca
Phone: 613-746-2222 ext. 3131
Twitter: @CollegeCan