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Association of Canadian Community Colleges

Presentation to the

Canada-Caribbean-Central AmericaPartnership Forum

Paul Brennan, VP Partnership Programs, ACCCGerald Ingersoll, Chief Learning Officer, NBCC

November 1, 2008

St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador

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Who we are

• 150 Post-Secondary institutions of Applied Learning • Under provincial/territorial jurisdiction• Community Colleges, Colleges, Cégeps, Institutes of

Technology, Polytechnics & University Colleges• Campuses in over 1,000 communities• 1.5 million+ learners• 65,000 employees• Multicultural in nature

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Canadian Educational System(for most provinces)

Post-Graduate Studies (17-22..)

TraditionalUniversities (13-16)

Secondary Education (9-12)

Primary Education (2K+8)

Colleges & Institutes(13-16)

Adults

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Common Attributes

• Applied Learning and Research

• Accessible to all who want to learn

• Learner-focused, student success

• Connected to industry/employers

• Global in outlook

Core competencies

with broad diversity

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Collaboration and Innovation in the Americas ?

1. How to better link our learning systems to the needs of the labour market of our region

2. The role that Distance Learning and ICTs can play in that

3. Partnerships that are currently active and that could be happening in the near future

4. Issues, challenges and next steps?

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1. CONNECTED AT 3 LEVELS

• Local : Employer Program Advisory Committees for EVERY Program, who meet twice/year to tell us how to adjust our programs to new employment realities;

• Provincial: Joint Labour Market Committees of Employers, Unions and Government to determine provincial standards and learning outcomes;

• National 34 National Human Resource Sector Councils to do National Labour Market Studies, Standards, Mobility and Transferability.

Region of the Americas ?: Common Issues, Common sectors of employment? Common employers?

Common or recognized standards? Forum for dialogue?

Ex.: Tourism training and employment?

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2. Various delivery modes available

• Could distance and e-learning allow us to collaborate in new ways?– Joint diplomas– E-learning plus internships in other country– Joint class discussions on common issues– Joint applied research by faculty– A certificate of the Americas– Collaboration with the OAS and its resources

Can we do a better job of preparing citizens of the world, of the Americas?

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3. ACCC Partnerships in the Caribbean & Central America over 25 years

• Multilateral Program 3 IFI projects (IADB, CDB, WB)

• Bilateral Program8 CIDA-funded projects

• Canadian College Partnership Program (CCPP)28 projects in 10 countries

• Value of over $30,000,000, plus in-kind contributions for partnership projects

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Sample Project

Technical and Vocational Up-datingOutcomes: increased capacity to deliver

technical and vocation education; and foster business and industry partnerships, including the use of advisory committees, cooperative education programs and labour market assessment techniques

Caribbean partner: Cyril Potter College of Education, Guyana

Canadian Partners: Humber Institute of Technology & Applied Learning, Champlain Regional College

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Findings from IADB Research Project College Models in the Caribbean

• Business and industry are not well integrated into the post-secondary system

business interaction on curriculum development helps identify current

business practices that drive a dynamic and relevant curriculum change process

• Training is more demand-side rather than supply-side need to better align education to meet

the needs of the labour market outcome-based curriculum is responsive

to employment needs

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Findings from IADB Research Project College Models in the Caribbean

• Need for Total Quality Management approach to community college management feedback mechanisms from students, clients

and business sector to ensure effectiveness of programs

work is measured through performance indicators

mechanisms for tracking trends & improvements over time, getting industry advice and curriculum and program development

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Issues, challenges, potential

• Sustainability of changes and of partnerships requires integrated approaches not one-offs

• Through the lessons learned in international cooperation ACCC has developed its integrated approach to support reform in the technical and vocational education systems;

• It involves providing support at the ministry, institutional and network levels to ensure greater chance of success and sustainability of change.

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BInstitutionalPartnership

CCapacity Building Network

[Country, Region]

CCapacity Building Networks IDRC, UNEVOC, WHO…

CCapacity Building Network

[Employers]

BInstitutionalPartnership

BInstitutionalPartnership

BInstitutionalPartnership

BProgram Reform by

competencies, Employer partnerships, Institutional

Management, Entrepreneurship

Development

CCapacity Building Network

[Other ACCC projects]

CCapacity Building Network

[Trade Associations]

CCapacity Building Network

[South - South]

EDUCATION FOR EMPLOYMENTAdjusting training to actual country and sector needs

ACCC Integrated Approach to ACCC Integrated Approach to Sustainable Development CooperationSustainable Development Cooperation

AAt the Ministry Level

A Change Management Team re Orientations, Policies, Structures.

(Presided by the country representative, assisted by a long-term Canadian technical

advisor and short-term advisors)

Based on the Country priorities and within a

coordinated reform context

Systemic approach by Intervening at 3 levels:A – MinistriesB – Training Institutions (Secondary & Post-Sec.)C – National, Regional & International networks

Coordinated approach with:• Country priorities• SWAP interventions• Other similar projects• Chambers of Commerce• Regional initiatives

Association of Canadian Community Colleges, 2007

Country- led by their choosing:- Priorities, Issues & Sectors- Their Pilot Institutions- Their desired Canadian partners

Sustainability built upon:- Closer links to employers- Closer links to the Community- Multi-purposing of Equipment

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4. Next Steps?

• An integrated approach to helping Caribbean institutions better meet their own and regional labour market needs? A sectoral approach?

• Collaboration between UWI-Virtual Campus and college distance learning networks in Canada?

• Use of the ICTs regionally in many programs?• Better use of the Canada-Caricom, OAS

scholarship programs?• Canada and Central America?

A region of the Americas that knows itself better and better prepares its learners for

global citizenship, mobility, joint applied research, more ‘innovative societies’?