timeline
TRANSCRIPT
Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2
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1931 1942 1960 19821910 1985
Establishment of the Royal Commission on Industrial Training and Education
Vocational Training Coordination Act is passed National Training Act is
introduced.
Vocational Education Act is established Technical and
Vocational Training Assistance Act is introducted
Canadian Job Strategy is introducted
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TIMELINE
Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2
Canada’s Response to Vocational Education: Understanding how the past has shaped the present
The growth and development of vocational education in Canada has changed
significantly over the last century. While Canada continues to be one of the “wealthiest and
most productive” countries in the world, the nation continues to struggle with shortages of
skilled workers and development of vocational education programs that meet the ever-changing
demands and needs of society (Ghosh, 1995, p. 6). This paper will discuss some of the historical
events that have significantly influenced the development of vocational education in Canada over
the past century, what impact they have had and how the Canadian government has responded.
Lastly, this paper will examine how well vocational education has been able to respond to the
changing needs of society and what implications the past may have for the future.
Education in Canada was historically seen by administrators as “primarily an academic
activity” (Lyons, Randhawa, Paulson, 1991, p. 138). In the midst of recovery from an economic
depression, lobbyists with the Canadian Manufacturers Association pressured the federal
government to promote vocational education. They argued that Canada needed more skilled
workers if they were to “compete with other industrialized states” (Lyons et al., p.140). As a
result of their actions, the Royal Commission on Industrial Training and Technical Education
was established in 1910. This was a significant step because it was Canada’s first federal
commission on education and it emphasized the need for “massive federal funding” to support
development of vocational education in Canada (Lyons et al., p.140). The government
responded by reviewing sections of the Constitution Act (1867) and identifying legislative
responsibilities they would be required to fulfill. Through this process the federal government
identified the area of agriculture as a starting point and funding was granted for vocational
education in agriculture.
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Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2
Over the next few decades, demand grew for a national education policy on technical and
industrial education. In 1931 the Vocational Education Act was established, replacing the former
Technical Education Act of 1919. The federal government responded by providing
approximately $11 million over a 15 year period to promote vocational education and expand
technical education at the secondary school level. At the time the Vocational Education Act was
introduced, the economy was going through hardship from the depression. People were
interested in obtaining more schooling to “improve their chances in the job market” (Lyons et al.,
p. 142). The Vocational Education Act had a positive impact on the economy and future
workforce because it meant that more training opportunities would be available to individuals
and more importantly, it recognized that “technically trained workers were essential to [the]
country’s trade and commerce” (Suhkan, n.d., p.1). As a result of the funding dollars, some
provinces implemented apprenticeship courses through job training and formal instruction.
As Canada continued to grow industrially as a nation, the onset of World War II left the
federal government responding to “the need for more Canadian manufacturing” (Lyons et al.,
p.142). This resulted in the passing of the Vocational Training Coordination Act of 1942. The
government provided funding for various vocational programs ranging from secondary schools
to apprenticeships. These program provided opportunities for veterans, unemployed individuals
and servicemen to obtain skills training. An advisory council was also established and a 10 year
plan was developed to outline how costs would be share by the provincial and federal
governments. The implications, however, were both positive and negative. For example, “New
Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta developed apprenticeship acts” (Sukhan, p. 2),
but the federal government “laid down conditions or restrictions to determine a province’s
eligibility for funding” (Lyons et al., p.142). This placed limitations on each province’s ability to
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Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2
move forward with further development and expansion of vocational programming. Although
vocational education had come along way since its inception in the late seventeenth century, it
was clear that its ability to respond to the changing needs of society would be “directly and
indirectly affected by federal initiatives” (Lyons et al., p.142). This kept Canada lagging behind
other countries and hampered the development of vocational education from moving forward.
While the gap between shortages of skilled workers and available vocational training
grew larger, the federal government tried to fill the gap with “highly skilled labour through
immigration” (Lyons et al., p.142). When the federal government realized that this solution was
not working, they moved forward by introducing the Technical and Vocational Training
Assistance Act in 1960. According to Sukhan (n.d.), this was “one of the most important pieces
of legislation regarding vocational and technical education ever developed” (p.2). As a result of
this act, the government was prepared to share between 50-100 percent of the costs associated
with vocational and technical education. Both the provincial and federal governments entered
into a vocational education agreement. Enrollment in vocational education program increased,
new program and advisory committees were established and now, “trades persons had
opportunities to become teachers” (Sukhan, p.2). These events had a positive impact on
vocational education and on the workforce. The success of this momentous partnership was
short-lived and the federal government withdrew its funding for alternate training initiatives,
which they believed would be more beneficial, leaving provinces and school boards to pick up
the costs (Lyons et al., 1991).
As Western economies continued to improve, Canada was lagging behind because it “had
not made training skilled labour a national priority.” The country had to start over and come up
with a new plan “as it tried to catch up with other industrialized countries” (Lyons et al., p.143).
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In 1982 the National Training Act was introduced, increasing federal control once again. The Act
would target specific occupations to meet “employers’ anticipated needs” and address training
shortages in high skill jobs (Lyons et al., p.143). The act also emphasized education of “special
target groups such as women, aboriginal and disabled persons” (Sukhan, p.3). Out of this act
grew a Skills Growth Fund and an employment policy called the Canadian Job Strategy. The
National Training Act proved to have a positive impact and be a viable solution to move
vocational education forward in Canada and address the increasing shortage of skilled workers.
Along with the National Training Act came the Canadian Job Strategy in 1985. Through
this strategy, funding was invested into job entry program, job development and skill upgrading
initiatives. Emphasis was placed on job experience programs rather than vocational training.
Although this strategy created mobilization to get more Canadians into the workforce, it was
limited in that it did not prepare “highly skilled workers for projected shortages in identified
trades” (Lyons et al., p.144). Canada’s future workforce would also see growth as this strategy
gave vocational education a new approach to work from in both employment and pre-
employment education by including women, visible minorities and disabled individuals into
predominantly male occupations.
Vocational education in Canada has significantly grown in response to the changing
needs of society. While it continues to make important advances, vocational education is still
dependent “on federal funding” and many factors that have shaped vocational education “in the
past are unlikely to change” (Lyons et al., pp. 145-146). Despite these barriers, it has been
successful in establishing Canadian vocational legislation, developing interprovincial standards
for apprenticeship programs, and instrumental in the creation of vocational education in
Canadian schools. Further, as a result of legislation, there have been increased skills training
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opportunities, inclusion of other groups (such as women, visible minorities, etc.) into the field
and most importantly, implementation of the first of several future steps to increase the number
of skilled workers in Canada. Development of vocational education in Canada has been and
continues to be hampered by a variety of factors where “federal involvements served as much to
distort as to encourage” its development (Lyons et al., p.148). While other countries continue to
advance, Canada continues to make vocational education and training a backseat priority. In an
effort to meet the future needs of society, Canada needs to establish vocational education and
vocational preparedness as a national priority and promote it as being a “challenging and
worthwhile” opportunity for Canadian citizens (Lyons et al., p.149).
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Bibliography
Ghosh, R. (1995). Social change and education in Canada (3rd ed). Toronto, Ontario: Harcourt
Brace & Co.
Lyons, J., Randhawa, B., & Paulson, N. (1991). The development of vocational education in
Canada, Canadian Journal of Education , 16(2), pp. 137-150.
Sukhan, S. (n.d.). Canadian vocational legislation. Red River College, Teacher education.
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