CVA-ACFP Newsletter
February and March 2014
NEXT DACUM I PUBLIC WORKSHOPS in 2014
  • September 8-11 2014 St-John's, NL
  • September 15-18 2014 Winnipeg, MB
  • November 3-6 2014 Ottawa, ON
  • November 17-20 2014 Calgary, AB
CVA's PICKS OF THE MONTH

Youth Unemployment and Vocational Training
This paper focuses on the determinants of the labor market situation of young people in developed countries and the developing world, with a special emphasis on the role of vocational training and education policies. We highlight the role of demographic factors, economic growth and labor market institutions in explaining young people's transition into work. We then assess differences in the setup and functioning of the vocational education and training policies in major world regions, as an important driver of differential labor market situation of youth. Based on our analysis we argue in favor of vocational education and training systems combining work experience and general education and give some policy recommendations regarding the implementation of education and training systems adapted to a country's economic and institutional context.
Tags : Unemployment - youth; Youth - unemployment; 2014 February bulletin; Article; Target group: Youth; VET - vocational education and training; Youth - employability; Analysis - trends; Source: IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor; en
ARTICLES and PAPERS

Canada. Education the antidote for youth unemployment – especially in Canada: OECD
Youth unemployment has been the scourge of much of the developed world throughout the recession and recovery, but the data show that higher education may be the greatest antidote for this economic toxin.
Tags : Unemployment - youth; Youth - unemployment; 2014 March bulletin; Target group: Youth; Canada; Unemployment; Article; Source: The Globe and Mail; en
 
Canada. Leveraging Training and Skills Development in SMEs: An Analysis of Two Canadian Urban Regions - Montreal and Winnipeg
This study raises three important policy issues. First the uneven development of learning and innovation activities is related not only to size of firms but also to their orientation towards innovation change and shared productivity measures. Second, SMEs, not having internal resources and flexibility to drive productivity growth through learning and training, need some forms of Group based mechanism to solve this structural problem. Finally, the study illustrates the importance, for efficient and relevant skill development, of situated or grounded local approaches proceeding through proper evaluation of local needs and contexts in line with firms’ prospective action plan.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Training - workplace; Canada; Target group: SME- Small to medium-sized enterprises; SME - Small and medium entreprises; Workplace - training; Analysis - comparative; Working paper; Comparative analysis; Source: OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; en
 
Canada. Returns to Apprenticeship in Canada
The paper suggests that although the earnings gap between tradespeople and college graduates remains large, it would not be surprising to see the gap in rates of return close or even reverse once the earnings made by apprenticeships during their training is taken to account compared to the debt taken on by those who choose to pursue a college degree. 
It may well be that once all costs and benefits – training costs/wages and future earnings – are taken into consideration, that an apprenticeship accreditation is as financially attractive an option as the pursuit of a college degree.
Tags : Apprenticeship; 2014 February bulletin; ROI - Return on investment; Canada; Analysis; Return on investment; Training - return on investment; Working paper; Source: CLSRN - Canadian Labour Market and Skills Researcher Network; en
 
Canada must streamline education to turn degrees into jobs
Look at any community college application list, and more often than not, you’ll find a sizable contingent of university graduates. The thought that a university degree is the ticket to instant career success is creating a backlash in Canada. We have more BAs than the market will bear, a growing shortage of practical skills, and an army of kids burdened with huge debt loads after spending upward of seven years in post-secondary education.
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; Canada; School-to-work transition; Shortage - skills; Skills - shortage; Trend - analysis; News; Source: Financial Post; en
 
Canada/British Columbia. Worsening labour shortages stifling B.C. manufacturing sector growth and recovery
Labour shortages risk undermining the recovery of B.C.’s manufacturing sector, which posted the strongest job gains in more than two decades in 2012.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; British Columbia; Canada; Field: Manufacturing industry; Shortage - skills; Skills - shortage; Analysis - trends; Trend - analysis; Trend - employment; Employment trend; Article; Source: Business In Vancouver; en
 
Canada/British Columbia. Programs help new Canadians access trades
The Industry Training Authority’s Immigrants in Trades Training initiative, funded through the Canada British Columbia Labour Market Agreement, helps skilled New Canadians who are unemployed or employed and low-skilled overcome barriers to gaining Canadian certification and entering the trades.
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; British Columbia; Training - skills; Skills - training; Program - government; Government program; Canada; Target group: Foreign workers; Foreign workers; Source: Asian Pacific Post; en
 
Dominican Republic. Life Skills, Employability and Training for Disadvantaged Youth: Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation Design
This paper presents an impact evaluation of a revamped version of the Dominican youth training program Juventud y Empleo. The paper analyzes the impact of the program on traditional labor market outcomes and on outcomes related to youth behavior and life style, expectations about the future and socio-emotional skills.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Training - programs; Dominican Republic; Target group: Youth - disadvantaged; Youth - employability; Employability - youth; rogram - training; Analysis; Source: IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor; en
 
Germany. Penal institution: promoting occupational qualification
1.31 million Euro are allocated for the provision of 163 occupational qualification measure placements at the penal institutions Kiel, Lübeck and Neumünster. The measures range from computer courses to complete vocational education and training courses, as well as integration supervision with a focus on the employment market.
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; Trend - skills; News; Target group: Prison population; Prison population; Occupational - qualifications; en
 
Jordan. Soft Skills or Hard Cash? The Impact of Training and Wage Subsidy Programs on Female Youth Employment in Jordan
This paper studies the impact of a randomized experiment in Jordan designed to assist female community college graduates find employment. The results suggest that wage subsidies can help increase employment in the short term, but are not a panacea for the problems of high urban female youth unemployment.
Tags : Women; 2014 March bulletin; Jordan; Target group: Women; Programs - wage subsidy; Wage Subsidy Programs; Program - government; Government program; Training; Paper; Source: World Bank; en
 
UK. Review of the economic benefits of training and qualifications, as shown by research based on cross-sectional and administrative data
Vocational qualifications and apprenticeships increase earnings by 10-20% and these benefits last.
Tags : Training - return on investment; ROI - Return on investment; 2014 March bulletin; United Kingdom; Return on investment; Workforce - training; Training - workforce; Research paper; Review; Source: Government of UK/Department for Business Innovation and Skills; en
 
USA. The Importance of a Learning Climate in Corporate Training
Corporate training is a huge industry and in many ways corporations are embracing employee development like never before as companies spent over $150 billion on training in 2011 alone. That’s an immense amount of money to spend on training. It also seems like a safe bet that if companies are spending so much money on professional development, they must be getting pretty good returns. But the sad truth is much of that money is squandered due to failure to engender a corporate culture that supports and encourages learning every day of the year.
Tags : Return on investment - training; ROI - Return on investment; 2014 February bulletin; United States of America; Training - return on investment; Workplace - training; Training - workplace; Article; Source: Social Learning Blog; en
 
USA. What Your College Degree Will Be Worth After 20 Years
Those who doubt the value of a college degree may want to think again. New research has found that individuals with a four-year degree make an average of $215,000 more than a high school graduate over the span of 20 years.
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; United States of America; Employment trend; Source: Mashable; Article; en
 
USA. Raising Job Quality and Worker Skills in the US: Creating More Effective Education and Workforce Development Systems in States
This paper proposes a new set of competitive grants from the federal government to states that would fund training partnerships between employers in key industries, education providers, workforce agencies and intermediaries at the state level, plus a range of other supports and services. The grants would especially reward the expansion of programs that appear successful when evaluated with randomized control trial techniques. The evidence suggests that these grants could generate benefits that are several times larger than their costs, and would therefore lead to higher earnings and lower unemployment rates among the disadvantaged.
Tags : Development - skills; 2014 March bulletin; Employability; United States of America; Skills - development; Initiative; Paper; Source: IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor; En
 
International education and economic growth
In recent years international student mobility increased. While net hosting countries are in a better position to win highly educated students for their labour force, they face the additional cost of providing the education. In much of continental Europe these costs are not levied on students, but are borne by the national tax payers, making them an active topic of debate. Borrowing some fundamental equations from the Lucas growth model, this paper addresses the question whether countries benefit from educating international students.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Analysis; International education; Education - international; Paper; Source: Journal of European Labor Studies; en
 
ICTs in TVET
Recent trends in ICTs and TVET put emphasis on the innovation strategy for education and training. Attention is given to skills and needs used by modern firms, working population, and also in arts and science education. In TVET there is a tendency to highlight the “learning by doing” approach. Today, managing work in which responsibilities have been distributed to a high degree among the network of workers is a major challenge. Communication between employees and their managers may be based only on virtual contacts. As a consequence, the demand for TVET is increasing, and education and learning are adopting new forms. The challenges of vocational education are quite similar in countries that vary widely in their current economic level of development. Entrepreneurship, which is closely connected with ICTs, is a very important factor in both the global and local economies.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; ICT - Information technologies; VET - trends; Policy brief; en
 
Why I love having a mentor
Do you ever feel a little lost in terms of the direction of your career, or are you still trying to “figure it all out?” At our age, it’s very common, and you shouldn’t worry that you don’t have all the answers. However, I do have an idea that might be helpful to you. It’s called mentorship.
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; Article; Mentoring; Youth; Source: Government of Canada/Services for Youth; en
 
Refresher Training at Workplace: Why and When?
Most often refresher training is delivered in the areas of compliance, safety, quality, processes and procedures. Now, we will see why you need to refresh knowledge of your existing employees and when refresher training has to be delivered to them....
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; Workplace - training; Training - workplace; Article; Source: CommLab India; en
 
What Are We Learning from Business Training and Entrepreneurship Evaluations around the Developing World?
Business training programs are a popular policy option to try to improve the performance of enterprises around the world. The last few years have seen rapid growth in the number of evaluations of these programs in developing countries. We undertake a critical review of these studies with the goal of synthesizing the emerging lessons and understanding the limitations of the existing research and the areas in which more work is needed.
Tags : Entreprises; 2014 March bulletin; Lower-income countries; Target group: Entreprises; Evaluation - training; Training - evaluation; Analysis; Article; Source: IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor; en
DOCUMENTS
Canada. Closing the Skills Gap: Mapping a Path for Small Business
Report of the Symposium on Skills and Small Business held on November 14, 2012 in Toronto.
A plan for upskilling the domestic workforce must include a focus on SMEs. SMEs need to share their skills and training challenges, learn about best practices, and work with other stakeholders to identify solutions to overcome human resource issues and improve their competitiveness.
Tags : Strategy - workforce development; Development - workforce; 2014 March bulletin; Canada; Workforce - development strategy; Target group: SME- Small to medium-sized enterprises; SME - Small and medium entreprises; Skills - gap; Skills - development; Skills - crisis; Report - meeting; Source: Canadian Chamber of Commerce; en
 
Canada/Alberta. Succession Planning: Retaining Skills and Knowledge in Your Workforce
How do you manage as more of your workers retire? Or as employees in key positions with crucial knowledge move on?
Strategies and solutions Alberta employers have used to transfer and share organizational intelligence within their workforce.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Development - workforce; Employers; Skills - transferability; Target group: Employers; Alberta; Canada; Transferability - skills; Workforce - development strategy; Strategy - Employment; Document; Source: Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education; en
 
Great Britain & US. Rising number of postgraduates 'could become barrier to social mobility'
Careers formerly open to those with only A-levels now seek candidates with postgraduate qualifications.
Related report. The Postgraduate Premium: Revisiting Trends in Social Mobility and Educational Inequalities in Britain and America
It focuses on three main areas within this debate: the changing role of educational inequalities; the expectation of ever higher levels of education as revealed in increasing numbers of workers holding postgraduate degrees; and potential differences by gender.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Comparative analysis; Trend - analysis; Education - higher; Higher - education; Analysis - trends; Analysis - comparative; United States of America; Great Britain; School-to-work transition; Report; Article; Source: Sutton Trust; Source: The Guardian; en
 
Palestine. Revised TVET Strategy
This National TVET Strategy replaces the former edition adopted in 1999. It reflects an important paradigm shift of recent years which places quality and relevance of TVET as its priority.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Policy - government; Reform - VET; Government - policy; Document; Palestine; VET - vocational education and training; VET - reform; Source: TVET in Palestine; en
 
Philippines. TVET task descriptions in the Philippines
Task descriptions in the Philippines.
Tags : VET - vocational education and training; Philippines; Source: TESDA - Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; Task - descriptions; En; 2014 February bulletin
 
USA. Americans Value Higher Education but Question Its Quality, National Survey Finds
Americans overwhelmingly view a higher education as essential to landing a good job and achieving financial security, but they have doubts about its quality and affordability. They also favor changes in higher education that would make obtaining a degree more realistic for working adults. Respondents also support the awarding of credit for prior learning and skills acquired outside the classroom. some also said that they would be more likely to enroll in college if they could receive credit for what they already knew.
Related report. America's Call for Higher Education Redesign
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Education - higher; United States of America; Skills - recognition; Credit - transfers; Evaluation - prior learning; Prior learning evaluation; Higher - education; Analysis - trends; Survey; Report; Trend - analysis; Source: Lumina Foundation; Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education; en
 
European Union. Apprenticeship supply in the Member States of the European Union – Final report
The dramatically high youth unemployment rates in Europe call for immediate action by Member States.
The study recommends that there should be:
- homogeneous quality standards for apprenticeship-type studies
- a balance between specific occupational skills and general skills and competences
- the involvement of the social partners in the design and organisation of apprenticeships, as this is an essential factor for their success
- initiatives taken with students to improve the general image of the vocational education system.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Employability - youth; Policy - employment; mployment - policy; European Union; Youth - employment; Unemployment; Apprenticeship; Document; Source: European Commission/Directorate-General for Employment, _Social Affairs and Inclusion; en
 
European Union. Entrepreneurship in Vocational Education and Training. Final report of the expert group
The aim is to identify existing policies and programmes that promote learning about entrepreneurship within vocational training systems. Entrepreneurship is meant as a combination of mindsets and skills, therefore programmes and courses will be considered that address both aspects. The project focuses on the systems of formal education and training, and on teaching entrepreneurship to young people.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Entrepreneurship; European Union; Field: Entrepreneurship; VET - vocational education and training; School-to-work transition; Document; Source: European Commission ; via UNESCO/UNEVOC; en
 
European Union. Apprenticeship supply in the Member States of the European Union
The present study is intended to provide an overview of the supply of apprenticeship-type schemes in the EU Member States. For this purpose, the study discusses the effectiveness of these schemes in raising employability and facilitating labour market transitions of apprentices in the EU. Also, the study provides a number of recommendations for improving the functioning and performance of this type of VET schemes.
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; Apprenticeship; Field: Apprenticeship; European Union; Analysis - comparative;
Report; Source: European Commission; en

 
International conference – Back to work: the role of validation of competences in professional counselling of adults
Conference in Thessaloniki, Greece, 7 - 8 December 2012
Presentations of interest:
Strengthening the links: Putting education to work
Increasing the quality of guidance in validation processes
New perspectives and challenges in providing career counseling and validation of competencies services
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Validation - competences; Competence - validation; Target group: Adults; Skills - recognition; Conference proceeding 2012; Source: Back to Work ;via CDEACF; en
 
The impact of vocational education and training on company performance
The aim of this study was to summarise the evidence available on the economic benefits of vocational education and training (VET) at company level, by means of a literature review and meta-analysis. Throughout the study the term VET is used to denote employer/enterprise provided training.
Tags : Training - workplace; Document; Target group: Entreprises; VET - vocational education and training; Analysis; Workplace - training; Entreprises: 2014 February bulletin; Source: Cedefop - European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training; en
 
Approaches to Internationalisation and Their Implications for Strategic Management and Institutional Practice
One of the main goals of internationalised higher education is to provide the most relevant education to students, who will be the citizens, entrepreneurs and scientists of tomorrow. Internationalisation is not an end in itself, but a driver for change and improvement – it should help generate the skills required in the 21st century, spur on innovation and create alternatives while, ultimately, fostering job creation. Yet the current economic climate calls for a closer examination of the tangible benefits of internationalisation for the economies and societies of, and beyond, the OECD.
Tags: 2014 February bulletin; Document; Analysis; Internationalisation - higher education; Trends; Higher - education; Source: OECD - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; en
 
Reorienting TVET Policy Towards Education for Sustainable Development (37.75mb)
The only way forward is through reorienting TVET policy towards Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), promoting it in all parts of education, reorienting the curriculum to integrate ESD, building the capacity of teachers, developing learning resources and multi-stakeholder partnership, and monitoring, evaluation and research. “Think globally and act locally” is a slogan which should be used for the future work of the participants to ensure a successful introduction of ESD in the society.
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; VET - development; Thailand; Sri Lanka; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Pakistan; Myanmar; Mongolia; Maldives; Malaysia; India; Fiji; Bangladesh; Report - conference; Education - policy; Policy - educational; VET - vocational education and training; Source: UNESCO; en
 
Jobs and human development
This document focuses on human development. It argues that to advance the global jobs agenda what is needed are the right investments in people, the right skills for people to secure good jobs, the right protection for people against risks arising from volatile economies, and the right mechanisms to help people transition safely and smoothly from one job to another.
Tags : Development - workforce; 2014 March bulletin; Workforce - development; Trend - analysis; Analysis - trends; Document; Source: World Bank; en
 
World Development Report 2013: Jobs (50mb)
The report stresses the role of strong private sector led growth in creating jobs and outlines how jobs that do the most for development can spur a virtuous cycle. The report finds that poverty falls as people work their way out of hardship and as jobs empower women to invest more in their children. Efficiency increases as workers get better at what they do, as more productive jobs appear, and as less productive ones disappear. Societies flourish as jobs foster diversity and provide alternatives to conflict.
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; Workforce; Analysis - trends; Trend - analysis; Annual report 2013; Source: World Bank; en
OTHER
Canada. Credential Evaluation
Tool to determine if a degree is recognized in Canada. Enter a post-secondary degree(s) and obtain an instant equivalency.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Canada; Field: Credential evaluation; Evaluation - credential; Credential - evaluation; Resources; Tools; Source: WES - World Education Services; en
 
Canada. Economic Downturn and Educational Attainment
This fact sheet sheds some light on the relationship between education and labour market outcomes by providing a brief overview of the impact of economic changes on individuals with different levels of educational attainment to identify which groups have been most affected by the economic downturn and which have benefitted most from the recovery.
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; Economic crisis; Fact sheets; Canada; Educational attainment; Educational attainment; Statistics; Source: Statistics Canada; en
 
Canada/Alberta. Skills by Design: Strategies for Employee Development
Skills by Design is a toolbox for employers looking to sharpen the skills of their workforce. The publication makes the case that any business, no matter the size, should have the tools and know-how to build and enhance employee skills. It features the why to, how to and practical what to do of employee skills development.
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Development - workforce; Employers; Development - skills; Alberta; Canada; Target group: Employers; Workforce - development; Skills - development; Toolkit; Source: Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education; en
 
Anticipation of skills needs to Professional Profile labour market
This exchange discusses the skills that are becoming more important in the context of the emerging labour market. Experts from different countries share the approaches that are adopted in their respective labour markets, such as the focus on employability skills.
Search using the title 'Anticipation of skills needs to Professional Profile labour market'
* Needs a one-time free registration to access the Forum
Tags : 2014 February bulletin; Forum thread; Skills - needs; Employment trend; Trend - employment; Source: UNESCO-UNEVOC; en
 
OAPEN Library
The OAPEN Library contains freely accessible academic books, mainly in the area of Humanities and Social Sciences. OAPEN works with publishers to build a quality controlled collection of Open Access books, and provides services for publishers, libraries and research funders in the areas of dissemination, quality assurance and digital preservation.
Tags : Source: OAPEN; 2014 February bulletin; en; Resources; Open access;
 
Interactive map. Global Flow of Tertiary-Level Students
Where do students go to study? Where do they come from?
This interactive map on the mobility of students sheds light on the shifting demand for tertiary education, particularly in the developing world.   
Tags : Foreign students; 2014 March bulletin; Target group: Foreign students; Education - higher; Higher - education; Interactive resource; Map - interactive; Source: UNESCO/Institute for Statistics (UIS); en
 
Infographic. What Skills Do Employers Want from Candidates?
Do you have the skills that would make employers want you? This infographic shows what the employers want, and what the candidates need to get.
Tags : 2014 March bulletin; Article; Trends; Skills - needs; Infographic; Source: The Undercover recruiter; en
NEWS in BRIEF
Canada. Harper announces funding for mining school at Yukon College
The Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining at Yukon College's Ayamdigut Campus in Whitehorse will be a "one-stop state-of-the-art education, training and research facility for people looking to begin a career in the mining industry as well as for those who want to improve their skills," a government-issued press release outlining the funding reads.

Canada. Montreal & Toronto top list for Chinese students
Montreal and Toronto as among the two best cities in the world for Chinese students to get a university education in a competitive world.

Canada/British Columbia. Province spending $4 million on trades training for women
The B.C. government plans to spend $4 million to train women in trades to address the growing need for skilled workers in mining, shipbuilding and the gas and liquefied natural gas industries.

Morocco. Supporting Entrepreneurship and Access to Microfinance for Morocco’s Youth
Two new projects will support entrepreneurship and access to microfinance for disadvantaged youth in Morocco.  The grants totaling US$11.01 million are sponsored by the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Transition Fund.
 
Build a Career Worth Having
A meaningful career doesn't just happen. You have to create it.

Out of Work Over 9 Months? Good Luck Finding a Job
Do the long-term unemployed face a stigma that keeps them from finding jobs? A new experiment suggests the answer is “yes” — at least for low-skilled workers.
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