Denis Thibault
Employers, education/training providers, and youth live in parallel universes. The problem for the most part is that they have a different understanding of the same situation. Fewer than half of students and employers, for example, believe that new graduates are adequately prepared for entry-level jobs. Education/training providers, however, are much more optimistic. Three quarters of them believe new graduates are ready to work.
Why are the three groups not seeing the same thing? In large part, this is because they are not really connected with each other. One-third of employers say they never communicate with education providers; of those that do, fewer than half say it proves effective. Meanwhile, more than a third of education providers report that they are unable to estimate the job-placement rates of their graduates. Now students say that they did not have a good understanding of which courses lead to good job openings and wages.
Education/training that leads to employment solutions need to continue to evolve. There are three challenges to such an evolution in my opinion: financial resources for investing in expansion; insufficient employer interest to provide youth with hands-on learning; most employers not willing to invest in training unless it involves specialized skills. What may be solutions for each? I’m not an expert but I found the following in a study called “How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better”
“In the first instance, coupling technology—the Internet and other low-cost outlets—and a highly standardized curriculum can help to supplement faculty and spread consistent instruction at a modest cost.
For the second challenge, apprenticeships traditionally have provided hands-on experience, but there are not enough spaces to meet demand. Technology, in the form of “serious games” and other kinds of simulations, can help here, too, by offering tailored, detailed, practical experience to large numbers at a comparatively low cost. Serious-game simulation could become the apprenticeship of the 21st century. In a sense, the future of hands-on learning may well be hands-off.
Third, employers often are willing to invest only in specialized skills whose value they can fully capture; they do not want to spend money on employees who might take their expertise elsewhere. But for providers, it is expensive to develop solutions for every employer. One proven approach is to offer a standard core curriculum complemented by employer-specific top ups.
Passage from education & training to employment is a complicated one, with different needs and requirements demanding negotiation along the way. What should concern us all is that far too many young people are getting lost along the way.” http://mckinseyonsociety.com/
The mission of the Eastern Ontario Training Board is to consider the journey from education & training to employment and to help facilitate partnerships that can be done to improve it. By providing labour market information and analysis, we seek to help employers, education providers, governments, and people, young and older, enhance the system. This is not a definitive road map, but it is a call to action.
Comments? Email denist@eotb-cfeo.on.ca
