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AfDha Ontario Adult Learning at t he Crossroads Adult le arning in Alberta is a t a crossroads. Although the current post-secondary education and training systenns have served us well, we have reached a point where it i s n ecessary to change direction if w e are to remain a prosperous society in an increasingly competitive world. A number of pressures underscore this need for change: ■ There are increasing demands for more and varied learning opportunities. Greater numbers of youth are seeking post- secondary education and adults of all ages need training and regular upgrading in order to meet the challenge of rapidly changing technologies and workplaces. ■ Employers need more knowledgeable and skilled employees. ■ Taxpayers are demanding greater accountability and efficiency. At the same time, funding for adult learning in A lberta is b eing constrained as the province and the federal government move to address annual deficits and reduce the accumulated debt. Setting a new direction must begin with defining goals for adult learning that are understood and supported by t he people of the Learning is... province. These must become the basis of an innovative system, important to the well-being of individuals, society and the able to respond to emerging social and economic trends while economy. In our rapidly enhancing individual initiative, self-sufficiency and responsibility. changing economic and social environment, learning must In order to define this new direction, we have begun a strategic be a continuous, lifelong process of acquiring new planning process — Adult Learning: Access Through Innovation. skills and knowledge to The goal of this process is to increase access to learning meet new challenges. opportunities and increase the responsiveness of Alberta's post-secondary education and training system, while reduc- Opportunities for adult ing costs through innovative approaches. learning are provided by... the complete spectrum of post- secondary institutions and As part of this exercise, the Department of Advanced Education and other education and training Career Development has initiated a province-wide public consulta- organizations. These groups tion process to involve Albertans in the development of a renewed support activities designed to help individuals achieve system of adult learning, a system that will meet the needs of the specific learning goals. people of the province as they move into the next century. I Ahoul this Document In orde r to define a new direction, Albertans must develop a c lear and compelling picture of the type of adult learning system they want. This involves looldng beyond tiie current system to d iscover and discuss new and innovative ways to m al<e adult learning responsive to the needs of individuals, the economy and society. The purpose of the ISSUES AND QUESTIONS document is t o begin this T R E K D S discussion. In i t w e present the draft of a possible mission statement for Increasing Importance a new adult learning system, as well as summary information on current of Adult Education and trends affecting adult learning in t he province. We also pose a number of Lifelong Learning questions designed to guide, not restrict, the reader in t his discussion. When considering these questions, please recognize that the issues they Statistics Canada's 1990 Adult Education and Training Survey focus on — accessibility, affordability, responsiveness and indicates ttiat Alberta has ttie accountability — cannot be considered in i solation from each other. highest participation rate in Canada A decision in o ne area will affect the range of options available in o ther by a dults In education and training areas. Decisionsonaccess, for example, affect affordability. In t he same programs of all types, due mainly to way, the responsiveness of the system cannot be separated from the high number in part-time learning programs and the participa- accountability. tion of " mature " s tudents. These figures reflect the fact that the Your involvement in this process is v ital to its success. school-to-working transition is no longer a one-time occur- rence, but r ather part of a lifelong Please carefully consider the information presented here, then give us your comments, either in w riting or in p erson at one of the public meet- cOyvcelre . 2/3 of the 1.4 million people ings we w ill hold this September and early October. More complete expected to be working in Alberta in information on the trends in a dult learning and on our current adult the year 2002 are already in the learning system can be found in t he paper PROFILE AND TRENDS. labour force. Given recent changes in the labour market it i s r easonable to assume that an increasing Albertans have said that education and training are vitally important to number of these adults will seek their future well-being. We believe that this is t rue and are committed to educational opportunities to either: involving all Albertans in d ecisions which affect their future. Please • remedy deficiencies in their past education, or contribute your opinions and ideas. Help us develop a new direction for • build on their existing training, adult learning in A lberta. knowledge and skills. Learning is the future. Such opportunities may be Increas- ingly provided by a more diverse range of mechanisms such as employer provided or sponsored training, time off for learning, or other arrangements. MISSION STATEMENT TRENDS The following is a draft mission statement for a renewed adult learning system. We would like to hear your opinions on it. Increasing Pressure on Resources Albertans are committed to promoting lifelong learning opportunities of excellence. These opportunities should be: For many years, Alberta has provided m accessible to Albertans; funding to post-secondary education tiiat, on a per capita basis, is a mong ■ affordable to learners, employers and taxpayers; the highest in Canada. ■ responsive to the economic, social and cultural needs of the Since 1985-86 increases in govern- people of the province; and ment operating grants have roughly ■ offered by p roviders who are accountable for outcomes. offset the effects of inflation. At the same time, tuition fees have in- We believe that the following values provide the fundamental creased. Revenue to institutions has building blocks necessary to achieving a renewed system of adult therefore more than offset inflation. learning consistent with this mission. Institutions have had to make produc- tivity improvements to accommodate ■ There should be equitable opportunities for learning. significantly increased enrolments ■ Information should be available so that learners can make over the same period. informed choices. The link between funding and quality ■ Individuals should show initiative in accessing opportunities and is n ot a simple one. However, it take responsibility for how they use them. seems clear that further enrolment ■ Learning should be linked to innovation and the development of increases, coupled with government new knowledge. plans to reduce the provincial deficit, will result in even more constraint on ■ The responsibility for adult learning is s hared. It m ust involve resources if t here are no changes partnerships among students, educators, business, labour and the made in the way that adult learning community in order to increase opportunities and to share both programs are offered. the costs and the benefits of learning. The capacity of institutions to ■ Investment in education and training should result in identifiable continue to respond to fiscal con- outcomes in t erms of student learning. straints while maintaining accessibility will depend more and more on finding ■ There should be public involvement in setting education and innovative approaches to achieving training policies. improvements in productivity In other consultations, such as TOWARD 2000 TOGETHEH, Albertans have stated that they view an educated and highly skilled population as key to the province's economic prosperity and social well-being. Do you agree with the goals in this mission statemenf. Do the values that are listed here provide the right foundation for the future of adult learning in Alberta? Do you have a i^ision for adult learning in Alberta? ISSUES IN ADULT LEARNING TRENDS ACCESSIBILITY Rising Participation An accessible system is o ne wfiere Albertans find and participate in and Enrolment in Post- Secondary Education learning opportunities that are suited to their needs. One of the main objectives of the strategic planning process, Participation in higher education is Adult Learning: Access Through Innovation, is t o work with the generally higher in Canada than in all other developed countnes with public to find ways to make adult learning more accessible, an the exception of the United States. issue intricately linked to the quality and affordability of adult Total post-secondary enrolment in learning opportunities. Alberta increased markedly over the 1980s, despite a decline in the youth population, and enrolment in the The current growth in Alberta's youth population will inevitably formal post-secondary system is result in larger numbers of high school graduates seeking a post- now at record levels. secondary education. At the same time, changes in the economy are creating a need for innovation and creativity in t he workplace and a This highlights the need to consider a range of factors when attempting commitment to lifelong learning in the labour force. As a result, to forecast future enrolment These more adults of all ages want access to a range of education and include: training opportunities. • changes in the public's interest in higher education The current provincial policy is t o provide all qualified and motivated • conditions in local labour markets Albertans access to the public post-secondary education system, • the effect of part-time student although not necessarily to their program or institution of first choice employment on the length of time necessary to complete a program or to an institution in A lberta. However, it i s a growing concern that • population data, including some adult Albertans are unable to easily access the learning changing participation rates opportunities they want or need. among non-traditional sources of students. The current public system of adult learning is c omprehensive in scope, providing a broad range of programs and services throughout PERCENTAGE GROWTH IN POST-SECONDARY ENROLMENT the province. The 1993-94 budget for the Department of Advanced 1980-81 to 1991-92 University Education and Career Development is $ 1.2 billion. Full-Time ^ : T he public post-secondary system offers a diverse range of credit and non-credit programs through 27 post-secondary institutions, Full-Time ^■48% four community consortia and 85 Further Education Councils. Approximately 80 private vocational schools are also licensed by ■■■ 57% *Total FTE (full-time equivalent) includes residential the province to offer vocational training programs. As well. univeTrostiatile s ,P T EA*th abasca University, the Banff Centre, public and private colleges, technical institutes, Alberta purchases student places in institutions outside of Alberta pGrroavpihn c iianlcllyu d aedsm i cnriesdtite r eedn r oilnmsetnittu t ioonnlsy . and hospital schools. in programs such as veterinary medicine and optometry where costs and student numbers do not warrant provincial programs. Finally, approximately 20 out-of-province universities deliver programs to Albertans, mainly to those already in the workplace. ■ The provincial apprenticeship system currently trains about 25% of all apprentices in Canada. It c ombines on-the-job work experience with technical training. ■ The Students Finance Board provides assistance in the form of loans, grants or training grants to students to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent qualified persons from furthering their education. There is c urrently $336.0 million provided in student financial assistance some of which helps students attend out-of- province institutions where opportunities are not available in Alberta. ■ A regionally-based system of services offering career counselling , information and worker adjustment programs at the community level supports Albertans through labour market transitions. TRENDS Financial constraints have led in some cases to controls on levels of Increasing Numbers enrolment in the current system. However, not all controls are the of High School Graduates result of financial concerns. Those in use at most of Alberta's post- Projected increases in secondary secondary institutions include such things as: sctiool enrolments resulting from ■ the need to select students with the prerequisite knowledge, skills population trends alone will lead to or aptitude for success in a program; a steady increase in the annual ■ the need to match the number of graduates from a program with number of high school graduates anticipated demand in the labour market; and seeking a p ost-secondary education. As recent high school graduates are ■ equity considerations. still the main source of entrants into full-time post-secondary education, Achieving greater access to adult learning will require innovation and this projected increase will mean commitment across a v ariety of sectors. For example, private sector that approximately 18,500 high school graduates will be seeking training and re-training efforts are low in Canada in comparison to higher education opportunities in the our international competitors — especially in small to mid-sized firms year 2005 — 5,000 more than in — and tend to be concentrated among workers who already have 1991. Moreover, greater numbers of high levels of education and skills. adults of all ages are interested in training and regular upgrading to Meeting the challenge of providing lifelong learning opportunities is a meet the needs of the workplace. responsibility that must be shared by g overnment, organizations, This will further increase enrolment business, labour and individuals. All of us benefit from an educated pressures. and well-trained population and all of us have an obligation to 18 -24 AGE POPULATION support learning opportunities. Medium Growth Forecast Until the Year 201 1 Individual responsibility and initiative combined with effective partnerships between educators, business, labour, community and government are all needed to pave the way toward an adult learning system that can meet society's needs. Together we must find ways to use these partnerships to meet future demands in t he face of limited resources. •1971 1977 1983 1989 1995 2001 20o7 B Questions TRENDS ■ How can Albertans ensure that there is appropriate access to adult learning opportunities? Shift in Emphasis in ■ How can we match the aspirations and abilities of indi- Income Support Programs viduals with the opportunities for education that are avail- able and with the needs of society at large? There are an increasing number of calls to shift passive income m What criteria should be used to ensure that learning oppor- support programs into more active tunities are s hared in an equitable manner? measures such as support for education, training and re- training. This s hift has implica- tions for f unding and providing AFFORDABILITY adult education and training programs and for allocating The cost of adult learning must be affordable to taxpayers, learners and employers. spaces. Changes to the federal Unemploy- ment Insurance Act have already There are two key aspects to affordability: how and where to resulted in the reallocation of a acquire resources and how to use resources in the nnost portion of funds to support productive manner. These issues are particularly important at a training. The provincial govern- time when public sector resources are constrained by annual deficits ment has a lso introduced reforms to provide work experience and and the large accumulated debts. The province can no longer re- create training and employment spond tod emands placed on our systems of adult learning by opportunities for social assistance providing additional funds: new demands must be met with innova- recipients. In addition, responsi- tive approaches. bility and f unding for student support has been consolidated According to the HEPORTOF THEALBEHTA FINANCIAL REVIEW under Advanced Education and Career Development to help COMMISSION, March 1993, "The inescapable conclusion, recog- minimize barriers to educational nized byt he Provincial Treasurer in his budget update in January, upgrading and training for the 1993, is t hat the province has a structural deficit, a condition in unemployed. which expenditures will continue to exceed revenues, even in an improving economy. Annual overspending results not from a cyclical downturn in provincial revenues, which might be expected to re- verse, but f rom an inherent imbalance between revenues and expenditures which must be addressed." The province has put in place a f our-year fiscal plan designed to bring spending into line with revenue. This will require reducing provincial spending by a pproximately $3.2 billion. As education, health and social services now account for nearly two-thirds of all provincial program expenditures, adult learning systems will be expected to contribute their share. • Acquiring Resources The government provides approximately three-quarters of the operat- ing revenue of post-secondary institutions. Student fees now account for about 1 1 % of the cost of educational programs, while other funds are provided by private sector donations, and, in t he case TRENDS of university research, grants from federal agencies and other 0 sources. Changing Nature of Educational Program Government has been the major source of operating revenue (public Provision and Delivery post-secondary education and labour market training represents Two main changes are occurring in approximately 10% of all provincial program expenditures in 1993) ttie delivery of education and and will probably continue to fulfill that role in t he future. However, training services. Tfie first is tfiat the commitment to reduce the deficit when combined with the alttiougfi, witf) a few notable demands of other major social programs (elementary and secondary exceptions, employer-ptoy'M training in A lberta and Canada is education, health services, social services) and the need to maintain still low, there is a n increase in the number of employers supporting the province's $4 billion in assets in t he post-secondary system training for their employees, and in means that government funding will be constrained in t he future . private for-profit companies which New sources of revenue and new ways of delivering programs and offer education and training services to other companies and individuals. services must be explored. • Over 500 non-licensed private training organizations are The issue of acquiring adequate resources for adult learning is n ot estimated to be operating in just an issue for government. Acquiring resources also affects Alberta in addition to approxi- training provided by e mployers. Some, recognizing that benefiting mately 80 l icensed private vocational schools. from a skilled and knowledgeable workforce carries certain • Approximately 4800 student loans obligations, already contribute to adult learning. Others assist in were made to Alberta students cooperative education programs or provide direct training and attending private training sponsorship. In general, though, employers still rely heavily on public organizations in 1992-93. The second major change in the institutions funded by t he taxpayer to provide skilled workers. delivery of education and training Students derive significant benefits from their education and there- services is the increasing use of fore should pay a reasonable share of the costs of that education. alternate forms of delivery — both technical and in p rogram delivery Tuition fees in A lberta remain among the lowest in t he country For example, most post-secondary despite a recent policy change which allows institutions to increase institutions in the province offer fees by a pproximately 1 5% annually. Under the current policy, tuition distance education and other alternatives to formal classroom revenue may not equate to more than 20% of operating expenditure. instruction. At the same time, there Alberta's student financial assistance programs are designed to is a n increasing focus on compe- ensure that the cost of education, including actual tuition, is n ot a tency-based programming, where learning is m easured by the skills barrier to access. Methods of making the repayment of student loans and knowledge that students more sensitive to income are being explored. acquire, as well as other non- traditional types of programming Questions such as cooperative programs, which combine formal classroom ■ How should the costs of adult learning be shared by instruction with periods of work taxpayers, individual learners and employers? experience. ■ How should the training and retraining of employees be financed? I ■ Should students be expected to contribute more to their education through higher tuition fees? What changes, if any, would be needed to student financial assistance? • Using Resources Effectively: Improving Productivity Albertans will have to change how they use the resources committed to adult learning if t he number of learning opportunities is t o be increased while funding is c onstrained. Clearly we have to find ways to signifi- cantly reduce and slow the growth of the cost of delivering programs and services. TRENDS In the case of programs delivered by public post-secondary institutions, Increasing Demand 0 this means addressing issues such as the cost and use of teaching for University Research resources, the re-alignment of programs to reduce unnecessary duplica- tion and t he reassessment of the roles of the public and private sectors The demand for university research services has increased. Externally in education and training. It a lso means that government and post- sponsored research in our residential secondary institutions must adopt innovative approaches to reduce costs universities increased from $32.5 and reward effective gains in productivity. Resources must be used in million in 1979-80 to $143.3 million in the most efficient manner possible. 1991-92, an increase of 341%. University research — both basic Currently, most adult Albertans are educated and trained through research, which is d irected at publicly funded post-secondary institutions which are governed by developing new knowledge, and legally autonomous boards. At present, these public institutions receive applied research, directed at specific the bulk of provincial funds spent on adult learning ($935 million in applications — is c ritical to the development of a competitive operating funds in 1993-94). Relatively small amounts are also allocated economy through its role in training to private non-profit or for-profit providers through training contracts, as professionals, scientists and engi- well as through the Students Finance Board's support of private voca- neers and b y adding to society's stock tional school students. of knowledge. Universities face an additional challenge in times of scarce resources — how to allocate re- One of the results of this diverse, community-based distribution of sources, including faculty time, decision-making authority is t hat an extensive range of programs is between teaching and research. delivered throughout the province. This has led to a significant number of programs being provided at a variety of locations in order to maintain SPONSORED RESEARCH INCOME AT ALBERTA UNIVERSITIES: local access, sometimes resulting in higher overhead costs through the A HISTORICAL■ R E$V21I,E20W2 duplication of equipment and facilities and through small class size. Income in T housands ■■ 1984-85 H 1991-92 University One way of reducing this duplication would be to move toward a greater ■0 1979-80 concentration of specialized programming throughout the province. of Alberta ■^■^■^■■^$^58H^ 63 2$ 81,442 University of Calgary However, if w e are to use our limited resources wisely, we must find a $10,978 way to carefully balance the relative costs and benefits of local access |HHy34J57 UnLiveetrhsbirtiyd g oef to a w ide range of programs against the economies of scale inherent in ■■■■ $59,445 centralization. $331 Total ■1^ M$■ 2i,H3 8H 5 IHI | I$I 95^00 ■^^^^■■H $143,272 [$1,511

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