Education (EDUC) 210

Overview

Education 210 is a three-credit, junior-level introduction to the Canadian labour market training system. Labour market training comprises policies, programs, and activities intended to result in an adequate number of appropriately trained workers. In Canada, the labour market training system has four main components: postsecondary education, government labour market policy, employer workplace training, and community education.

The Canadian training system is often criticized as ineffective. This course suggests that this critique may reflect a lack of appreciation of the political nature of labour market training, wherein multiple stakeholders seek to achieve conflicting interests. This political analysis of labour market training (i.e., who benefits from it and how) provides important context for the technical information (i.e., what happens and how is it done) also contained in the course.

During the course, you will have the opportunity to gather, analyze, and use information about labour market training in your jurisdiction. Understanding what information is available and learning how to apply it to real-life labour market issues is an important skill for making evidence-based decisions. Of particular interest is how this data can reveal how our training experiences differ based upon our ages, genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic statuses. We will focus specific attention on the training experiences of women, Indigenous Canadians, and immigrants.

Outline

• Unit 1: Introduction to Canada’s Training System
• Unit 2: Postsecondary Education and Apprenticeship Training
• Unit 3: Labour Market Training Policy in Canada
• Unit 4: Workplace Training and Learning
• Unit 5: Community-Based Education and Training for Teaching and Learning
• Unit 6: Conclusion

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to

• define the four main fields of labour market training in Canada;
• explain how labour market training intersects with other areas of labour relations and public policy;
• critique the operation of the Canadian labour market training system with particular attention to the experiences of women, Indigenous Canadians, and immigrants;
• utilize data about labour markets and labour market training to inform decisions about training; and
• demonstrate competency in oral and written communication skills, including how to properly acknowledge the sources of information.

Evaluation

This course requires you to complete three telephone quizzes, two written assignments, and a final examination. To pass the course, you must have a composite (i.e., overall) grade of at least 50 percent and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final exam.

The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.

To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.

Materials

Digital course materials

Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:

Barnetson, B. (2018). The Canadian labour market training system. Edmonton: Athabasca University.

All other materials for this course can be found online.

Challenge for credit

Overview

The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.

Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Evaluation

To receive credit for the EDUC 210 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) or greater on a 3000-word essay that responds to four given questions. Credit is awarded on a pass/fail basis only.

Important links

• Academic advising
• Program planning
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