Toronto, January 5, 2009 – The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) is pleased to announce the release of a new research paper, Apprenticeship Training in Ontario: Literature Review and Options for Further Research. Prepared by HEQCO research analyst Graeme Stewart, the paper provides a brief overview of the relevant literature on apprenticeship training in Ontario, Canada, and around the world. It is also identifies a series of research questions aimed at developing a better understanding of how apprenticeship in Ontario may be improved and expanded.
“Apprenticeship training is an important—but often neglected—postsecondary pathway in Ontario,” said Dr. Ken Norrie, vice-president of research for the Council. “This paper helps HEQCO better understand the potential challenges facing our province’s apprenticeship system.”
After a brief historical and theoretical discussion of apprenticeship training, the paper identifies potential challenges facing apprentices and employers in Ontario, including barriers to pursuing an apprenticeship, deficiencies in system performance, and regulatory and inter-jurisdictional issues. The paper also highlights a variety of future research projects designed to assess the performance of the provincial apprenticeship system, determine promising practices for skilled trades training in other jurisdictions, and improve the responsiveness of apprenticeship training to Ontario’s economic needs.
“HEQCO is committed to conducting research on all major aspects of postsecondary education, with a view to discovering ways to improve it,” said Dr. James Downey, president and CEO of the Council. “This paper is an important first step in understanding how Ontario’s apprenticeship system works, and in identifying areas where further research and policy advice are needed.”
In the coming months, HEQCO will initiate a series of projects on apprenticeship training. These research papers will include an assessment of how the current apprenticeship system meets Ontario’s economic needs, and an exploration of how the apprenticeship training model can be expanded into new industries and careers.
About the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario is an arm’s-length agency of the Government of Ontario dedicated to ensuring the continued improvement of the postsecondary education system in Ontario. The Council was created through the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Act, 2005. It is mandated to conduct research, evaluate the postsecondary education system, and provide policy recommendations to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities with a view to enhance the quality, access, and accountability of Ontario’s higher education system.
For further information, please contact:
Ainsley Matthews
Events and Communications Coordinator
Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
(416) 212 5248
amatthews@heqco.ca
www.heqco.ca