Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship

(CCDA)

Strategic Plan 2009-2012

Approved by CCDA October 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction and Background............................................................................1

Vision ...................................................................................................................2

Mission ................................................................................................................2

Operating Principles ...........................................................................................2

Current Environment and Challenges...............................................................3

Key Drivers for CCDA Decisions in the Next 3-5 Years ...................................6

Strategic Priorities ..............................................................................................8

Strategic Directions and Goals..........................................................................8

A. Governance and Accountability ....................................................................8

B. Strengthening the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program...................8

C. Policy and Innovation....................................................................................9

D. Communication, Promotion and Outreach....................................................9

E. Interjurisdictional and International Collaboration .........................................9

Introduction and Background The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) is comprised of provincial and territorial directors of apprenticeship, and representatives from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). The CCDA is responsible for the management and delivery of the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program (hereinafter referred to as the Red Seal Program). The CCDA encourages harmonization of provincial and territorial apprenticeship training and certification programs. The CCDA, as an organization, does not have vested regulatory powers regarding training and certification in the skilled trades. However, the individual CCDA directors of apprenticeship, as the persons responsible for apprenticeship and trade certification in their home jurisdictions, may hold regulatory powers through specific provincial/territorial legislation. The Red Seal Program represents a standard of excellence for industry and provides greater mobility across Canada for skilled workers. Through the Program, tradespersons are able to obtain a Red Seal endorsement on their provincial/territorial certificates of qualification by successfully completing an interprovincial Red Seal examination (hereinafter referred to as interprovincial examination). The Red Seal Program ensures recognition of qualifications of certified tradespersons throughout Canada based on nationally accepted industry standards. The Interprovincial Alliance of Apprenticeship Board Chairs (IPA) is composed of the Chairs of the Provincial/Territorial Boards and Agencies with responsibility for apprenticeship training and trade certification. The mission of the IPA is to enhance the training and certification of apprentices and journeypersons in Canada. IPA members are invited to attend CCDA meetings to participate and provide advice to the CCDA on matters related to apprenticeship and the Red Seal Program. This strategic plan sets out overarching strategic goals and key strategic directions for the CCDA to achieve over the next 3-5 years. The CCDA Strategic Plan is updated annually. This version (2009-2012) builds on the Strategic Plan of 2008-2011 and incorporates the outcomes of the CCDA strategic planning session of June 2009.

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Vision The CCDA is a leader in the development of innovative industry-driven standards, competency assessment and skills recognition in the trades. Mission To provide a forum for inter-jurisdictional collaboration that facilitates the development of a certified, highly skilled and mobile trades workforce. Operating Principles Industry-driven The CCDA is committed to the full engagement of industry in defining the

occupational standards for the skilled trades, as exemplified by the Red Seal Program.

Rigorous The CCDA is committed to activities that are results-driven and based on

strategic and operational requirements. The policies and strategic directions of the CCDA will be guided by strong evidence-based analysis.

Accessible Jurisdictions and stakeholders will have the opportunity to participate fully in

the initiatives undertaken by the CCDA. Innovative The CCDA is committed to exploring creative ideas and solutions to meet

changing needs, challenges and expectations, including flexible and alternative approaches to assessment and recognition of qualifications.

Responsive The CCDA is able to adapt its processes and products in a timely fashion in

response to changing environments and needs of its partners. All processes will take into consideration quality assurance and the need for a timely response to stakeholder needs.

Accountable Strategic planning, performance management, performance measurement

and reporting are foundational to the practice and culture of the CCDA. Transparent The CCDA is committed to communicating decisions openly and accepting

responsibility for their outcomes.

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Current Environment and Challenges The development of an amended Chapter 7 of the Agreement on Internal trade (AIT) alters the environment in which regulated occupations, including skilled trades, will operate. The amended Chapter 7 allows for any worker certified for an occupation to be certified in that occupation by other jurisdictions that regulate that occupation. The amended Chapter 7 of the AIT provides the CCDA with an opportunity to consider the Red Seal Program in a new context. Despite the fact that a number of stakeholders have expressed concern about potential negative impacts on the Red Seal Program, the revised wording of Chapter 7 opens many new possibilities for the enhancement and expansion of the Program. The amended Chapter strikes a balance between ensuring full mobility for all certified skilled tradespersons and governments’ commitment to continue to support the Red Seal Program as a model for establishing common interprovincial standards. The CCDA needs to take advantage of the new AIT environment to shift gears and increase its efforts to promote the Red Seal Program more vigorously as the preferred industry standard for mobility and excellence in apprenticeship certification. The Red Seal endorsement needs to be marketed more as a prestigious credential than a ticket to mobility. Recently, Canada’s First Ministers recognized that many immigrants struggle to find sustainable employment commensurate with their levels of education and experience, and that current foreign qualifications recognition (FQR) processes and practices in Canada are fragmented, inconsistent, lengthy and costly. As such, in January 2008, First Ministers directed the Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM) to develop a pan-Canadian Qualification Recognition Framework and Implementation Plan by September 30, 2009. As the national body responsible for the Red Seal Program, the CCDA will be called upon to contribute to developing the component of the Framework for the skilled trades. This is consistent with the direction the CCDA is already taking in recognition of the need to make the Red Seal Program more flexible and inclusive by exploring alternative assessment methods for obtaining Red Seal endorsement. The increasing prominence and profile of the Red Seal Program has resulted in greater expectations from industry and a higher level of scrutiny from senior public sector officials for good governance and accountability for the CCDA. The CCDA needs to continue to address governance and accountability issues, such as: to whom and for what is the CCDA accountable; how should results be measured and reported; how the relationship is viewed within jurisdictions; and, what is the role of the Interprovincial Alliance of Apprenticeship Board Chairs (IPA) vis-à-vis the CCDA?

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The current economic downturn also presents a challenge to apprenticeship in Canada, and by extension the Red Seal Program. Despite the current recession, the demand for skilled trades continues to be strong and skill shortages in skilled trades persist in various regions and certain sectors of the economies. Past economic downturns show that there is a one to two-year time lag between an economic decline and the drop off in new apprenticeship enrolments. If such patterns are repeated in the current situation, new apprenticeship registrations could begin to decline significantly over the next year or two, and stay at a relatively depressed level. The duration of the recession and the eventual recovery could also affect completion rates if firms lay off apprentices. What does this mean for the Red Seal Program and how can the Program help address the current and looming skill shortages? The implementation of selected recommendations from the Red Seal Operational Review on product development processes will continue to be a key area in improving the quality of the National Occupational Analysis (NOA) and the validity and integrity of Interprovincial Examinations. Continued efforts are also needed to shorten product development lifecycle. Flexibility and openness will also be needed to accommodate possible integration of CCDA’s other initiatives, such as the Multiple Assessment Process (MAP) into product development processes. Pressure to produce more products under tighter timelines with flexibility to integrate innovative practices while maintaining quality has significant resource implications for the Red Seal product development team and jurisdictional staff. Increased demand for Red Seal endorsement is expected to continue, placing increasing pressures on the Red Seal Program. Approximately 30,000 completing apprentices and trade qualifiers challenge the Interprovincial examinations annually and in 2008, a record 23,187 Red Seal endorsements were issued (apprentices and trade qualifiers). These numbers are expected to continue to increase as more candidates challenge the Interprovincial examinations each year and more trades join the Red Seal Program. The current economic downturn could curtail apprenticeship registration and completions in the short term, as employment tends to recover late in the economic cycle. Increased recognition of the Red Seal endorsement as a valuable standard for worker certification by employers and workers alike will also contribute to an increase in the demand for Red Seal endorsement, adding pressure to the CCDA to ensure the security and integrity of the Interprovincial examinations and the examination item banks. There are continuing and increasing expectations from many industry stakeholders, particularly those at the national level, for increased collaboration and engagement on apprenticeship and Red Seal issues; and for the CCDA and the Red Seal Program to be more transparent and responsive to their needs.

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Finally, given the changing environment, new challenges and increasing pressures on the Red Seal Program, it is imperative for the CCDA to be more focused on its research undertaking that provides strategic value in terms of new knowledge and innovative approaches to apprenticeship and the Red Seal Program. The CCDA needs a mechanism, in consultation with industry and academia, to proactively determine research questions that are effectively aligned with medium-term policy priorities. The research agenda ideally would ensure data sources and research activity provide an evidence base to anticipate policy questions 2 to 5 years in the future.

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Key Drivers for CCDA Decisions in the Next 3-5 Years Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) – The new AIT environment is one in which the Red Seal endorsement must be considered in the broader context in which the mobility of skilled workers is but one element of the Red Seal Program's true value. This means that the CCDA will need to intensify its efforts to strongly promote the value proposition of the Red Seal Program as a standard of excellence, and the Red Seal endorsement as a highly desirable outcome of apprenticeship training and certification in the Red Seal trades. Governance and Accountability – There is continued and increasing pressure for the CCDA to have a clear and transparent governance and accountability structure, including an oversight accountability mechanism for the CCDA, to manage the Red Seal Program and to leverage increased jurisdictional support for the Program and increased industry involvement in the governance structure. Industry expectations – There is increasing demand from industry for the CCDA and the Red Seal Program to be more responsive to the needs of industry and other stakeholders, including pan-Canadian organizations, and to ensure that a specific level of qualification is guaranteed through the Red Seal endorsement. There are expectations for the CCDA to be more transparent and timely in responding to industry’s desire to participate and to be more engaged in Red Seal Program activities including the designation of new Red Seal trades. Federal initiatives such as the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant (AIG), the Apprenticeship Completion Grant (ACG) and the Apprenticeship Job Creation Tax Credit (AJCTC) have generated increased industry interest in having more trades designated under the Red Seal Program. Federal Funding for the Red Seal Program – Increased federal funding for the Red Seal Program will help ensure that the program remains strong and robust and will support the CCDA in moving forward with its strategic priorities in the coming years. Provincial/Territorial support for the Red Seal Program – Increasing demands on the CCDA and Red Seal Program require each province and territory to draw upon its resource capacity to support the Red Seal Program. The level of collective provincial/territorial commitment of resources to support the Program will impact on the scope and level of activities that the CCDA could undertake. Foreign Qualification Recognition (FQR) – First Ministers' commitment to address a pan-Canadian Qualification Recognition Framework in Canada through a Foreign Qualification Framework provides an opportunity for the CCDA to contribute to the development and implementation of the Framework.

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Research and Data requirements – The CCDA needs to develop a more focused and strategic research agenda, taking advantage of the results of the completed research projects and by continuing to mine the National Apprenticeship Survey data to inform and support policy development and decision making of the CCDA and the jurisdictions. The CCDA needs to proactively ensure data collection and analytical research activities are structured to best yield timely and relevant policy advice. Increasing demands on the Red Seal Program – for the Red Seal Program to continue to be relevant, the CCDA must be nimble and proactive in responding to the changing environment and increased pressures on the Red Seal Program.

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Strategic Priorities Governance and Accountability Strengthening the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program Policy and Innovation Communication, Promotion and Outreach Interjurisdictional and International Collaboration Strategic Directions and Goals A. Governance and Accountability Strategic Direction 1: Enhance governance structure and accountability practices to ensure that CCDA operates in a transparent and accountable fashion.

Goal 1.1: A governance structure that advances the achievement of CCDA’s strategic priorities. Goal 1.2: An accountability framework that identifies outputs, outcomes and performance measures. Goal 1.3: Engagement of federal/provincial-territorial senior officials to share information and provide strategic guidance to the CCDA. Goal 1.4: Engagement of national industry to provide strategic advice to the CCDA.

B. Strengthening the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program Strategic Direction 2: Undertake activities in cooperation with jurisdictions, industry, tradespeople and other stakeholders to strengthen the Red Seal Program.

Goal 2.1: Quality Red Seal Program products, management and delivery that meet the needs of industry. Goal 2.2: Innovation and excellence in apprenticeship training, assessment and certification as they relate to the Red Seal trades. Goal 2.3: Occupational performance standards framework that supports skills formation and skills recognition/assessment for the Red Seal trades.

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Goal 2.4: Alternative assessment tools/methods to interprovincial Red Seal examinations.

C. Policy and Innovation Strategic Direction 3: Conduct research and analysis that provide strategic value and support innovative approaches to apprenticeship training and certification, including the Red Seal Program.

Goal 3.1: Research strategies that reflect and support the CCDA’s vision, mission and strategic priorities. Goal 3.2: Capacity in the provinces and territories to undertake policy development and research to inform and support the CCDA’s policy and research agenda. Goal 3.3: Support for and collaboration with other research, policy and academic forums to expand the body of knowledge in Canada related to apprenticeship and the skilled trades.

D. Communication, Promotion and Outreach Strategic Direction 4: Develop and maintain strong linkages with key apprenticeship stakeholders and partners.

Goal 4.1: Increased public awareness of the Red Seal Program as a valuable and prestigious endorsement. Goal 4.2: Proactive collaboration with industry groups and other apprenticeship stakeholders. Goal 4.3: A strong strategic relationship with industry through the Interprovincial Alliance of Apprenticeship Board Chairs (IPA).

E. Interjurisdictional and International Collaboration Strategic Direction 5: Enhanced interprovincial and international collaboration on best practices and knowledge related to apprenticeship training and certification. Goal 5.1: A pan-Canadian forum for jurisdictions to share best practices, knowledge and research.

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Goal 5.2: A pan-Canadian framework of assessment and certification products, processes and procedures that promote efficient use of jurisdictional resources while respecting jurisdictions’ rights and responsibilities. Goal 5.3 Collaboration with international governments and authorities on labour mobility, qualification frameworks, and knowledge, research and best practices in apprenticeship and the skilled trades.