Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2

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1931 1942 1960 19821910 1985

Establishment of the Royal Commission on Industrial Training and Education

Vocational Training Coordination Act is passed National Training Act is

introduced.

Vocational Education Act is established Technical and

Vocational Training Assistance Act is introducted

Canadian Job Strategy is introducted

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TIMELINE

Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2

Canada’s Response to Vocational Education: Understanding how the past has shaped the present

The growth and development of vocational education in Canada has changed

significantly over the last century. While Canada continues to be one of the “wealthiest and

most productive” countries in the world, the nation continues to struggle with shortages of

skilled workers and development of vocational education programs that meet the ever-changing

demands and needs of society (Ghosh, 1995, p. 6). This paper will discuss some of the historical

events that have significantly influenced the development of vocational education in Canada over

the past century, what impact they have had and how the Canadian government has responded.

Lastly, this paper will examine how well vocational education has been able to respond to the

changing needs of society and what implications the past may have for the future.

Education in Canada was historically seen by administrators as “primarily an academic

activity” (Lyons, Randhawa, Paulson, 1991, p. 138). In the midst of recovery from an economic

depression, lobbyists with the Canadian Manufacturers Association pressured the federal

government to promote vocational education. They argued that Canada needed more skilled

workers if they were to “compete with other industrialized states” (Lyons et al., p.140). As a

result of their actions, the Royal Commission on Industrial Training and Technical Education

was established in 1910. This was a significant step because it was Canada’s first federal

commission on education and it emphasized the need for “massive federal funding” to support

development of vocational education in Canada (Lyons et al., p.140). The government

responded by reviewing sections of the Constitution Act (1867) and identifying legislative

responsibilities they would be required to fulfill. Through this process the federal government

identified the area of agriculture as a starting point and funding was granted for vocational

education in agriculture.

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Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2

Over the next few decades, demand grew for a national education policy on technical and

industrial education. In 1931 the Vocational Education Act was established, replacing the former

Technical Education Act of 1919. The federal government responded by providing

approximately $11 million over a 15 year period to promote vocational education and expand

technical education at the secondary school level. At the time the Vocational Education Act was

introduced, the economy was going through hardship from the depression. People were

interested in obtaining more schooling to “improve their chances in the job market” (Lyons et al.,

p. 142). The Vocational Education Act had a positive impact on the economy and future

workforce because it meant that more training opportunities would be available to individuals

and more importantly, it recognized that “technically trained workers were essential to [the]

country’s trade and commerce” (Suhkan, n.d., p.1). As a result of the funding dollars, some

provinces implemented apprenticeship courses through job training and formal instruction.

As Canada continued to grow industrially as a nation, the onset of World War II left the

federal government responding to “the need for more Canadian manufacturing” (Lyons et al.,

p.142). This resulted in the passing of the Vocational Training Coordination Act of 1942. The

government provided funding for various vocational programs ranging from secondary schools

to apprenticeships. These program provided opportunities for veterans, unemployed individuals

and servicemen to obtain skills training. An advisory council was also established and a 10 year

plan was developed to outline how costs would be share by the provincial and federal

governments. The implications, however, were both positive and negative. For example, “New

Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta developed apprenticeship acts” (Sukhan, p. 2),

but the federal government “laid down conditions or restrictions to determine a province’s

eligibility for funding” (Lyons et al., p.142). This placed limitations on each province’s ability to

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Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2

move forward with further development and expansion of vocational programming. Although

vocational education had come along way since its inception in the late seventeenth century, it

was clear that its ability to respond to the changing needs of society would be “directly and

indirectly affected by federal initiatives” (Lyons et al., p.142). This kept Canada lagging behind

other countries and hampered the development of vocational education from moving forward.

While the gap between shortages of skilled workers and available vocational training

grew larger, the federal government tried to fill the gap with “highly skilled labour through

immigration” (Lyons et al., p.142). When the federal government realized that this solution was

not working, they moved forward by introducing the Technical and Vocational Training

Assistance Act in 1960. According to Sukhan (n.d.), this was “one of the most important pieces

of legislation regarding vocational and technical education ever developed” (p.2). As a result of

this act, the government was prepared to share between 50-100 percent of the costs associated

with vocational and technical education. Both the provincial and federal governments entered

into a vocational education agreement. Enrollment in vocational education program increased,

new program and advisory committees were established and now, “trades persons had

opportunities to become teachers” (Sukhan, p.2). These events had a positive impact on

vocational education and on the workforce. The success of this momentous partnership was

short-lived and the federal government withdrew its funding for alternate training initiatives,

which they believed would be more beneficial, leaving provinces and school boards to pick up

the costs (Lyons et al., 1991).

As Western economies continued to improve, Canada was lagging behind because it “had

not made training skilled labour a national priority.” The country had to start over and come up

with a new plan “as it tried to catch up with other industrialized countries” (Lyons et al., p.143).

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Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2

In 1982 the National Training Act was introduced, increasing federal control once again. The Act

would target specific occupations to meet “employers’ anticipated needs” and address training

shortages in high skill jobs (Lyons et al., p.143). The act also emphasized education of “special

target groups such as women, aboriginal and disabled persons” (Sukhan, p.3). Out of this act

grew a Skills Growth Fund and an employment policy called the Canadian Job Strategy. The

National Training Act proved to have a positive impact and be a viable solution to move

vocational education forward in Canada and address the increasing shortage of skilled workers.

Along with the National Training Act came the Canadian Job Strategy in 1985. Through

this strategy, funding was invested into job entry program, job development and skill upgrading

initiatives. Emphasis was placed on job experience programs rather than vocational training.

Although this strategy created mobilization to get more Canadians into the workforce, it was

limited in that it did not prepare “highly skilled workers for projected shortages in identified

trades” (Lyons et al., p.144). Canada’s future workforce would also see growth as this strategy

gave vocational education a new approach to work from in both employment and pre-

employment education by including women, visible minorities and disabled individuals into

predominantly male occupations.

Vocational education in Canada has significantly grown in response to the changing

needs of society. While it continues to make important advances, vocational education is still

dependent “on federal funding” and many factors that have shaped vocational education “in the

past are unlikely to change” (Lyons et al., pp. 145-146). Despite these barriers, it has been

successful in establishing Canadian vocational legislation, developing interprovincial standards

for apprenticeship programs, and instrumental in the creation of vocational education in

Canadian schools. Further, as a result of legislation, there have been increased skills training

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Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2

opportunities, inclusion of other groups (such as women, visible minorities, etc.) into the field

and most importantly, implementation of the first of several future steps to increase the number

of skilled workers in Canada. Development of vocational education in Canada has been and

continues to be hampered by a variety of factors where “federal involvements served as much to

distort as to encourage” its development (Lyons et al., p.148). While other countries continue to

advance, Canada continues to make vocational education and training a backseat priority. In an

effort to meet the future needs of society, Canada needs to establish vocational education and

vocational preparedness as a national priority and promote it as being a “challenging and

worthwhile” opportunity for Canadian citizens (Lyons et al., p.149).

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Krystle Robinson- Assignment #2

Bibliography

Ghosh, R. (1995). Social change and education in Canada (3rd ed). Toronto, Ontario: Harcourt

Brace & Co.

Lyons, J., Randhawa, B., & Paulson, N. (1991). The development of vocational education in

Canada, Canadian Journal of Education , 16(2), pp. 137-150.

Sukhan, S. (n.d.). Canadian vocational legislation. Red River College, Teacher education.

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