(BC)PLAN

By Chris Brown
October 30, 2011

BCPLAN board members and advisors have been working hard this month looking at ways to position the or­­ganization to make the greatest impact for adult learners in BC.

Five priorities have been identified and are currently being explored by members for consideration in the strategic plan:

1. To make PLAR practitioner training options available in BC.
2. To demonstrate that PLAR meets economic needs, saves money and supports the labour market goals of any government.
3. To make employment service centres hubs for PLAR activities in each region.
4. To substantially increase representation of BC employers involved in BC PLAN partnerships.
5. To secure sustained financial support from provincial and federal governments.

We are seeking input from all interested parties. Please use the comments field below to share your thoughts and opinions.

Category: Progress Report
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By Chris Brown
October 20, 2011

Last month, premier Christy Clark laid out her plan for jobs in BC with her report Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan. In it, the government announces several items of interest to BCPLAN:

First, $15 million will be provided annually from the Labour Market Agreement to create regional workforce tables consisting of employers, labour, industries, communities, local chambers of commerce, and post-secondary institutions.

“Their input will inform how the Province delivers regionally based skills development programs, including $15 million to further support regional post-secondary institutions in addressing local labour needs.”

Second, $6 million will be provided annually to industry sector partnerships.

“[This will] help them identify their skill and workforce needs, with additional funding for upgrading skills so workers can benefit from these opportunities.”

Third, a plan to host a trades training conference this year.

“…bringing all partners together to identify ways to enhance the province’s trades training programs.”

In addition, the government plans further actions in the coming months aimed at “improving access to skills and apprenticeship training,” as well as, “exploring the potential for a single body to oversee formal credential assessments for foreign-trained professionals.”

We are excited about the government’s commitment to adult learners in the province and we are looking forward to exploring ways for BCPLAN to promote recognition or prior learning as a part of the solution.

Click here to read the full jobs plan.

Category: News Articles
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By Chris Brown
March 10, 2011

The Pan Pacific’s Executive Chef, Daryle Nagata works as an assessor with the Multiple Assessment Pathways (MAP) project.

“In the restaurant industry, working under the old system of standardized written assessments, we had known for some time that the certification system wasn’t fully meeting the needs of the industry.” It’s true. Prior to the introduction of ITA’s MAP system, chefs were expected to pass traditional, one-dimensional tests in order to attain certification. “But how do you judge taste on a written exam?” Daryle asks. “So when a chef presented their certification with their resume, it was a start, but we still had a lot of work to do to determine if the chef met industry standards.”

“Of course, we still do our homework, you always have to when you hire someone, but knowing that a chef has been certified using Multiple Assessment Pathways, makes it a lot easier. We know that the chef’s skills have been evaluated in person by a trained assessor, and that’s worth a lot more than passing a written exam.”

The program does not allow Daryle to assess members of his own team who are looking to further their certification, so he finds himself mentoring any of his team members with aspirations. “We want everyone to succeed and this program allows me to be a part of their success. It inspires people.”

“I’m so impressed by the work that’s been done to implement this system. Since it’s a much more authentic way to assess chefs, and much more useful as a tool for our industry, there has been tremendous buy-in from all of the stakeholders.”

Category: Success Stories
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By Chris Brown
March 7, 2011

Gladys Ortiz immigrated to Canada from Columbia in 2002. While living in Columbia, she received a Masters degree in Community Development and worked for her municipal government as a Social Dietician and Community Nutritionist for ten years. She also instructed part time at a local university.

When she moved to Canada she had intermediate English skills. She started looking for work but found it very difficult because she had no Canadian work experience and potential employers often thought she was over-qualified. “It was nearly impossible, I started to leave my education off of my resume.” Frustrated that she was only able to find work in shipping and receiving, Gladys continued to look for jobs more related to her skills.

Early in 2010, Gladys heard about a program for foreign-trained professionals at Douglas College called the Tri-Cities Intercultural Workplace Project. After contacting Douglas College for more information about the program, Gladys was sure she had found a resource that could help her overcome the barriers that had prevented her from finding satisfying work in her field.

She began the course in February 2010 and, since it was government funded, there was no cost to her. In addition, she received $400 a month to cover the cost of books, gas, transit etc.

Three aspects of the program were most helpful to Gladys:

1. English for foreign-trained professional: In this course students improve their verbal and written English. They also update their resumes, learn interview skills, and discuss job application strategies. They learn about the services and institutions available to support them in the Tri-Cities area.
2. Introduction to community: In this course students learn about Canadian culture. Gladys said this was especially valuable because it has given her confidence to approach and communicate with business professionals because she understands Canadian culture better. Some of the topics covered in this course were economics, diversity, justice, how to approach difficult social issues (first nations, homelessness etc.), and exploring opportunities in a new culture.
3. 100-hour practicum in the local community: Students were placed in a job in their desired field and assigned a mentor. Gladys said this was a fabulous experience because it allowed her to start building a network with professionals working in her area of interest.

Gladys completed the program in August 2010. Although she hasn’t found a job yet, her updated resume is getting her more interviews and her level of confidence in interviews has increased. The staff at Tri-Cities Intercultural Workplace Project continue to be available to support Gladys.

Gladys said that she feels confident, hopeful, and excited about her future. Her job search experience since completing the Intercultural Workplace program is like “being in a completely different universe!”

Category: Success Stories
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By Chris Brown
March 2, 2011

With more than five years of managerial experience in the hospitality industry, Jillian Smith saw the Vancouver Career College Hospitality Management Degree Advanced Placement Cohort Program as an opportunity to open doors for her career. The program sees participants from diverse groups of differing experiences learn from industry colleagues by engaging with program partners.

In addition to earning a credential, Jillian points out many other practical benefits. She built immensely valuable relationships with industry contacts throughout the duration of the program, and gained a much broader perspective in the field. “This program puts you in a stronger position within the industry.”

All cohort students are required to do an independent study project in their second summer as part of “giving back” to their employer (many of whom cover up to half of the program costs). Jillian’s report surveyed corporate social responsibility and her conclusions/recommendations were given to her employer the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Jillian Smith has been the International Sales Manager of the Vancouver Convention Centre since 2006.

Category: Success Stories
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A broad range of British Columbia’s educators and administrators convened recently to re-discover PLAR with a new energy, a new focus, and a new urgency. “This is not your grandmother’s PLAR” became the battle cry of the British Columbia Prior Learning Action Network (BCPLAN) Summit gathering at which the BCPLAN was declared as a not-for-profit society. This paper describes and situates BCPLAN as an emergent PLAR entity and considers its potential success against a historical background and a range of current issues.

Read the full paper published in the Canadian Journal of University Continuing Education (fall 2010).

Category: Discussion Papers
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Athabasca University hosts a rich resource of PLAR resources including:

• A virtual portfolio
• PLAR document templates
• How-to guides including a PLAR Handbook

Click here to visit the site

Category: Resources
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Douglas Myers is Senior Associate with the PLA Centre and its former Executive Director (1996-2008). He has held academic and administrative appointments at several universities and was co-director with Mary Morrissey of a two-year CCL-sponsored study that led to the PLAR report Achieving Our Potential (2008).

View Doug’s keynote presentation from the BCPLAN 2010 Summit.

Category: Summit 2010
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A workplace learning recognition project. Students receive credit towards TRU-OL Business programs for Safeway leadership training program. The presentation will highlight the TRU—OL process for reaching these agreements and provide information for self-assessment for organizations wishing to have in-house training recognized for academic credit.

Watch Christine Wihak (TRU) and Arlette La Freniere (Safeway) present at BCPLAN SUMMIT 2010.

Category: Innovative Practices & Partnerships, Summit 2010
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This initiative was designed to assist individuals working without certification as unit clerks in BC hospitals, providing them with the opportunity to gain certification through a portfolio development process documenting their skills and knowledge in the field. This initiative won a UFV Outstanding Initiative award in 2002. Currently, UFV Continuing Studies is now working in collaboration with hospital partners in the Okanagan to implement a similar recognition of learning program for hospital employees.

Watch Cheryl Isaac (UFV) present at BCPLAN SUMMIT 2010.

Category: Innovative Practices & Partnerships, Summit 2010
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