Consultation: Improving adult education
Consultation status: Closed
From December 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018, the Ministries of Advanced Education and Skills Development, Education and Citizenship and Immigration invited Ontarians to share their feedback through written submissions and invited adult learners to sign up for focus groups to help us improve the adult education system in Ontario.
We are conducting focus groups with select adult learners across the province and will post a summary of the consultation findings in spring 2018. Thank you for your interest in adult education and to those who submitted responses.
Background
In Ontario, approximately 200,000 people participate in adult education programs each year.
These programs give people opportunities to upgrade their knowledge, skills and education.
Adult learners are typically working-age and include:
- people completing high school or upgrading their learning for college or university
- immigrants, including internationally trained professionals and tradespeople, who want to improve their language skills to work, or get Canadian credentials
- workers updating their skills and knowledge for their job
- people receiving social assistance who want to find work
In 2004, the Ministers of Education and Advanced Education and Skills Development (formerly Training, Colleges and Universities), launched a review to help improve adult education in Ontario. The final report(PDF) was released in 2005, and included a policy framework with recommended actions. Over the years, some of these recommendations have been implemented, but there is still room for improvement.
In 2016, the Premier’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel acknowledged in their report, Building the Workforce of Tomorrow: A Shared Responsibility, that adult education is both a cornerstone of a strong public education system and key to helping people participate in the workforce and in society.
In September 2016, the Premier of Ontario mandated the Ministries of Advanced Education and Skills Development, Education and Citizenship and Immigration to work together to improve the adult education system.
About the consultation
Building on previous reports and what we have heard from our partners in recent years, the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, in partnership with the Ministries of Education and Citizenship and Immigration have identified key priorities to help create a seamless, student-centred adult education system that supports learners and helps them achieve their goals.
From December 1, 2017 until January 31, 2018, we asked Ontarians to share their feedback on our ideas, priorities and proposed plans for:
- finding information about the system
- improving how learners enter adult education programs
- supporting regional collaboration and partnerships
- recognizing individuals’ prior learning
- the development of a core competency framework
This consultation supports work planned or already underway to improve or increase existing adult education programs across the province, such as:
- strengthening and expanding literacy and essential skills training
- introducing innovations such as Dual Credit opportunities for adults
- providing programming for immigrants such as language training and the Ontario Bridge Training Program so you can work in your profession or trade
- supporting innovative pilot programs that help people gain the skills they need to compete in the labour market
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