By Sharon Fernandez 

Over the past few decades, advances in telecommunications and technology have ushered in an era of unparalleled globalization. Today, influences from across the world affect nearly every workplace in Canada: trade is universal, borders are permeable and knowledge easily transferred between countries.  

Taking advantage of this climate of openness are Canada’s sector councils, industry-led partnerships that address skill-development issues in key sectors of the economy. As the global economy contracts and employers shed jobs, Canadian sector councils have been sharing solutions to common challenges with their international counterparts in areas such as: 

*  transitioning displaced workers;  
*  developing skills for the new economy; 
*  producing sector-specific labour-market information; and  
*  developing and upgrading nearly 400 national occupational standards. 

  
CANADIAN RESPONSES TO INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGES 

For example, the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council’s (CTHRC’s) emerit program—a suite of occupational standards for tourism professionals—has formed the basis of a new International Events Management Standard (IEMS). CTHRC developed IEMS in conjunction with partner organizations in six other countries. The result is a competency-based occupational standard that will increase labour mobility and help integrate internationally trained workers into Canada’s tourism workforce.   

The  Motor Carrier Passenger Council of Canada (MCPCC)  who represents all sectors of the bus industry, is also involved with international partners. The council has teamed up with the US Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council which produced the report on “Public Transportation Operating Agencies as Employers of Choice”,in addition the council participates on various panels. The MCPCC’s National Occupational Standards for Professional Bus Operators have been recognized for their relevance to the American bus industry. MCPCC also collaborates with its counterpart in the United Kingdom on various initiatives.  

THE TASC ANNUAL FORUM ON PRODUCTIVITY 

The activities of the sector skills councils were on display in February at The Alliance of Sector Council’s Annual Forum on Productivity. For the first time, sector councils from around the world shared some of their responses to the global recession.  

Tom Bewick of the  Alliance of Sector Skills Councils in the United Kingdom  introduced key facts about the declining state of the UK economy. Sector skills councils are organizations independent of government that lobby on behalf of 85 percent of the UK workforce. They are responding to a UK economy that is officially in recession. Unemployment is rising, the value of the currency is falling, GDP is declining and property prices decreasing. UK sectors have experienced massive job losses: 28,000 in financial services, 3 million in retail and potentially more than 15,000 in the automotive industry. All sectors, including construction, information technology, steel and manufacturing, are expected to shed jobs.   

At the same time, however, there is potential for growth. Bewick says there are as many as two million jobs open in the cultural-export and digital and science-innovations sectors. Overall, he noted that the UK government’s response is piecemeal and sector skills councils are underused. Bewick argued that the recession has had profound effects on different sectors of the economy, and that responses must be bolder and based on strategies developed by industry.   

Jeremy Baker, the executive director of  New Zealand’s Industry Training Federation (ITF),  says his country’s economy faces a series of difficult challenges: maintaining employment and skill development, augmenting productivity, streamlining qualifications systems and increasing industry leadership in vocational education and training.    

New Zealand’s sector councils are different from those of other countries. The 39 industry training organizations (ITOs) set national qualifications and standards and fund 180,000 trainees in 30,000 businesses. To better respond to challenges, New Zealand’s skills strategy relies on the partnership of ITOs, business, unions and government.  New Zealand’s ITOs are owned by industry (both employers and workers) and exist to ensure that the skill development needs of their industry are met. They develop and arrange workplace learning and vocational education for industry, while ensuring that the views of people working in their industries are heard in the development of skill standards and qualifications.  

In Australia, the government recognizes that training and retraining workers will be an essential part of the country’s economic recovery. As a result, the government’s strategic focus is on opportunities for workforce development such as linking skills and innovation, advancing technical expertise and building foundational skills such as literacy and numeracy. The Australian government recently announced a new $126–million (CAD) package to help secure the jobs and training of apprentices and trainees.  The package will provide a number of incentives for employers to retain apprentices and trainees in the workforce and maintain their training.  

There are 11 national Industry Skills Councils that cover the skills needs of most Australian industries.  These councils: 

*  help industries and their workforces integrate skill development with economic and business goals;   
*  build accurate industry intelligence on future trends by providing advice on industry skills and training needs to stakeholders; and  
*  support the development, implementation and continuous improvement of high quality, nationally recognized training products and services.  

Sector-based skill-development organizations from Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia have come together as the  International Network of Sector Skills Organizations (INSSO) , committed to sharing best practice in the field of sectoral skills development. At a two day conference in Ottawa hosted in June 2010 by the Canadian Alliance of Sector Councils, representatives from government, industry and sector bodies explored how different countries are delivering more 'demand-led' education and training systems. Roundtables focused on areas of shared interest to explore opportunities for global collaboration, including the development of transnational occupational standards and industry accreditation. An INSSO conference is planned for World Skills 2011 focusing on how sectoral approaches to skills development underpin future economic growth and competitiveness. For more information please visit  www.insso.org.