Educational Outcomes for the Canadian Workplace: New Frameworks for Policy and Research

Susan McKnight is an administrator of the Courts Technology Integrated Justice Project at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.

In 1995, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
asked for proposals to help solve a problem. The SSHRC wanted to
establish a network to figure out what the relationship between
education and training should be, and then how this relationship could
help to promote a healthier economy. This book is a result of that
inquiry, although the essays reflect the views and opinions of Western
Canada via the research of WRNET (the Western Research Network on
Education and Training).

The book is divided into three main parts. The two essays in Part 1 are
concerned with economic analysis. Part 2 makes a case for equity in
education, with an emphasis on the plight of disadvantaged adults and
especially low-income women. Part 3 presents case studies linking work
and education, with a focus on Skills Now! and other applied academic
programs and co-op initiatives.

The book’s biggest limitation is that it reflects the ideas,
theories, and wishes only of those living in the Western provinces. That
said, Educational Outcomes for the Canadian Workplace will stimulate
much-needed debate on the relationship between education and the
Canadian workplace.