Developing, activating and using skills; insights from the Canadian skills system

1. The Challenges facing Norway’s skills
system today
Canadian experience
Thomas Townsend
October 22-23, 2013

2. The Canadian System
Federal level functions
– Macro economic policy
– Business development
– Employment Insurance
• Income support
• Retraining through transfers
– Public Employment Services
(Transfers to Provinces to
manage PES)
– Learner support ( individual
loans and grants)
– Immigration
Federal level institutions
• Department of Finance
• Industry Canada
• Regional Economic
Development Agencies
• Employment and Social
Development Canada
• Service Canada
• Citizenship and Immigration

3. The Canadian System
Provincial level functions
• Education(all three levels)
• Training
• Social Assistance
• Management of PES
• Support to business
• Immigration
Provincial level institutions
• Ministry of Education
(Training Colleges and
Universities)
• Ministry of Employment
(Social solidarity)
• Ministry of Social Services
• Ministry of Industry
• Ministry of Innovation
• Ministry of Immigration

4. The Canadian system
Local* level functions
• Local economic
development
• Employment services
• Primary and secondary
education
• Community
college/University
• Poverty reduction
• Immigrant settlement
Local level institutions
• Economic Development
Corporation
• Employment Centres (public or
contracted)
• School Board
• Community College/University
• Poverty reduction roundtable
• Local immigration partnerships
* Defined by municipal boundaries or administrative region

5. Canadian Experience of Relevance
Canada has a small population, open resource
based economy, and an educated population
It has well developed systems of governance at
all levels.
Its geography means that it has a mixture of
urban centres and small relatively isolated
communities

6. Canadian experience of relevance to
the challenges facing Norway’s skills
system today

7. Strengthening Norway’s Skills System
• Promoting a whole of Government approach
to skills
• Ensuring local flexibility and adaptability for
nationally designed policies
– Workforce Planning Boards
– Program Advisory Committees
• Building partnerships at the local and national
level to improve policies
– Local Immigration Partnerships

8. Developing relevant skills
• Ensuring strong foundation skills for all
• Reducing drop-outs
– IDEO 16-17 and Youth in Action(educational
persistence)
– Born to Be and Launch(alternative pathways)
• Informing educational choices
– Future ready program and Bridge program
– Hamilton employment crawl

9. Activating skills supply
• Enhancing labour market participation among
those receiving disability benefits
• Encouraging labour market participation
among low skilled youth
– Mining readiness program
• Ensuring Norwegians remain active longer
– Second career

10. Using skills effectively
• Engaging employers in ensuring a highly skilled
workforce
– The Act to promote workforce skills development and
recognition
– Workplace apprenticeship program
• Promoting entrepreneurship
– Entrepreneurial centre Shawinigan
– Défi de l’entrepreneuriat jeunesse
• Enhancing the use of migrant workers skills
– Foreign credentials and skills recognition