6.0
A Focus on Education and Youth

" ... the value of education for economic success has been clearly demonstrated. The link between higher levels of education and better employment prospects ... and higher income has been demonstrated over and over."

- Mr. Fred Andrews, Newfoundland
and Labrador Teachers Association

An Investment in People

In virtually all public consultation sessions and all sectoral forums, the critical importance of education and the development of our most important resource – our people but especially our youth – was emphasized as a key ingredient for long term economic success. Presenter after presenter cited the strategic role played by education in the recovery and vitality of the economies of such countries as Ireland, Iceland and the Scandinavian nations. It is clear that there is no greater investment we can make than in the education of our youth - for their own economic futures - but also for the long term economic prosperity of the province as a whole. Four key themes were highlighted in the consultations to that end.

A New Focus on Youth. We heard that a renewed approach to engaging the youth of our province in shaping the future is needed. Youth need to take on an increasingly active role in determining the directions we adopt over the long term. We need to encourage their participation as full partners in the renewal process with all other major stakeholders. We also need to focus more effectively on the critically important challenges confronting our youth in the new economy.

" ...youth are our greatest resource. The word ‘resource' often has to do with... natural resources. But in terms of youth, we mean resource as a source of support, guidance or aid. In other words, we can help. Let the youth of this province help forge the tomorrow that we hope to inherit. "

-Mr. Jason Beck, Youth
Representative, Kittiwake Economic
Development Corp.

Excellence, Equality of Opportunity and Entre- preneurship in the K-12 System. Excellence in the Kindergarten to Grade 12 system was viewed as being extremely important to providing the foundation for our children to succeed in a vibrant, knowledge based economy. The need to develop entrepreneurial skills throughout a child's education, starting at an early age, received particular attention, as did the need to develop strong literacy skills, including computer literacy. Presenters also spoke to the importance of equality of opportunity in the education of our children, whether they live in major urban centres or small rural communities. The work of the Ministerial Panel on Educational Delivery in the Classroom was referenced repeatedly in the consultations as an opportunity to address these challenges.

Access to Post-secondary Education and Training Opportunities. Access to affordable post-secondary education, training and life-long learning opportunities was stressed repeatedly by presenters. We heard that heavy student debt loads upon graduation are influencing the way young people are making decisions about their future. This is particularly challenging for students from rural areas who incur significant living costs in addition to tuition. It was suggested that graduates often seek employment outside the province in order to deal with the immediate need to address their accumulated student debt, especially when the labour market in Newfoundland and Labrador does not always offer an early job opportunity in their field of study. Presenters also indicated that high student debt discourages many graduates from pursuing an entrepreneurial career involving the start-up of their own businesses.

" ... our educational system should be in step with the North American trend towards entrepreneurial careers, and ensure that our high school graduates have those skills. "

- Ms. Margaret Ayad,
Baccalieu Trail Board of Trade

Ensuring the Education and Training System Remains Relevant and Adaptable to the Needs of the Economy. Many people talked about the strategic importance of education and training for the further development of the economy, especially in newly emerging sectors our economy. Presenters emphasized the importance of more effectively matching and coordinating education and training programs with existing and future industry needs. Workplace training was also identified as a key contributor to ongoing skills development in constantly changing global economy, and an important means for firms to improve their competitiveness. The need for creative approaches equipping and helping youth make a successful transition from school work was also highlighted, as was the need to ensure that women have equality of opportunity to participate in the economy.

Priorities for Action

• A new Department of Youth Services and Post-Secondary Education has been formed to focus specifically on developing the potential of the province's youth and to provide an avenue for their views to be heard and fully integrated in government's economic and social development agendas. An Advisory Council on Youth will also be established to advance these objectives.

• Government will act on the Ministerial Panel on Educational Delivery in the Classroom as a priority to achieve excellence, equality of opportunity and entrepreneurship in the K-12 system. Additional resources were made available in 2000-01 to meet key needs identified during the Panel's consultations, including the following measures:
  
  
  

• New resources totaling $2.5 million were invested for curriculum enhancements in the classroom. This is in addition to the core annual curriculum budget of $4.5 million.
  
  
  

• Some $15 million in classroom teaching positions were retained that would have been removed from the system under the former teacher-ratio funding formula due to overall declining enrollment. This will primarily benefit rural areas in keeping with the need to equalize educational opportunities in the classroom between urban and rural communities.
  
  
  

• The core annual investment in professional development of teachers was increased by almost $1 million annually. This will provide teachers at all levels with the required skills and knowledge to deliver relevant and effective curriculum in the classroom in a constantly evolving economic and social environment.

Additional strategic investments will be made in the education system over the next several years to further implement the Panel’s vision.

• A key recommendation of the Ministerial Panel was the establishment of a Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation that would assume responsibility for the development and delivery of an expanded slate of distance education courses to rural students, new Internet-based professional development tools for teachers, and enhanced services to adult learners, including ABE. The intent is to help “level the playing field” between urban and rural communities. Government will act to establish this Centre early in 2001.

• Government released a Strategic Literacy Plan in 2000 that was developed in consultation with key stakeholders. The Department of Education, as its first action under the plan, established a $1 million Literacy Endowment Fund, matched on an equal basis by the National Literacy Secretariat. The Provincial Literacy Council is in the process of seeking an equivalent contribution from the private sector. Government will continue to act on the Strategic Literacy Plan, giving emphasis and priority to rural needs as well as additional investments as the province’s fiscal situation permits.

• Government is committed to making post-secondary education and training more affordable within the context of the province's overall fiscal position and the federal government's role and responsibility to invest in this area as well. This is important from both an economic and a social development perspective. Government has provided additional resources to Memorial University and the College of the North Atlantic to permit tuition rates to be frozen for a three year period, ending in 2001-02. Government will further ease the burden on our students by reducing tuition at Memorial University, starting in 2001. Government will also take steps to reform the Student Aid Program in response to concerns over high levels of student debt.

• To ensure our post-secondary education and training system responds effectively to the needs of our people and economy, a new Labour Market Development Council has been established. It is a partnership between government, industry, labour and post-secondary institutions. A mechanism will be established to bring other stakeholders into the deliberations of the Council over time, including the volunteer "community" sector, to ensure equality for all citizens. The Council will act as a forum for communication, dialogue, collaboration and coordination, at a strategic level, among key stakeholders.

• The Labour Market Development Council will also provide advice to government on the formulation of a Labour Market Development Strategy for the province, which is being pursued under the Strategic Social Plan. This strategy will identify the evolving labour market needs of the economy and the measures necessary to address them. Particular attention will be given to the needs of youth entering the labour market for the first time; the lifelong training needs of workers in an ever changing and demanding workplace; the needs of older workers who find themselves unable to adapt to technological and other structural changes occurring within traditional industries; the needs of women who continue to face barriers to their participation and economic equality in both traditional and new economy industries; the need for “niche” skills in major resource development projects; and the needs of disadvantaged members of society who face barriers to productive participation in the labour force.

• The federal and provincial governments presently invest over $150 million annually on various employment and training programs that are designed to help individuals become active and productive members of the labour force. The federal government plays the most dominant role in this regard through Human Resources Development Canada. In 1996, the Canada-Newfoundland Labour Market Development Agreement was entered into to coordinate federal and provincial investments in this area. A complete review of these arrangements and investments will be undertaken to ensure resources are being targeted at key provincial labour market needs and priorities in keeping with the evolving nature of our economy, especially in rural areas.
  
  
  

• An area government has given immediate attention to is the significant opportunity for greater participation by Newfoundlanders and Labradorians in the international marine transportation industry. Worldwide demand for ships' captains, navigators and engineers is growing rapidly. There is an estimated international shortage of 200,000 seafarers at present - over 40,000 new people need to be trained each year to meet the needs of the industry around the world. The Nautical Science and Marine Engineering Program at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University has an international reputation for producing highly skilled graduates in this field, but its training capacity is currently limited to approximately one hundred students annually. Government has made a strategic investment in the Fisheries and Marine Institute, in partnership with Memorial University and industry, to double the training capacity for the Nautical Science and Marine Engineering Program. This will open up new long term employment opportunities for our young people. Particular attention will be given to promoting participation of women in this initiative. Given that an overwhelming majority of our mariners maintain their homes and families in rural communities, an increase in training capacity will also contribute to a stronger rural economy over time.

• A Youth Employment Action Plan is under development at national level, with the active participation of all provinces, including Newfoundland and Labrador. This strategy will released shortly and will serve to coordinate federal and provincial youth initiatives in this province in a more effective manner.

• A Student Opportunity Investment Fund will be established to give post-secondary students valuable work experience and to assist them at the same time in meeting the costs of a post-secondary education.

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