Alberta co-hosts world education discussion on job-skill trends
Future directions in vocational education and training for youth explored
Calgary... Educational leaders from 16 countries are meeting with their Canadian counterparts in Calgary August 31 to discuss innovative developments in vocational education and training and explore the trends and skill requirements for the ‘next generation’ economy within a global context.
Alberta is co-hosting the Canada-Alberta International Conference on Competing for Skills: Vocational Education and Training in the 21st Century (VET), in conjunction with Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), and in cooperation with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Learning for Jobs project.
“Alberta is recognized internationally for its innovative approach to vocational education and skills training, particularly for how we engage students in learning pathways that connect to real life opportunities,” said Education Minister Dave Hancock. “The rapidly-changing economic market that today’s students will enter is seeing increased demand for workers in skilled trades and high-tech professions and Alberta must be prepared now and for the future.”
Keynote and special speakers during the VET conference include Jack Dusseldorp, President of WorldSkills International, and Aart de Geus, Deputy Secretary General of the OECD.
“Vocational education and training is central to economic growth and development. Programs must create a strong link to the world of work and the needs of the labour market,” said de Geus. “This conference is an important forum where representatives can benefit by sharing information and best practices to create a vision of future skills needs.”
This is the second time that Alberta has hosted an event in cooperation with the OECD. The first conference, the Canada-Alberta OECD Conference on E-learning, was held in 2005 and focused on electronic learning at the post-secondary level.
The VET conference also coincides with the WorldSkills Competition and the meetings of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), which will both begin on September 1 in Calgary.
Backgrounder
Participants for the Canada-Alberta International Conference on Competing for Skills: Vocational Education and Training in the 21st Century
International Participants
Australia
John Hayton
Counsellor of Education
Australian Education International
Ms. Margaret Mckinnon (Panelist)
Group Manager of Youth and Industry Skills Group
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
Mr. Tom Karmel (Panelist)
Managing Director of the National Centre for Vocational Education
National Centre for Vocational Education Research
Belgium
Mr. Michel Aribaud (Panelist)
Policy Officer
European Commission (EC)
Czech Republic
Dr. Pavla Polechova
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
England
Ms. Natalia Cuddy (Panelist)
Senior Research Manager for Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency
Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency
Finland
Timo Lankinen
Finnish National Board of Education
Director General
France
Didier Gelibert
NFA Automobile Services
Germany
Peter Thiele
Ministerialrat
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Ireland
Mr. Seamus Hempenstall (Panelist)
Principal Officer in the Department of Education and Science
Department of Education and Science
Japan
Masako Kiguchi
Chief Officer for National Trade Skill Test
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Korea
Seonjin Song
Deputy Director
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
Sye Jeong Lee
Senior Project Manager
National Institute for Lifelong Education
Kyungah Lee
Policy Development Team Director
National Institute for Lifelong Education
Mexico
Deyanira Granda
Subdirectora para Canada
Office of External Relations, Mexico
New Zealand
Honorable Ann Tolley
Minister of Education
Ministry of Education
Karen Sewell
Secretary for Education
Ministry of Education
Deb Struthers
Private Secretary
Ministry of Education
Norway
Karl Gunnar
Senior Advisor
Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training
Sweden
Shawn Mendes
Director of Education
Swedish National Agency for Education
Switzerland
Dr. Ursula Renold (Panelist)
Director of the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology
Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology OPET, Swiss Confederation
Franziska Schwarz
Director and Head of International Relations
Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology OPET
Robert Galliker
Head of Upper Secondary Education and VET at EDK
Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education EDK
United States of America
Glenn Cummings
Deputy Assistant Secretary
U.S. Department of Education
Canadian Participants
Alberta
Mr.Andy Neigel
President and CEO
Careers: The Next Generation Foundation
Annette Trimbee
Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Technology
Cathy Faber (Panelist)
Director of Innovative Learning Services
Calgary Board of Education
Greg Michaud (Panelist)
Dean, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology Polytechnic
Manmeet Bhullar
Member of Legislative Assembly (Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology)
Manitoba
Mr. Gerald Farthing
Deputy Minister of Education, Citizenship and Youth
Heather Reichert
Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Literacy
New Brunswick
John Kershaw
Deputy Minister of Education
Northwest Territories
Dan Daniels
Deputy Minister of the Department of Education, Culture and Employment
Ontario
Deborah Newman
Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
Prince Edward Island
Shauna Sullivan Curley
Deputy Minister of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Quebec
Dominique Beaussier
Direction générale des programmes et du développement
Ministere de l'Education, du Loisir et du Sport
Nora Desrochers
Directrice de la Direction des programmes et de la veille sectorielle
Ministere de l'Education, du Loisir et du Sport
Saskatchewan
Audrey Roadhouse
Deputy Minister of Education
Yukon
Pamela Hine
Deputy Minister of Education
Special Speakers
Netherlands
Tjerk Dusseldorp (Keynote speaker)
President of WorldSkills International
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (France)
Aart De Geus (Special comments)
Deputy Secretary General
Kathrin Hoeckel (Special speaker)
Directorate for Education
