Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition Policy in Manitoba

In Manitoba, Red River College was an early adopter of the recognition of prior learning, making it available in the 1980's to students in the fields of early childhood education and nursing. However, provincial funding for prior learning assessment services was not provided until 1995, at which time, the province funded the college to create a position for a PLA Facilitator.

Concurrent to funding that position, the department of Education and Training encouraged other post-secondary institutions to consider offering prior learning assessment and recognition to their students. There was a deliberate strategy to develop grass roots institutional support as opposed to mandating the use of PLAR which had been unsuccessful in other jurisdictions.

In 1997, the Council on Post-Secondary Education was formed. This new organization had the mandate to fund the province's post-secondary institutions, approve new programs and establish a post-secondary policy framework. As part of its program approval process, institutions were asked to consider how the recognition of prior learning would be part of every newly funded program. As well, the "System Restructuring Envelope" included prior learning assessment as one of the projects that could be funded, offering incentive funding to the establishment of the new service.

A program within Education and Training, (Workforce 2000) funded practitioner Training workshops offered by the Manitoba Prior Learning Assessment Network in the late 1990's.

In 1997, Manitoba Education and Training, in partnership with Red River College and the Winnipeg Development Agreement (WDA) of Human Resources Development Canada initiated the Manitoba Prior Learning Assessment Centre (the PLA Centre). The PLA Centre was established as a time-limited, not-for profit agency, reporting to a board of directors. It was an arms length agency from both government and the college. The WDA provided salaries for the Executive Director, Project Manager, PLA Advisor and clerical support for 2.5 years. The province paid all operating costs, including rent. As well, the province funded all demonstration projects and the salaries for three PLA Advisors located outside of Winnipeg. Federal (WDA) funding for salaries ended in March 2000. Provincial funding continued until June 2001.

The PLA Centre was established to provide advisory services to individuals who were unemployed or underemployed, and to provide consulting services to post-secondary education, business and industry to support the development of PLAR programs and services. As part of its work, demonstration projects were undertaken to validate the use of prior learning assessment in a variety of fields.

In 2000/01, the province acting upon its priorities reviewed the way in which adult learners were able to access high school upgrading and post-secondary education. With the goal of having mobile and portable credentials, the service delivery model for the provision of adult education was restructured.

While the PLA Centre had been very effective in its demonstration projects and had provided advisory services and practitioner training that was valuable, the post-secondary institutions were still not significantly increasing their capacity to offer PLAR services. Accordingly, a new strategy was developed that was designed to increase the capacity for the recognition of prior learning throughout the education/employment system. The remainder of this paper describes in detail the strategy and policy position of the province.

One of the important ideals that was used to formulate the new policy was the value for recognition of learning acquired outside the formal educational system. In a time of skill shortages, it was important to support continuous learning and develop an integrated system. Another supporting initiative was the provision of dual credits for high school and post-secondary education where appropriate, as a way in which to support adult learners returning to school.

In designing the new PLAR framework, the goal was to have the new framework be as decentralized as possible - making expertise and access available throughout the province. At the same time, PLAR had to be connected to other key initiatives of the department - the Manitoba Training Strategy, the College Expansion Initiative, and Advanced Education priorities. It was of great importance to expand the network of PLAR practitioners to make the recognition of prior learning accessible. And finally, there was a strong desire to move from demonstration projects that assisted a few people to widespread systemic change that would assist many.

The new strategy has 3 cornerstones - increasing capacity within post-secondary institutions to offer prior learning assessment and recognition services; a new staff position to support the introduction and expansion of PLAR advisory services in the community and within the network of adult learning centres; and support for workplace and industry PLAR projects.

Responsibility for managing the new strategy is located in the departments of Education, Training and Youth, and Advanced Education.

Consistent with the introduction of the new strategy, the province's financial commitment to PLAR has increased. The provincial funds that had been allocated to projects at the PLA Centre (including salaries for staff located outside of Winnipeg) have been reallocated to new positions both within and external to government. There is a new position to provide training and support to the network of adult learning centres so that they would begin to offer advisory services to the several thousand students enrolled in upgrading across the province. Another new position has been created to support business and industry in their application of prior learning assessment. Next year, one additional position will be added to provide support in Northern Manitoba.

Funding for a period of 3 years, for a new position in each of the publicly funded post-secondary institutions has been allocated. This has assisted each institution to increase its capacity in offering PLAR services.

The funds that had previously supported the operating costs at the PLA Centre have been reallocated for the development of a comprehensive PLAR practitioner training program developed by Red River College to make training available not only in the classroom, but on-line as well. The three years of funding include the development and implementation of two levels of PLAR training (ie, PLAR Foundation Training and an Advanced PLAR Practitioner training) for staff in post-secondary institutions and other organizations across Manitoba. It is articulated with the training provided to practitioners in the adult learning centres. PLAR Practitioners will also be able to access a professional development service in partnership with the Manitoba Prior Learning Assessment Network and the Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment.

In order to access the additional targeted funds, each of the colleges and universities was asked to develop a specific new PLAR initiative that would increase the institution's capacity to offer expanded PLAR services. Goals were identified for each of the three years of the project. Annual reporting will be required to access the next year's funds. Further, institutions will contribute to an annual report on institutional-based PLAR activities. The annual report will become a public document, thereby raising the profile of PLAR, providing accountability for these additional funds, and providing the general public with information on institutional activities during the preceding year.

The goals established by each institution are unique to their situations depending upon the current level of PLAR development within each college or university. Goals range from the development of PLAR policies and procedures, to the development of outcomes-based curriculum as a way to offer PLAR to the expansion of portfolio development workshops and expanded PLAR advisory services.

Institutional PLAR practitioners will become part of a PLAR Working Group to share information, collaborate on PLAR projects/activities and consider province-wide strategies to support wider use of PLAR within public post secondary institutions. Institutional PLAR representatives will link periodically with the other sectors of PLAR activity, especially for information sharing, professional development and collaborative projects.

The Government is actively supporting Adult Learning Centres (ALCs) located in communities throughout the Province. These centres can expect their training to be strengthened and defined more clearly during the coming year, as part of the policy development currently occurring.

Advisory Services tend to serve individuals who are not yet enrolled in post secondary institutions and therefore are unable to be well served by the institutions. Maximizing advisory service capabilities through the ALCs will serve the widest network of "walk-in" individuals seeking to examine their life/study experiences against either a future post secondary program or employment criteria.

The Adult Learning Centres currently attempt to provide transition services to adults seeking appropriate credentials for either employment or college/university participation. Provincial PLAR advisory services will be housed with adult learning and community outreach programs. Services may take the form of training appropriate adult learning centre personnel in initial advising and assessment procedures. Regionally, key adult learning centres might have more intensely trained practitioners who would be available for support to ALCs within the region or to individuals seeking a more in depth assessment. This will work well with regularized "course advising" meetings that will to be established between adult learning centres and colleges and universities.

Staff in the employment services network participated in PLAR training provided by the PLA Centre. Individuals from the community seeking PLAR service or support within an employment setting could also be served through dedicated staff at designated employment centres. Making the advising and assessment process more accessible may necessitate a review of process and materials used for this purpose.

The advisory services provided by the Adult Learning Centres will be directly linked to support services provided by Training and Continuing Education. Further, staff in the provincial network of Employment Centres will also provide some PLAR advisory services as appropriate.

Use of the currently funded 43 provincial ALCs and the designated employment centres located throughout the province to provide advisory services, will significantly increase opportunities for individuals to access this service. Providing local expertise, possibly redesigning formats or processes and looking for new ways to deliver advisory services will serve to imbed PLAR in those community services to which it is related -- employment and education.

Increased advising throughout the province at the adult learning centres will in all likelihood, lead to increased requests for the recognition of prior learning services within the colleges and universities. The activities currently underway at the institutions will enable them to respond to these requests when they arise.

Currently Workforce Manitoba manages sectoral training initiatives as well as province-wide training. It also houses the Labour Market Information Unit and the industry Essential Skills training initiative. Industry-related development projects would benefit from the positive interaction among the current activities occurring within the Branch.

The industry-related PLAR staff person will be responsible for establishing and maintaining a PLAR Advisory Board made up of industry/business/labour representatives. The Board will function similarly to the Essential Skills Board who are currently able to attract outside funding for particular projects which are then managed through the Board. This means that PLAR will not need to forfeit outside funding opportunities to develop specific projects and may be in a better position to secure outside funding. Projects involving professional accrediting bodies will also be managed through this process. This model also provides the most cost effective management model for projects.

Criteria for projects that will be funded under Workforce Manitoba for business and industry are currently under development. The initial criteria being considered are industry and labour driven projects; areas of high demand skills linked to labour market needs; projects that involve professional accrediting bodies; projects that have sustainable and post-secondary/regulatory body recognition. Finally, it is expected that industry and/or labour will contribute to the costs of the project.

A steering committee for this activity has been developed, with representatives from business, labour and the department of Education, Training and Youth. Staff Branch activities will focus on promotion and awareness raising, workplace pilots and projects, research and information and facilitator training and development.

Links among the institutional working group, the industry related project staff and proponents of the advisory services network will be made at strategic points. For example, particular discussion forums or information sharing sessions that will benefit staff covering the range of PLAR activity will be initiated periodically. It is also possible that a provincial PLAR newsletter highlighting the various arenas of activity might be produced. Coordinating this task will be an assignment of the PLAR Industry Projects areas. At all levels of activity, linkages will be made to the content or subject matter experts who are essential partners in developing appropriate processes for the recognition of prior learning.

EMP/SKILLS - Skills and Employability Department