Canadian Association for Prior Learning Assessment, in cooperation with the Ontario PLAR Strategy Group, and the Association of Canadian Community College's, Recognition of Learning Affinity Group presented

Fall Focus Workshop on Integrating Recognition Systems
and Annual General Meeting and 10th Anniversary Celebration
November 25 and 26, 2004
Metropolitan Hotel, 108 Chestnut Street, Toronto, Ontario

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) and Qualification Recognition practitioners focused on four important recognition issues:

1. Human Resources Management and Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition – Investing in People. Plenary panelist Phillip S. Jarvis, Vice-President, Partnership Development, National Life/Work Centre

   Phil Jarvis is a leading proponent of the "career management paradigm shift." He speaks eloquently and passionately to the personal, social and economic costs of continuing to adhere to an out-of-date vocational guidance mindset. Phil authored the Choices computer-based career exploration and planning system, founded the Canada Career Information Partnership (www.ccip-picc.ca) and Canada WorkinfoNet (www.workinfonet.ca), and is a co-author and national coordinator of the Blueprint for Life/Work Designs (www.blueprint4life.ca) and international partnership coordinator for The Real Game Series (www.realgame.com).

2. Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) and PLAR – Understanding the linkages and developing complimentary systems. Plenary panelist Corinne Prince-St-Amand

   In September 2000, Corinne Prince-St-Amand joined the Human Resources Partnerships Directorate (HRP) of Human Resources Development Canada as the Director of the Skills Information Division. Since then, Corinne has held various positions within HRP and currently is the Director of the Foreign Credential Recognition Division of the new department of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. In her current capacity, Corinne and her team are responsible for the Foreign Credential Recognition Program and the Labour Mobility Coordinating Group, which works in collaboration with Provinces and Territories on inter-provincial mobility issues. As well, her current responsibilities include the coordination of labour market information content for the Going to Canada portal spearheaded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

   From 1996 to 1999, Corinne was the Director of Corporate Initiatives for the Human Resources Investment Branch and prior to that worked with the Deputy Minister's Office of Human Resources Development Canada on policy files including amendments to the Employment Insurance Act and the Labour Market Development Agreements. From 1991 to 1995, Corinne worked in various capacities with the Canada Student Loans Program leading the development of the legislative and regulatory framework for the new risk-sharing agreements with lenders.

   Corinne began her career with the Legal Branch of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. Corinne graduated with a Bachelor of Social Science from the University of Ottawa in 1985 and received her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Calgary in 1991.

   Corinne grew up in northern Saskatchewan and now makes her home in Gatineau, Quebec with her husband, Jean-Pierre and their five year old son, Zacharie, two year old daughter, Camille.

3. PLAR & QR in Ontario Plenary panelist The Honourable Mary Anne Chambers, Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities

   Mary Anne Chambers has long been an advocate for social responsibility, education, healthcare, and the advancement of women and minorities. Along with her family, she was featured in a Toronto Star article entitled Banker with heart profits community. Mary Anne retired as a Senior Vice-President of Scotiabank in December 2002, and was elected as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Scarborough East, in October 2003.

   Mary Anne has served as a Vice Chair of the Board of Rouge Valley Health System's Scarborough Centenary and Ajax-Pickering hospitals. She served on the Board of the United Way of Greater Toronto for seven years, and on the Board of the United Way of Canada for almost six years. Mary Anne is a Past Chair of the United Way of Canada. She has also served as a Governor of the Air Cadet League of Canada and is a Past President of the Canadian Club of Toronto.

   Mary Anne served as a Governor of the University of Toronto for a period of nine years, and as Vice-Chair of the Governing Council for three years. Her work on a task force on Student Financial Support contributed to a policy, which guarantees that no student will be unable to study at the University of Toronto because of inadequate financial resources.

   Mary Anne has received numerous awards for her community service. Among the most recent are the Golden Jubilee Medal of Queen Elizabeth the Second, the Toronto Canada Day Achievement Award and the Prime Minister of Jamaica's Medal of Appreciation.

4. Communities of Practice and Canada's Portfolio – Examples of building the field of practice. Plenary panelist Dr. Kimiz Dalkir

   Dr. Kimiz Dalkir, BSc'83, MBA'85, joined the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies in July 2002 as an Assistant Professor. She received a PhD in Educational Technology from Concordia University in 1997.

   Dr. Dalkir began her career as a knowledge engineer at the Centre for System Research and Knowledge Engineering at Concordia University. It was there that she gained experience in all areas of applied epistemology, especially in the encapsulation of knowledge in executable forms. Later, she was Head of the Performance Support Systems research program at CITI (Centre for Information Technology Innovation), at Industry Canada. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Dalkir joined Microcell Labs, an applied R&D organization in the field of Personal Communication Systems (PCS). She was Director of the Centre for Strategic Knowledge, responsible for the initiation and coordination of a number of applied research and development activities for knowledge-based customer modeling. In her most recent position, as Director of Knowledge Management Services at DMR Consulting (now Fujitsu Consulting), Dr. Dalkir was actively involved in the transfer of knowledge management to clients in Europe, Japan and North America.

   Currently, Dr. Dalkir is developing a specialization stream in Knowledge Management courses as well as pursuing research in such areas as the integration of communities of practice into the KM curriculum. Dr. Dalkir teaches four KM courses: Foundations of Knowledge Management, Knowledge Taxonomies, Intellectual Capital Management and Communities of Practice. She is currently writing a graduate level textbook on KM at the request of Butterworth-Heineman.

   She is also President of Glashaus Consulting, a management consulting firm that helps clients get started in KM initiatives, KM strategy and KM competencies.

(Agenda is a 530 K Adobe PDF document)

Other Featured Speakers:

• Dr. Paul Cappon

  Dr. Paul Cappon has a long and illustrious career in education, including his most recent position as Director General of the Council of Ministers of Education of Canada. Dr. Cappon is a qualified physician, has worked in the university environment and has been intrinsically engaged in the delivery of educational services.

  Dr. Paul Cappon holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from McGill University (1968), master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Paris (1970 and 1972), and an M.D. from McMaster University Medical School (1980), following which he undertook his medical residency at Dalhousie University with a specialty in community medicine. During this time, he was active in development issues in the health field and in education. In 1984, he took a dual appointment to the Faculty of Medicine and the School of Social Work at McGill University, where he further developed his interest in education through his work as founder and director of the Quebec Centre for Nuclear Disarmament and Community Health. Dr. Cappon was also Director of the Centre for AIDS Studies at the Montreal General Hospital.

  Fluently bilingual in French and English, Dr. Cappon was Vice-President, Academic (1991-1996) at Laurentian University, the bilingual university in Sudbury, Ontario. There, he was active in academic strategic planning and in issues of restructuring and monitoring of quality within the Ontario and Canadian university systems. In addition to his interest and involvement in teaching and in educational administration and organization, Dr. Cappon has maintained an active agenda of academic research, particularly in the areas of occupational health, ethnicity, community health, and the social epidemiology of HIV/AIDS.

• Kathleen O. Wynne

  Kathleen Wynne is an energetic and committed adult educator, facilitator, politician, and community activist with strong and extensive connections throughout Toronto. While the main focus of her paid and volunteer work has been in the field of education, she has become involved in a much broader spectrum of issues and is one of the leading citizen activists in fighting for a better Ontario. Kathleen believes in community consultation as an intrinsic part of government decision-making on the issues that affect people's lives.

  Kathleen holds an M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Toronto (1980) and a M.Ed. in Adult Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (1995). Kathleen's focus on education has been long-standing and far-reaching. In 2000, she was elected as the Public School Trustee for Ward 8 on the Toronto District School Board. She was also the founder of the Metro Parent Network (now the Toronto Parent Network), a citywide group that fights for better public education. Kathleen Co-chairs the Area North Education Council and Chaired the Area North Parents Staffing Special Interest Group that explored ways of refining the Board's staffing process to more adequately meet the needs of elementary school students, staff, and school communities. (1988-1996).

  She has worked as a trainer, coach, and a Teacher and Tutor for ESL (English as a Second Language) at John Wanless Public School (1990), ESL and general academic skills at Bishop Strachan School (1984-1987), entrance level English language skills for ESL and native speakers at Humber College (1983), and ESL for adults in the East York Board of Education Community ESL program (1977-79).

  Kathleen is the mother of three young adults. Chris attends the University of Waterloo, Jessie is at the University of Victoria and Maggie is at Mount Allison in New Brunswick. Kathleen and her partner Jane have been residents of Toronto for more than 22 years.