Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Primer

Presenter: Ann Pederson, Principal Consultant, Reframed Learning Concepts

What are the best routes to streamline the process of assessing knowledge, skills and abilities of those trained in Canada or beyond its borders? Portfolio Development? Evidence Collection? Examination? Oral Interview? Case Studies? The challenge is to identify, document, assess, and recognize learning in a cost effective and efficient manner against the accepted competencies and standards of practice.

This hands-on workshop is designed for participants who wish to learn the basic principles and practices of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL/PLAR) and how that relates to assessment of competencies and standards. Topics to be explored include:

• RPL/PLAR Principles and Terminology
• Assessment models and tools
• Approaches and applications for portfolio development and portfolio assessment
• Principles of best practice and benchmarks for RPL/PLAR practitioners
• Examples of unique RPL initiatives
• RPL resources for both learner & practitioner

Exploring Competencies for Quality RPL Practice - Advising, Assessing and Administering/Facilitating Systems: What’s Key?

Panel moderators/discussion facilitators include: Jan Carrie, VP Education, North Island College; Greg Sowak, Associate Registrar, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology- NAIT; Alan Gaudet, Program and Training Coordinator, RAC Counsellor, CEGEP John Abbott College; Panel Presenters: Shirley Amichand, RPL Facilitator, Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) Wascana Campus; Grant MacTavish, Coordinator RPL- SIAST- Woodlands Campus; Deb Blower, RPL Facilitator, Red River College of Applied Arts, Science and Technology; Geneviève Rock, RPL Coordinator, Champlain College Saint-Lambert; Barb Gustafson, RPL Facilitator, SIAST; Lauren Waples, RPL Advisor, Red River College

This pre-conference day is hosted by the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) Recognition of Learning (ROL) Affinity Group Coordinating Committee.

Skilled and competent RPL Practitioners are essential to successful implementation of quality RPL practices and systems - no matter which institution, organization, sector, regulatory body, or workplace is utilizing RPL. This pre-conference workshop is designed to explore and expand the understanding of the RPL Practitioner roles and key competencies. CAPLA has articulated competencies for advising, assessing and administering/facilitating systems for RPL. These RPL/PLAR Practitioner competencies may be integrated as part of a current or a new responsibility in many positions, or they may be stand-alone RPL Advisor or Assessor or Administrator/Facilitator positions within an institution/organization. Key to quality RPL practice is the integration of RPL Practitioner competencies into multiple roles within institutions/ organizations.

In this workshop, there will be presentations by “expert” practitioners, who demonstrate these competencies in their RPL work in a variety of organizations/institutions. Presenters will explore CAPLA’s competencies for Advisors, Assessors and Administrators/Facilitators (including both core and specific competencies), discuss the impact on and use of technology in these roles, and outline additional competencies required for currency and quality in RPL practice.

If you are involved in advising or assessing prior learning as part of your current position or if you are a RPL Practitioner working in the field of adult learning, career and employment counselling or human resources, or if you believe that RPL competencies will be critical to the work you may do in the future, then this pre-conference workshop is for you!

You will have the opportunity to explore and analyse RPL Practitioner competencies, specific to advising, assessing and administering systems, to enhance the implementation of quality RPL practices within institutions/organizations.

Portfolio Assessment – Enhancing Quality and Reducing Costs

Presenters: Susan Simosko, President, Susan Simosko Associates, Inc.; Teresa Francis, Director, New Program Development, Prior Learning Centre; Dale Cooney, Deputy Registrar, Alberta College of Pharmacists (ACP); Celeste Burnie, Coordinator, Broadly Experienced Foreign Architects Program, Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB)

Portfolio development and the assessment of learning achievements have been intrinsic to prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) since the inception of PLA in the 1960’s. Yet over the years, the actual evaluation of skills, knowledge and competencies has proved challenging and expensive. Questions continue about the reliability, validity, authenticity and sufficiency of portfolio evidence.

This pre-conference workshop offers strategies for integrating quality measures into both the development and the assessment of portfolios. With the help of a team of experienced practitioners, participants will be able to explore:

• The 'value-added' associated with portfolios (professional learning diaries/ /competency profiles) as a means of assessing continuing or entry level competency
• The critical components of portfolio development that can enhance the reliability and validity of the assessment
• The development of portfolio assessment criteria to enhance the consistency of assessment judgements
• The essential elements of training portfolio assessors
• Assessment options to enhance the portfolio assessment process

The Power of ePortfolios: Documenting and Managing Knowledge Assets in Today’s Labour Market

Presenters: Tracy Penny-Light, Associate Professor, University of Waterloo; Katherine Lithgow, Senior Instructional Developer, Integrative Learning, University of Waterloo; Jason Thompson, E-Learning Specialist, University of Guelph; G. Alex Ambrose, Academic Advisor, Notre Dame University; Trent Batson, President, AAEEBL; Judy Batson, Vice President, AAEEBL

Managing one’s own knowledge assets is vital in an ever-changing labour market. Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are important tools for documenting learning and competencies and can be used to support student success, intellectual growth, and individual development within higher education and beyond. This pre-conference session is intended to introduce participants to ePortfolios and to the Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL.org), a US-based, not-for-profit organization with members around the world.

Led by the Vice-Chair of the Board of AAEEBL, Tracy Penny Light, along with Katherine Lithgow (University of Waterloo), Jason Thompson (University of Guelph), and Alex Ambrose (Notre Dame University), the presenters will discuss the ways that ePortfolios can:

• Help learners manage their own knowledge assets by documenting and reflecting on their learning in traditional as well as in experiential learning settings
• Introduce evidence-based learning, prior learning assessment and essential skills into the academy
• Serve as an effective advising tool as learners make the transition from schools-based learning to lifelong learning.

Reflections on the PLAR Assessor Experience

Presenters: Diane Purvey, Dean of Arts, Kwantlen Polytechnic University; Ann Pollock, Faculty-OL, Thompson Rivers University (TRU), Open Learning (TRU-OL); Carolyn Ives, Curriculum Services Coordinator, Grant MacEwan University

PLAR assessors often attest to the transformative nature of the PLAR process for applicants, who through it discover their acquired knowledge. However, this session focuses on the experience of the PLAR assessors. How do they benefit from the richness of the assessment experience? How is their understanding of the learning process impacted and broadened? And how does that understanding inform their teaching and administrative practices? Among other facets, we explore how the assessment experience can encourage reconsideration of the range of pathways to acquired knowledge, enhance the teaching tool of “reflection on learning,” and enrich the development of teaching curricula.

Recognition of Acquired Competencies (RAC) for Immigrants: Lessons Learned From The Information Technology Support Specialist Service: From Recognition to Mentoring

Presenters: Eric T Poehlman, RAC Advisor, Champlain College St-Lambert; Jessica Boyd, RAC ECE Pedagogical Advisor, Champlain College St-Lambert

Recently arrived immigrants in Montreal face significant obstacles in the job market due to several factors including: 1) the lack of recognition of their qualifications and competencies in the Canadian labor market 2) communication challenges. Champlain College-Saint Lambert has implemented a RAC service for immigrants in the field of Information Technology Support Specialist over the past two years. Challenges and solutions were encountered during this process. More specifically, the immigrant experience was enhanced when: 1) Immigrants received intensive seminars to improve communication skills were delivered; 2) Flexible scheduling permitted immigrants to follow a weekday and/or weekend process; 3) Competencies were evaluated with practical laboratory-based activities and 4) Immigrants were paired with a mentor during their initial employment. A viable and rigorous RAC-ITSS process is possible when training is ‘seamless’ and comprehensive and extends into the work-place environment.

It’s Not all Doom and Gloom in Europe

Presenters: John O’Sullivan, Director, CamProf Inc.; Nigel Lloyd, Principal, CamProf Inc.

John and Nigel will present general information on European developments, including comparisons with practice in Canada, focusing on competencies, essential skills and PLAR. Discussion will be had on the role of qualification frameworks, and the new focus on employability. They will illustrate with two EU projects concerning incorporation of learning outcomes, competencies and essential skills into university programs, including their assessment and certification, with related recommendations for employer engagement and university governance. There will be an opportunity for questions and discussion.

The Great Equalizer: Developing Fair Assessments based on Profession-Specific Competencies

Presenter: Lorna Martin, President, CCPA

A fair, valid, reliable and credible measure of professional competence is essential to individuals wishing to enter a profession from multiple countries, multiple learning institutions, and multiple life experiences. Using a step-by-step model, I discuss the development processes for fair assessment practice using the example of a Canadian entry-to-practice counselling assessment prototype. Beginning with a national competency profile that delineates occupational standards, I move through assessment-creation processes from conceptual foundations and rationale to assessment blueprint, item-writing, beta-testing, and validation. The culmination of this study is a replicable process for the creation of fair, valid, and reliable competency-based test instruments.

Anticipated Learning Outcomes

Audiences will:

• recognize the distinction between occupational standards, competency profiles, and competency assessments
• understand that competency is richer than knowledge and skill; that competency is distinct from proficiency
• understand the importance of collaborative, pan-Canadian development processes to create credible national standards
• identify the steps needed for reliable, credible, and valid assessment of competencies
• recognize the important role of competency assessment for individuals from diverse countries, diverse regions of Canada, multiple educational backgrounds, and different life experiences

Ontario College PLAR Network

Presenters: Sean Woodhead, Manager, Pathways & Academic Partnerships, Centennial College; Jan Carter, Manager, Immigrant Education, George Brown College

A community of practice has recently been established for Ontario colleges to share and further develop individual college PLAR practices. In this one hour workshop, discussion will be facilitated in order to develop a mandate, key objectives and potential first projects. Please come and join this exciting opportunity to share with other colleges and contribute to leading the direction of PLAR in Ontario.

ePortfolios and RPL – 2013 Roundup

Presenters: Don Presant, President, Learning Agents; Trent Batson, President, AAEEBL

Don Presant, an ePortfolio evangelist since 2004, will engage participants in a fast-paced tour of international ePortfolio practice in 2013.

The workshop will be based on knowledge of innovative work in Canada, online connections with the global eportfolio community and will also bring the latest news and developments from these international eportfolio conferences scheduled for 2013:

• Mahara UK 2013 in Birmingham
• The ePortfolio and Identity Conference in London (ePIC 2013)
• The Association for Authentic, Experiential and Evidence-Based Learning conference in Boston (AAEEBL 2013)
• 2013 Eportfolio Forum in Canberra

Customized, Outcome-Based, Relevant Evaluation

Presenters: Dr. Charla Long, Dean, College of Professional Studies, Lipscomb University; Dr. Teresa Clark, Director, Research and Design, Lipscomb University

Lipscomb University has implemented a first-of-its-kind competency-based educational program called CORE (Customized, Outcome-Based, Relevant Evaluation), with the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership. Instead of creating an untested competency model, Lipscomb utilizes an existing, research-based model from the business sector. Another distinguishing factor of CORE is that its assessments are not online exams; instead, students participate in group and individual activities evaluated by trained assessors, for a personalized behavioral assessment. If students demonstrate competency at desired levels, they receive e-badges and college credit. Where students experience gaps in competency, they engage with faculty coaches instead of self-study.

Transitioning Internationally Educated Allied Health Professionals: A Model for Prior Learning Assessment

Presenter: Meera Kaur, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba

Internationally educated allied health professionals are crucial to the Canadian Healthcare System who bring diverse skills, knowledge, and experience to Canada. However, transitioning them to the new System may be challenging due to issues such as structure of the System, cultural differences, and language subtleties. The purpose of this session is to present a rationale for transition program, describe a model for prior learning assessment, and advocate for the development of a national policy to standardize transition programs for such professionals.

Blueprint for Success: Building RPL in
NAIT’s New Academic Model

Presenter: Sharon Brown, Recognition of Prior Learning Coordinator, NAIT; [Greg Sowak, Associate Registrar, NAIT

In fall 2011, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) in Edmonton, Alberta embarked on the design and implementation of a new academic model. Intended to better align NAIT with the governmental priorities of accessibility, enhanced learner pathways, affordability, and sustainability, NAIT’s “New Academic Model Design Blueprint” outlined Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) as one of 12 core design components.

Since June 2012, NAIT’s new RPL Coordinator has worked in concert with the Office of the Registrar, NAIT’s Academic Schools, and external partners to transform this “blueprint” design into a consistent and rigorous institutional RPL system.

In this presentation, NAIT’s RPL Coordinator and Associate Registrar of Admissions will chronicle their journey towards RPL standardization at NAIT, sharing insights, challenges and successes.

RPL in Norway and Europe - A Work in Progress

Presenter: Hanne Christensen, Senior Adviser, Vox, Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning and National Expert, Cedefop, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training

Lifelong learning is high on the agenda in Norway, including a statutory right to validation of prior learning. However, legislation alone is not sufficient. This workshop will centre on giving an overview of what is going on in RPL, focusing on recent developments in particular. Some national background will be provided, against which measures and challenges will be discussed.

Also, links to developments in the European Union will be drawn, providing information on the recent RPL Recommendations from the EU Commission, and on how implementation is being supported by Cedefop, the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training.

An Overview of the Australian System

Presenter: Wendy Cato, Managing Director, RPL Assist

Australia has a vocational education systems based on nationally recongised industry competency standards. These standards create benchmarks for training and assessment across most occupations. Assessments using the standards must utilize the four principles of assessment and the four rules of evidence to create consistency and validity across the thousands of training providers crossing seven states and two territories delivering training and assessment within these occupations.

RPL is utilized in a number of ways in Australia as a workforce development tool. This presentation will include case studies (videos) of two training providers that have “partnered” with industry to deliver RPL; one in the construction industry (scaffolders/riggers), the other with oil/gas drilling companies to give RPL to their workers for just doing their jobs.

Pan-Canadian Practice-Ready Assessment(PRA) for International Medical Graduate (IMG) Physicians – Determining Competence before Provisional Licensure

Presenter: Cindy Streefkerk, Consultant – National Assessment Collaboration – Practice Ready Assessment, Medical Council of Canada

The National Assessment Collaboration (NAC) PRA initiative is designing an assessment which will assist Medical Regulatory Authorities in their decision to license physicians who are IMG’s. The initiative has established a common process for screening and Family Medicine PRA standards. These will be used to assess an IMG-physician’s ability to meet Canadian standards. Demonstrating these competencies assures regulators of the physician’s ability and is an independent assessment of prior learning or experience which may not be known to the regulator.

The presentation highlights the current state of PRA across Canada and will:

• Describe the approach used to define family medicine competency standards
• Focus on the elements within a competency-based assessment method and process
• Describe the cost/benefit of this approach for various stakeholders including regulators, jurisdictional governments and assessment programs

Supporting PLAR for Mature Students Returning to Earn an Ontario Secondary School Diploma)

Presenters: Karen Sklash, Project Coordinator, CESBA; Pauline Beggs, Project Lead, Curriculum Services Canada; Jonathan Brown, Education Officer, Ontario Ministry of Education

This workshop will provide an overview of how adults in Ontario can use PLAR for mature students to earn credits towards an Ontario Secondary School Diploma. The Ontario Association of Adult and Continuing Education School Board Administrators (CESBA) will describe ways of using moderated marking, e-communities and peer coaching to support greater consistency in how adults’ equivalent learning is assessed through the PLAR process.

Curriculum Services Canada will also demonstrate an innovative PLAR self-diagnostic prototype tool designed to support adults in self-assessing their readiness to write Grade 9 and 10 PLAR individual assessments aligned to Ontario’s English and math expectations in reading comprehension, number sense and measurement.

The Revised CLB: Communicative Competencies to Meet the Needs of Adult English and French Second Language Learners

Presenters: Kathy Hughes, Project Manager, CCLB; Andrea Strachan, Consultant

In a world of evolving standards, adults must demonstrate they have appropriate communication competencies for work, school and life. In 2012, with support from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB) revised the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB)/ Niveaux des compétences linguistiques canadiens (NCLC) after a lengthy consultation with employers, training institutions, applied linguists, and learners. See how the revised, fully validated CLB standards meet the needs of various stakeholders for high / low stakes use, including in language portfolios, language assessments and occupation-specific research.

A Competency-based Approach to the Assessment of Work Experience in a Licensure Process

Presenter: Suzanne Massie, Senior Consultant, Ottawa, Human Resource Systems Group

Professional work experience can be assessed using a variety of methods such as multiple-choice questions, portfolios, oral examinations and structured interviews, to name a few. This presentation will provide a strategy on how to determine the best assessment strategy taking into consideration legal defensibility and sustainability of the program. A case study will be used to illustrate the proposed approach.

Putting E-Portfolios into Play for Immigrants: From Arrival in Canada to Successful Employment

Presenters: Clifford Bell, Director, Language College & Career Services, ISSofBC; Don Presant, President, Learning Agents; Lisa Herrera, Instructional Coordinator, ISSofBC; Janis Fair, Technology Coordinator, ISSofBC; Freda Fernandes, Manager Skills Connect, ISSofBC

As a multi-service immigrant organization, ISSofBC works with thousands of newcomers each year, from their arrival in Canada to supporting their language acquisition and assisting them find and retain employment. This workshop will highlight ISSofBC’s unique initiative in cooperatively implementing e-portfolios in both language and employment programs as a catalyst to improve clients’ language, soft skills and employment readiness while also providing them with a meaningful job-finding tool. Speakers will provide information on tapping into e-portfolio expertise in Canada, choosing e-portfolio platforms, and challenges and successes encountered along the way.

International PLA Network (IPLAN) Workshop – Live International Webinar

Moderator: Gail Hall, IPLAN; Presenters: Deb Blower, RPL Facilitator Red River College, Winnipeg Canada; Hanne Christensen, Senior Adviser, Vox, Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning, National Expert, Cedefop, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training; James Keevy, Director: International Liaison, South African Qualifications Authority

Global Learning Qualifications Framework –
Assessing University-Level Learning Anytime, Anywhere.

Presenters: Nan Travers, Director of Collegewide Academic Review, SUNY Empire State College; Amy McQuigge, Director of Open Learning, SUNY Empire State College

Assessing open and/or prior learning raises all types of questions: how to assess learning, which frameworks to use, how to fit frameworks into existing structures, and how to evaluate learning acquired outside of traditional academic and workplace settings.

SUNY Empire State College (as part of Open SUNY and funded through Lumina) has developed the Global Learning Qualifications Framework (GLQF) to assess university-level learning regardless of where, when or how it was acquired. This presentation will share the background of the project, the resulting framework, and its application. Participants will practice using the framework and discuss how to implement it at their institution/organization.

Competency-based Assessment in Nova Scotia – The Way Forward

Presenters: Diane Gordon, Manager RPL and Labour Mobility, Adult Education, Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education; Clarence De Schiffart, Coordinator – Career and Essential Skills Services, NSCC

Over the next 10 years, recruiting new employees who bring the same qualifications, training and credentials that exist in our current workforce will be a challenge for many Nova Scotia employers. Faced with this skills shortage, many organizations are adopting a competency based assessment approach which brings a greater focus on identifying what individuals know, and can do, to determine if they have the competencies required to be successful in an occupation.

Come and learn about the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education’s partnership with Nova Scotia Community College on training industry experts in competency-based assessment.

Exploring Successes and Challenges of
Competency-Based Alternatives

Presenters: Tanya Chute Molina, OFC Program Adviser, Office of the Fairness Commissioner; Dr. Jack D. Gerrow, Executive Director, National Dental Examining Board of Canada; Deborah Wolfe, Managing Director of the National Committee on Accreditation, Federation of Law Societies of Canada

Ontario’s Office of the Fairness Commissioner has been tracking changes introduced by regulated professions since the passage of fair access legislation in 2006. These changes include trends in competency assessments and bridging programs as acceptable alternatives for meeting licensing requirements.

Featuring OFC research and regulator case studies, this workshop will explore successes and challenges related to implementing competency-based alternatives. The competency approach can significantly improve opportunities for internationally trained professionals to become licensed and employed in their field. However, careful attention must be paid to challenges related to cost, length and sustainability of acceptable alternatives for meeting licensing requirements.

Taking Continuing Education to New Heights

Presenter: Vicki McCoy, Professional Competence Officer, Board of Funeral Services

Intended to support the success of Ontario funeral professionals, the Board of Funeral Services (BOFS) has engaged in a two (2) year process to develop an innovative, leading edge continuing education program. Built on the BOFS Funeral Sector Professional Competency Profiles – Second Edition and current adult learning principles, the program serves to inspire licensees to engage in learning that addresses their individual needs while also ensuring the importance of sector specific training is maintained. The program, elegant in its simplicity yet challenging when put into practice, is designed to encourage licensees to consider how their learning may contribute to the future of the funeral service profession.

The Currency of Competencies: What’s the Foreign-exchange Rate for Physiotherapists in Quebec?

Presenters: Samuel Lessard, Agent de recherche et de communication, Conseil interprofessionnel du Québec; Uriel Pierre, admission coordinator, Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec

Professional regulators in Quebec can recognize a diploma or training as equivalent to a provincial diploma, which allows foreign-trained candidates to have access to a professional license. Using by-laws and other legislation, which is helpful for equity and transparency matters, regulators have established equivalency processes.

In the movement to a competency-based model, regulators now have to create a new process, without sacrificing the expertise gained through the actual process.

In 2013, the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec has developed a new process for equivalency for foreign-trained candidates. The experience will help other professional regulators in moving to a competency-based equivalency process.

CAPLA Jeopardy – Play For Fun, Prizes and
Prove Your CAPLA Learning!

Presenters: Amanda Roberts, PLAR Coordinator, SAIT Polytechnic; Deb Blower, RPL Facilitator, Red River College of Applied Arts Science and Technology; Brandi Davison, PLAR Advisor, SAIT

Come and test your knowledge, skills and abilities about CAPLA and RPL using a game-show approach with colleagues from across the country. Prizes, RPL $, facts and fun are in store for those who participate. You will learn more about CAPLA and RPL initiatives, plus how to use the concept at your own organization to raise awareness about RPL while dispelling some of the myths that still prevail. You don’t want to miss this one!!

Career Development and RPL Integration

Presenters: Carol Timlin, Executive Director, Victoria County Career Services; Joan Connelly, Executive Director, Literacy Ontario Central South

This workshop will bring participants up to date on the second phase of a project undertaken by the Competency Portfolio Community Group (CPCA) which is being funded by the Government of Ontario. The goal of the project is to integrate RPL and the portfolio process into the service delivery of employment agencies, in order to help clients articulate and prove their skills and competencies.

Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIACC): A Conversation on Canada’s Survey Results and Implications for RPL

Presenters: Katerina Sukovski, CMEC; Diane Gordon, Manager RPL and Labour Mobility, Adult Education, Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education

On October 8, 2013, the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released worldwide PIACC survey results and Canada's data analysis followed on the same day. The survey measured such skills as literacy, numeracy and problem solving in technology-rich environments among adults from ages 16 to 65 in 24 countries. The Council of Ministers Education, Canada (CMEC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) provided Canadian leadership. Statistics Canada administered the survey and 27,000 Canadians responded.

Presenters will highlight some of the survey results, followed by a conversation about adult competencies and their implications for RPL practice.

When Assessment of Learning Counts: Competency-based Degree Programs in the U.S.

Presenter: Becky Klein-Collins, Director of Research, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL)

This session will present an overview of the 40-year history of competency-based education in the U.S. and describe various approaches to competency-based education, including models that integrate seamlessly with credit-hour-based systems, models designed to streamline the learning process, and models that rely on assessments of competency rather than accumulation of credit hours. The session will address the issues of quality assurance, the importance of developing models that recognize student learning regardless of how it is acquired, the connections with prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR), and current discussions on how public policy can support competency-based education and assessment.

Mature Workers – Competencies Acquired Through Experience: A Cornerstone in the Foundation for Prosperity in Canada

Session Facilitator: Gaelyne MacAulay, Past Chair of CAPLA and Board Liaison to the CAPLA Mature Worker Working Group; Presenters: Chris Rankin, BEd, Coordinator of the OWL Project, NS; Rod Palmer, Trainer, Facilitator TIOW (Targeted Initiatives for Older Workers), Prescott ON; Jonathan Creaghan, auteur du roman Duxter’s Leap

This session will highlight two success programs for mature workers looking for employment along with the activities of CAPLA’s Mature Workers Working Group.

Chris Rankin will share how Portfolio Development has proven to be an integral module in the eight-week job readiness project, The OWL Project (Older Wiser Labourforce). This session will showcase how completing the Portfolio Development Program, in addition to all the other modules of the Owl Project, has assisted in the re-entry of over 82% of the total participants into the Halifax labour market. The presentation will focus on specific aspects of the OWL Project and how Portfolio Development is used to reacquaint the participants with their past, thus allowing them to move forward successfully.

Rod Palmer and Jonathan Creaghan will highlight how this novel was used as an integral part of this TIOW program. The two presenters have been collaborating to create a companion workbook to assist the reader in discovering and identifying the barrier or barriers that are preventing them from moving forward. Duxter’s Leap is an easy to read fable for people in transition whether their leap is an action, a change of thinking, or letting go.

Innovating Competency Assessment for New Canadians and Internationally Experienced Workers in Northern BC

Presenters: Loren Lovegreen, Registrar, Northern Lights College; Sandy Steward, Lead Consultant and Competency Assessment Expert, Sitka Solutions Inc.; Geoff Stevens, Chair, BC Natural Gas Workforce Strategy Committee

Northern Lights College, together with its industry partners in oil and gas and mining are currently embarked on an innovation project intended to increase the capacity of employers to use competency assessment to rapidly hire, integrate and retain new Canadians and other internationally experienced workers. The proposed presentation will highlight how a new job competency profile and assessment tool is being developed and used by companies such as Shell Canada, Spectra Energy, and HD Mining to better match job requirements with candidate skills, identify and overcome competency gaps, transcend language barriers, and ensure positive cultural “fit” between employers and job applicants. The tool is being developed for two semi-skilled occupations, one in mining and a second in Oil and Gas. Presenters will include representatives from the college and industry partners.

Preparing Meaningful RPL Messaging for Immigrants Coming to Canada

Presenters: Eileen Kelly-Freake, Director of Employment Programs and Career Services, AXIS Career Services, ANC; Jason MacFarlane, Employment Counsellor, Multicultural Association of Fredericton Inc.; Jan Carter, Manager, Immigrant Education | Manager, PLAR, George Brown College; Cynthia Murphy, Director, Canadian Immigration Integration Project (CIIP), ACCC

This session will give participants an opportunity to assist the CAPLA Immigrants RPL Working Group in the development of its PLAR messaging strategy. Even though immigrants are informed that their experiences count in Canada, they are often unprepared and ill-equipped to articulate and demonstrate their skills and competencies. Group members have committed to developing effective communication resources to help de-mystify the assessment and recognition of prior and current learning, for use by all stakeholders.

This workshop will highlight the activities of the Immigrants RPL Working Group to date and focus on three initiatives: a PLAR - focused website template for immigrants; an infographics concept to help visualize pathway options; and a plain language brochure designed to clarify the differences between credential and competency assessment.

Following the presentations, participants will have an opportunity to engage in a facilitated discussion with working group members and provide feedback on the initiatives.

UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning's International RPL Observatory - Exploring a Canada Counterpart

Facilitator: Bonnie Kennedy, Executive Director, CAPLA; Presenters: Guy Fortier, Vice-chair, CAPLA; Elisabeth Barot, Program Officer-Education, Canadian Commission for UNESCO; Hanne Christensen, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP);

An International RVA Observatory has been developed by the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in Germany, as a follow-up to the 2012 Guidelines for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation (RVA) of the Outcomes from Non-formal and Informal Learning. CAPLA considers the concept of an Observatory to be an interesting model and one that could showcase the diversity of RPL practice in Canada.

Recent international developments associated with ways to formally recognize learning acquired by people outside formal education systems constitutes an innovation of critical importance for citizens, and especially for Aboriginal peoples, adults without credentials, mature workers, the unemployed and immigrants. Because RPL facilitates transitions for people needing certification or new credentials, it is important to share research findings and promising programs that are effective.

CAPLA is exploring a Canadian platform for an Observatory on PLAR in close collaboration with UNESCO's Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL). A letter of support from UIL was received by CAPLA Board Chair Patrick Donahoe in March so next steps have begun.

Workshop participants will be asked the following questions:

1. How will UNESCO's Guidelines for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of Formal and Informal Learning (2012) interface with a RPL Observatory?
2. What role could a Canadian Observatory play?
3. How could an Observatory in Canada benefit practitioners and other stakeholders?

Quality Assurance and RPL

Presenters: Deb Blower, RPL Facilitator, Red River College of Applied Arts Science and Technology; Philip Mondor, Vice President, Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) with help from Quality Assurance Project Manager, Mary Kenny

CAPLA has received funding from HRSDC to undertake a project aimed at improving quality assurance practices in assessment and recognition. This workshop will give participants the opportunity to hear about the project goals and to be part of a focus group discussion that will help in establishing the direction of some of the project activities. The chair of CAPLA’s RPL Standards and Guidelines Working Group, Deb Blower, will facilitate the session.

The Record of Achievement and the Nova Scotia and Essential and Employability Skills Framework Project

Presenters: Diane Gordon, Manager RPL and Labour Mobility, Adult Education, Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education; Teresa Francis, Director of New Program Development, Prior Learning Centre; Nancy Anningson, Managing Director, Prior Learning Centre

The Adult Education Division of the Nova Scotia Government identified that there were a number of learners that never achieved their Adult High School Diploma or their GED. When they left the program even though they had improved their skills and had levels of literacy and numeracy that could be valuable in the workplace, there was no way to prove they had those skills. To address this need as well as the needs of the employers looking for the right match of competencies, the concept of the Record of Achievement was conceived. The challenge was to what standard would these learners be assessed? Nova Scotia’s RPL Policy Framework had recommended increasing the use of and development of competence based standards for occupations and jobs, it was the natural evolution that the Record of Achievement would be established on a competency based standard. The Nova Scotia Essential and Employability Skills Framework (NSEES) is the result. It has a basis in the Essential and Employability Skills as well as the Equipped for the Future standard from the USA and includes another set of skills, personal management basics, that employers look for.

Nova Scotia is moving towards implementing the Record of Achievement as the third credential issued by the Adult Education Division of Labour and Advanced Education alongside of the Nova Scotia Adult High School Diploma and the GED. This workshop will outline; the development of the project, the results of the pilots, final project findings; development and validation of the NSEES Framework; the PLAR Assessment Methods used to assess the learners; employer reaction and acceptance of the document and review application of the assessment process outside of an adult learning environment.

The Power of PLA - How Offering Students Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Benefits Learners, Institutions, Employers and Other Stakeholders

Presenter: Todd Siben, Assistant Director, Center for the Assessment of Learning, Thomas Edison State College

This session engages participants to consider PLA programs and rewards for learners, institutions, employers and others. Learners gain self-awareness and validation through PLA, while institutions illustrate their commitment to adult students and engender a culture of assessment. Employers get employees who can reflect and write about their areas of knowledge, a powerful professional development activity. Additionally the community (society) realizes benefit because community members are more educationally inclined and more pensive as a result of needing to be more reflective through the PLA process. Participants will find a renewed understanding of the power of PLA for these constituencies. Also I will be discussing how we are integrating the knowledge gained from MOOCs, toward a competency-based degree.

Taking RPL to Work!

Presenters: Kris Dove, Director of Professional Development, Engineers Nova Scotia; Rosalie Hanlon, Coordinator, Internationally Educated Engineers Bridging Program, Immigrant Settlement & Integration Services (ISIS); Jan Sheppard Kutcher, Consultant International Labour Mobility, ISIS/Nova Scotia Department of Labour & Advanced Education

An innovative new work-site based program to assess the performance and competencies of internationally educated engineers.

This presentation will include the following themes:

• Genesis & background of the program
• The secret behind this successful collaboration
• Defining the competencies & developing the tools
• Nuts, bolts and logistics of the program
• Meeting the challenge of employer engagement
• Outcomes, results and impact
• What’s next?

20 years of employer engagement using e-portfolios for stronger defensibility in recording competences, risk assessment, career progression, apprenticeships and accreditation of prior learning.

Presenter: Robert Smart

This workshop will look at how e-portfolios are being used for a whole range of assessments for some of the worlds largest companies in providing robust and defensible portfolios of evidence that stand up to regulatory and legal scrutiny. We will look at the evolution and how culture needed to change as well as the technologies used. This session will involve a practical demonstration and user interaction on tablets/laptops.

How are electronic portfolios more useful for prior learning assessment and recognition than traditional portfolios?

Presenters: Trent Batson, President, AAEEBL; Judy Batson, Vice President, AAEEBL

Using portfolios for assessment is an age-old practice, but electronic portfolios expand on portfolio benefits in ways that may not be obvious at first glance. Let's explore how eportfolios can help PLAR practice.

International Qualifications Network (IQN)

Presenter: Allain Lauzon, Manager, Integration and Foreign Credentials Referral Office Branch, Citizenship and Immigration Canada

The International Qualifications Network (IQN) is a website that was developed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada in collaboration with a wide variety of stakeholders from all provinces and territories. Launched in December 2011, it allows subject-matter experts to learn from one another, share and collaborate on assessment and recognition practices in Canada and abroad.

Anticipated Learning Outcomes:

• Discover new tools to develop better practices on qualifications assessment and recognition;
• Learn about collaboration and partnership opportunities with others who share similar interests and goals; and,
• Learn how to leverage the IQN to promote and market your own organization’s FCR or PLAR tools, services and practices.

Dynamics of Francophone immigration in Western Canada: An analysis of the training needs of Francophone newcomers who settle in Calgary, Alberta

Presenter: Mamady Camara, Director, CANAF Calgary

This presentation will be based on data collected from the Francophone Newcomers Centre Customers - CANAF Calgary over 5 years period (2008-2013). Through this data, the presentation will conduct an analysis of its customer’s profiles: country of origin, province or country transited by, professional profile status with regard to employment, level of education, English level etc. Challenges to the recognition of qualifications and work experience acquired abroad will also be discussed. Examination of this data will identify the issues and challenges in training and integrating Francophone immigrants in minority communities.

Sharing Good Practices for Bridging Programs for Immigrants

Presenters: Beba Svigir, Executive Director, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association; Mae Chun, Employment Services Department Manager, Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association

The bridging programs at CIWA provide immigrant women with skills enhancement and industry connections leading to improved employment outcomes. Clients are engaged in full-time enhanced employment skills and occupation-specific language training followed by work experience in occupations that commensurate with career goals. During the process, clients also benefit from career counselling and mentoring with relevant industry professionals. A critical component of all bridging programs at CIWA are employer partners who become collaborators in newcomer settlement by providing Canadian work experience to clients and in the process gain new insights in working with new immigrants while having access to a skilled workforce.

Please see below the answer to your question regarding what our bridging programs do in recognizing competencies and skills for immigrants.

Prior to participating in the bridging programs, potential clients are assessed on the following:

• English language skills; we recognize Canadian Language Benchmark Assessments
• Professional experience (accounting and administration training programs) – experience in native country is recognized
• IQAS assessment is preferred but not critical
• Technical skills – accounting, writing and computer skills

• Certificates recognizing achievements
• Work placement opportunities that align with skill level
• Job performance reviews
• Certificate recognizing completion of the program
• References for future employment opportunities

What are the challenges and lessons learned of implementing competency-based prior learning assessment for credentialing programs?

Presenter: Suzanne Massie, Senior Consultant, Ottawa, Human Resource Systems Group

In this interactive session, we welcome all conference participants to speak their mind of their current or past struggles with competence-based prior learning assessments. Have no idea where to start? Had a failed attempt at implementing an assessment? Come share, support learn. A tool will be provided to help guide the discussion.

Block PLAR – Resounding Success!

Presenters: Garry Ayotte, Faculty Development Advisor, SIAST; Karen Wightman, Faculty Advisor/Facilitator, SIAST

PLAR has been offered to SIAST faculty in the Faculty Certificate Program (FCP) for the past six years. Recently, we analyzed our PLAR data and decided to implement a pilot project for select groups of SIAST faculty enrolled in the FCP. Basically instead of having to submit evidence for one of four credit courses individually to four separate “assessors”, the Faculty Advisor asked participants to submit an evidence file or portfolio for assessment of two–four courses to a “single assessor”. In this session, we will share our data, project plan and delivery, the results and ongoing plans for implementation.

What PLAR Practitioners Can Learn from Research

Presenters: Debora Marchant, Senior Open Learning Faculty Member, Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition Faculty Member, School of Business Thompson Rivers University, Open Learning Division; Nicole Borhaven, PLAR Advisor, Thompson Rivers University

As two PLAR practitioners, a PLAR Assessor and a PLAR Advisor, we recently had the good fortune to attend a conference in Vancouver, BC, with presentations from top international researchers in the field of PLAR. The conference, Summit 2013, was co-hosted by BCPLAN and Thompson Rivers University (TRU)’s Prior Learning International Research Centre (PLIRC). Post presentation, researchers facilitated discussions around strategies to maximize the PLAR potential for adult learners in BC. We will highlight the significant learning we took from the conference, specifically those insights gained from the research aspect of PLAR.

Implementation of PLAR Services within Educational Environments: Addressing an Urgent Need Using an Exportable Model

Presenter: Geneviève Rock, RAC Coordinator, Champlain College Saint-Lambert

The recognition of qualified workers and the rapid integration of qualified immigrants into the Canadian workforce have encountered two challenges: 1) The reluctance of educational institutions to establish a ‘recognition and training pathway’ to officially recognize workers’ competencies; and 2) The reluctance of employers to integrate foreign-trained workers into their businesses. The implementation of PLAR services within an educational institution offers one viable avenue to address each of these unique challenges. Nevertheless, educational institutions sometimes remain reluctant to embrace PLAR Services into mainstream College activities due to financial and logistical uncertainties.

The purpose of this roundtable discussion is threefold: 1) To share with participants a PLAR Service model that is exportable and academically rigorous; 2) To discuss a ‘financial blueprint’ for PLAR Services that is financially viable and exportable to other institutions; 3) To underscore the adaptability of a PLAR Service model to accommodate different educational groups (e.g., businesses, immigrants, First Nations, etc).

We draw upon 5-years of experience at Champlain College-Saint Lambert (Montreal, QC) that has finally solidified PLAR Services as part of the continuing education ‘educational culture.’ It is our contention that careful consideration of the value of PLAR Services, both from an academic and financial standpoint, will help solidify PLAR Services as part of the educational milieu and enhance the recognition and the integration of qualified workers into the workforce.