The challenges of partnership in school‐to‐work transition

Abstract

This paper explores the challenges of partnership through an examination of a high school apprenticeship program in carpentry in Ontario, Canada. Focusing on the relationships between schools, trainers, employers and government, challenges relate to the ability to coordinate the program across institutions, achieve agreement on goals, gain commitment from employers and promote a culture of learning in the workplace. These areas need to be addressed more systematically by policy‐makers and partners if such programs are to foster the learning and development of young people.

Acknowledgements

The data reported here were gathered as part of the research network on The Changing Nature of Work and Lifelong Learning (WALL) funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) from 2002 through 2006 as a Collaborative Research Initiative on the New Economy (Project No. 512–2002–1011). This network is composed of a large national survey and 12 case study projects. For further information, see the network website: http://www.wallnetwork.ca. I appreciate the help provided by school district and training centre staff in facilitating my research. Thanks also to my research assistant, Bonnie Watt‐Malcom, for her help with data collection.

Notes

1. A centrally coordinated effort to recruit students for the program and to prepare them for the training centre might have more effectively utilized the strengths of the different districts. In addition, teachers from the Catholic and public urban boards were often required to visit the same job sites to monitor their district’s students, which resulted in duplication of effort.

2. Although school staff emphasized inclusion based on ‘ability’ there had been little effort at the school or training centre to address issues of inclusion for equity‐seeking groups such as women, visible minorities, people with disabilities or Aboriginal students.

3. Formwork is the term given to temporary or permanent moulds into which concrete or similar materials are poured. Students doing this kind of work suggested that it tends to be physically demanding, outdoor work, since it involves developing the foundation and frame of the structure/building. Scaffolding also tends to be physically demanding work, for example building metal seating for large outdoor events.

4. Currently no group is taking responsibility for this, and in 2004, only one of seventy carpentry apprentices was female.