NEW INITIATIVE ADDRESSING LABOUR MARKET SHORTAGES

You live. You learn. It all counts. A new resource from Saskatchewan Learning will help formally recognize the knowledge and skills people gain through work or life experiences and make it all count for education or employment.

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a strategy that creates opportunities for Saskatchewan people to receive credit for real-life learning that occurs at home, at work, at school, or within the community. To recognize a person's formal and/or experiential learning, any or all of the following could apply:

-Qualification Recognition - seeking credit for a degree, certificate, or diploma;
-Credit Transfer - requesting credit at an educational institution for courses or programs that were completed at another institution; and
-Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition – assessing what a person knows and can do in relation to a goal or skill requirement.

"I was attending university in BC, and wanted to switch to a program at the University of Regina," 4th year student Rachel Markwart said. "RPL made it possible for me to transfer two years worth of credits. I didn't have to re-do any courses. I saved time and money and now that I am home, I plan to live and work in Saskatchewan."

The Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board championed the development of the Recognition of Prior Learning strategy. Board Co-Chairs, Larry Hubich and Sandra Greenough, agree that it supports worker mobility and labour force development. The board believes the program will create opportunities and reduce barriers for those seeking work or further education and training.

A new resource from Saskatchewan Learning called A Journey of Self-Discovery will help facilitators and practitioners guide people through a process to recognize the value of their experience and to identify their knowledge and skills.

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For More Information, Contact:

Jacquie McLean Learning Regina Phone: 787-5609