Posted: Monday, 30 March 2009

Notes on a Study Tour Organized by the Ontario Federation of Labour
November 10-14, 2008

The Ontario Federation of Labour organized a study tour to Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom in mid-November 2008 to examine apprenticeship governance systems in those countries in light of the anticipated changes to the administration of trades training in Ontario following the report and recommendations of Tim Armstrong on compulsory certification of trades.

The OFL will report on the specific implications of the tour regarding the implementation of the Armstrong recommendations.

This report comments on aspects of the tour of a more general interest to trade unionists who are engaged in labour education and workplace education and training. The author participated only in the Ireland and United Kingdom legs of the tour and so there will be no commentary on Germany.

In Dublin, meetings were held with representatives of the Irish Trade Union Congress, labour representatives on national training structures, the head of a major labour education college, bureaucrats from the national training authority, and staff from a major employer organization in the construction sector.

Read more - Download the PDF