Canada’s Labour Market Training System

How does the current labour market training system function and whose interests does it serve? In this introductory textbook, Bob Barnetson wades into the debate between workers and employers, and governments and economists to investigate the ways in which labour power is produced and reproduced in Canadian society. After sifting through the facts and interpretations of social scientists and government policymakers, Barnetson interrogates the training system through analysis of the political and economic forces that constitute modern Canada. This book not only provides students of Canada’s division of labour with a general introduction to the main facets of labour-market training—including skills development, post-secondary and community education, and workplace training—but also encourages students to think critically about the relationship between training systems and the ideologies that support them.

About the Author

Bob Barnetson is a professor of labour relations at Athabasca University. He is the author of The Political Economy of Workplace Injury in Canada (2010) and co-editor of Farm Workers in Western Canada: Injustice and Activism (2016). His research focuses on the political economy of workplace injuries, with particular attention to child, migrant, and farm workers. Formerly, Bob worked for a trade union, the Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board, the Alberta Labour Relations Board, and Alberta Employment and Immigration.

Reviews

A compelling read and an important (and timely) contribution to our understanding of the Canadian state’s approach to managing the domestic labour market.

Global Labour Journal

Table of Contents

1. Abbreviations
2. Acknowledgements
3. Figures and Tables
4. Preface
5. 1. Canada’s Training System in Outline
6. 2. Post-Secondary Education and the Apprenticeship Training System
7. 3. Government Training and Immigration Policy
8. 4. Workplace Training and Learning
9. 5. Community-Based Education and Training
10. 6. Reproducing Patterns of Advantage and Disadvantage through Training
11. Glossary / Bibliography

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). It may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original author is credited.