Administration and Commerce, November 27, 2023

Administration & Commerce: How to teach workplace dynamics in an labour dispute context.
In light of the current labour dispute, today’s topic of discussion was on preparing student for a trade-specific workforce culture around labour in the administrative and office trades. We explored some of cultural and social elements influence this trade – high immigration, public-private sector employment, presence of public-sector unionization, and awareness of diversity and inclusion. Sprinkled throughout the program are the teaching of legislative aspects of the trade (CNESST) and workforce expectations. Our discussions addressed topics of urban-rural divide, teaching about the role of unions, and diversity. In a small communities, local students grasp their post-program work connections, but in urban environments where foreign-born student presence is much higher, students are missing workforce experience and struggle to grasp notions of labour relations and expecations, often associating the role of unions as worker protection in crisis situations. We contemplated whether discussing historical and current gender dynamics of the trade undercuts progress in accepting diversity. Discussions highlight discrimination, acknowledging it as better addressed as a universal issue. For newcomers to Canada, this struggle can be more intense since many foreign-born workers are overskilled for the jobs that they occupy, leading to a misalignment of what tasks they are expected to accomplish, and in which context.

This meeting was on November 27, 2023. It was hosted by Robin Long, Provincial Vocational Training Education Consultant and Marc Vézina, Education Consultant, RÉCIT-Vocational Training, English School Boards.