ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Early Years (UEY) Initiative
Author: Human Resources and Social Development Canada
Date: 2007-07-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Early Childhood Education,Foreign Countries,Community Programs,Family Programs,Audits (Verification),Information Management,Compliance (Legal),Delivery Systems,Public Policy,Strategic Planning,Accountability,Resource Allocation,Personnel Management,Program Improvement,Communication Strategies,Financial Support

Internal Audit Services conducted an Early Implementation Review of the Understanding the Early Years (UEY) Initiative in 2006-07. This review is intended to provide assurance to senior management that program delivery has been established appropriately in order to meet its objectives and highlight any areas that require focused management attention for improvement. UEY is a national initiative designed to provide communities across Canada with locally specific information and knowledge on the development of children under age six in their communities; on family and community characteristics; and on programs and services supporting them. It helps communities assess their children's needs and equips them with information to make informed resourcing decisions about the best policies and programs for young children and their families in these communities. Overall, the UEY Initiative is well managed and controlled in support of program objectives. Good communication and cooperation is evident within the UEY program area, as well as with recipients and other stakeholders. Feedback from recipients and departmental representatives has led to improved tools and processes for the second round of CFP, as well as overall management of the UEY Initiative. Appendices include: (1) Approved File Review Results; (2) Rejected File Review Results; (3) Review Objectives, Criteria and Methodology; and (4) Management Action Plan. (Contains 2 figures.)
Summative Evaluation of Work Sharing while Learning and Increased Referrals to Training. Final Report
Author: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Date: 2005-04-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Job Sharing,Summative Evaluation,Program Evaluation,Pilot Projects,Foreign Countries,Labor Force Development,Human Resources,Training,Unemployment,Older Adults,Adult Education,Models,Administrators,Educational Policy

In October of 2002, Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) announced that it would participate in a $246.5 million Government of Canada initiative to support workers and communities in regions of high unemployment. The $71 million HRSDC portion was composed of three primary components: (1) Work Sharing While Learning (WSWL)--This new program adds a training component to the traditional Work Sharing program and targets firms facing a structural downturn; (2) Increased Referrals to Training (IRT)--This new initiative is intended to test and evaluate the effects of referring more individuals to training when they are facing job loss; and (3) Older Workers Pilot Projects Initiative (OWPPI)--A series of pilot projects, designed to encourage labour force attachment on the part of older workers, was extended until March 31, 2004. WSWL and IRT are evaluated separately from OWPPI, since OWPPI was already underway at the time of the announcement and already had an evaluation strategy in place. However, participation in WSWL and IRT was very limited at the time of the project planning (October 2003). Therefore, it was proposed that the evaluation be conducted in two phases. Phase I explores the reasons for the low take-up of the two programs. If participation in the programs increases sufficiently to warrant a more complete evaluation, Phase II is to examine traditional evaluation issues such as program outcomes and impacts. To date (March 2004), participation remains very low, and it seems unlikely that the Phase II portion of the evaluation will be warranted. This report presents the findings of Phase I of the evaluation of WSWL and IRT. It focuses on explaining the reasons for the lack of program take-up in order to provide lessons for future policy development. In the following section, the two programs are described. The third section presents the evaluation questions and the lines of evidence used to answer them. The fourth section presents the findings. The fifth and final section presents a summary and conclusions. List of Documents is appended. (Contains 2 figures, 1 table and 5 footnotes.)
Canada Education Savings Program: Annual Statistical Review--2009
Author: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Date: 2009-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Educational Finance,Foreign Countries,Human Resources,Annual Reports,Financial Services,Paying for College,Family Programs,Money Management,Grants,Statistical Surveys,Program Descriptions,College Preparation,Trusts (Financial)

The Canada Education Savings Program is an initiative of the Government of Canada. As part of the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development, the program administers the Canada Education Savings Grant and the Canada Learning Bond. These two initiatives help Canadian families save for a child's post-secondary education in Registered Education Savings Plans. This report is the 2009 Review of the Canada Education Savings Program.
Formative Evaluation of the Youth Employment Strategy. Final Report
Author: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Date: 2005-11-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Youth Employment,Program Design,Program Evaluation,Formative Evaluation,Program Effectiveness,Measurement,Foreign Countries,Research Methodology,Governance,Delivery Systems,Youth Programs,Developmental Programs,Performance Based Assessment,Transitional Programs,Career Development,Skill Development,Summer Programs,Job Skills,Accountability,Secondary Education,Postsecondary Education

This report presents the findings from the 2004 formative evaluation of the Youth Employment Strategy (YES). It is based on the fieldwork and analysis that was conducted by Consulting and Audit Canada between September 2004 and December 2004. The report is organized in five sections: Section 1 provides background on the YES and on the evaluation objectives, scope and methodology. Sections 2, 3 and 4 present the evaluation findings in relation to governance, program design and delivery, and performance measurement and success, respectively. A summary of the main findings and conclusions are presented in Section 5. The evaluation report is supported by a series of supplementary technical documents (see Annex A). (Contains 6 tables, 1 figure and 10 footnotes.)
Understanding the Early Years: Early Childhood Development in the Montreal Study Area, Montreal, Quebec. An Analysis of the Communities Survey
Author: Xu, Gong-Li
Date: 2010-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: Family Income,Early Childhood Education,Parenting Styles,Physical Health,Young Children,Foreign Countries,Data Collection,Kindergarten,Literacy,National Surveys,Child Development,Longitudinal Studies,Interviews,Parents,Well Being,Thinking Skills,Age Differences,Gender Differences,Interpersonal Relationship,Resources,Parent Background,Educational Attainment,Child Care,Student Evaluation

This report presents survey findings from two cycles of data collection in a 45-km area of Montreal located east of the city centre. The study was conducted by Statistics Canada as part of the second pilot phase of the Understanding the Early Years initiative (UEY-II), using the Communities Survey, a research tool adapted from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY). The first cycle of data collection took place in 2001, and the second cycle occurred in 2005. The Communities Survey consisted of two main activities: direct assessments of kindergarten children in the Montreal study area and interviews with parents. The results from the survey paint a portrait of early childhood outcomes at the study site, including outcomes related to physical health and well-being, cognitive skills and behaviour. The parental interviews offered information on a plethora of factors that may have influenced these developmental outcomes. The factors include the demographic characteristics of the children (e.g., age, gender), family income, parental education, parenting practices, childcare arrangements, literacy activities in the home, mutual support among neighbours, neighbourhood quality and safety, and use of the community's recreational, cultural and educational resources. By analyzing the two cycles of survey data together, the report also offers some insights into changes in demographic characteristics, family processes and community factors in the Montreal study area between 2001 and 2005, and how these changes may have affected the development of kindergarten children living in the community. To facilitate understanding of the survey results, the developmental outcomes of Montreal children are compared with the averages for the seven UEY-II pilot communities and, where possible, with averages for Canada as a whole. The remainder of this summary presents highlights from the report. &quot;Early Childhood Development: Findings from Research&quot; is appended. A bibliography is included. (Contains 20 tables, 27 figures and 11 footnotes.)
Formative Evaluation of the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership Program. Final Report
Author: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Date: 2009-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Employment,Program Evaluation,Models,Formative Evaluation,Foreign Countries,Indigenous Populations,Job Skills,Employment Programs,Case Studies,Agency Cooperation,Skill Development,Accountability,Costs,Interviews,Program Implementation

This document presents the report on the formative evaluation of the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) program conducted by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), covering the period from November 2003 to November 2006. The report is organized into four sections. Section 1 presents an overview of the ASEP program including descriptions of the nine ASEP projects, and an overview of the evaluation issues and questions. Section 2 contains details on the formative evaluation methodology. Section 3 presents findings according to the main formative evaluation issues and questions. Section 4 contains an overview of the main findings and conclusions. ASEP Program Logic Model is appended. (Contains 4 tables and 9 footnotes.)
Formative Evaluation of the Understanding the Early Years Initiative. Final Report
Author: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Date: 2009-06-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Summative Evaluation,Formative Evaluation,Technical Assistance,Child Development,Program Implementation,Organizational Objectives,Accountability,Program Descriptions,Delivery Systems,Stakeholders,Guidance,Responsibility,Institutional Role,Interviews,Parent Attitudes,Cognitive Mapping,Measures (Individuals),Family Programs,Community Information Services,Program Design,Knowledge Management,Foreign Countries

This report presents the findings of the formative evaluation of the Understanding the Early Years (UEY) Initiative. The evaluation was conducted to examine issues of implementation and design, early progress in achieving immediate objectives, and issues related to accountability. The evaluation team was also asked to provide preliminary guidance on the design of a summative evaluation of the Initiative. The UEY Initiative uses three data collection methods: the Early Development Instrument (EDI), the Parent Interviews and Direct Assessments of Children Survey (PIDACS), and data collection and analysis for the Community Mapping Report. The formative evaluation found the design of the UEY Initiative to be generally sound. For example, the evidence showed that the UEY model is inclusive, as well as sufficiently flexible to allow for the participation of a broad range of communities. Collaboration, community focus, credibility and communication were cited as key strengths of the UEY design. The evaluation found that the EDI and PIDAC are viewed positively as standardized tools that are recognized nationally. Key strengths of the Community Mapping Report include the ability to provide useful data and to develop local capacity to undertake research. The evaluation found that participants appear to have a clear understanding of their project's immediate and expected results for the UEY Initiative and have made progress in implementing their project. The early evidence suggests that progress has been made towards providing the community with funding support and technical assistance. As well, there is evidence that the UEY communities are forming and strengthening partnerships. There is also evidence of progress in terms of increasing parental and community awareness and knowledge regarding child development. UEY Communities are appended. (Contains 7 tables and 26 footnotes.)
Summative Evaluation of the Learning Initiatives Program (LIP). Final Report
Author: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Date: 2005-10-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Evidence,Summative Evaluation,Lifelong Learning,Foreign Countries,Human Resources,Research Reports,Delivery Systems,Relevance (Education),Program Design,Program Implementation,Program Evaluation,Organizational Objectives,Goal Orientation,Partnerships in Education,Program Effectiveness,Audits (Verification),Evaluation Methods,Achievement Need,Educational Improvement,Improvement Programs

The Learning Initiatives Program (LIP), formerly the Learning Initiatives Fund (LIF), is a contribution program which was established in 1994 to encourage and support initiatives that contribute to the development of a results-oriented, accessible, relevant and accountable learning system in Canada. Through this program, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) has collaborated with key partners in the development and implementation of a wide variety of national and international initiatives in support of lifelong learning. The primary purpose of this summative evaluation was to determine the extent to which the LIP has made progress in achieving its stated expected results. In addition, it also examined evaluation issues related to program relevance and design and delivery. Given that the previous evaluation has already examined projects approved early in the program's life, these projects were not re-examined. The projects examined during this evaluation include only those approved after March 31st, 1999. Findings indicate that the LIP goals and objectives are consistent with HRSDC's mandate and priorities. However, they are very broad, most likely as a result from wanting to ensure and reflect the program's intended innovative nature. Although evidence of dissemination of LIP-funded research was obtained, the data is incomplete. There is evidence of partnership development in the delivery of LIP projects. Fifty percent (50%) of sponsors surveyed indicated that they had established partnerships to implement their LIP-funded projects. However, an overwhelming majority of these can be described as informal. There is little concrete evaluative evidence indicating LIP's contribution to the development of lifelong learning policies and programs. The evaluation has not found any evidence of incremental progress made towards the achievement of ultimate outcomes. (Contains 6 tables and 9 footnotes.)
Summative Evaluation of the National Literacy Secretariat. Final Report
Author: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Date: 2004-09-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Summative Evaluation,Models,Foreign Countries,Writing Skills,Literacy,Accountability,Grants,Research Reports,Educational Opportunities,Reading Skills,Audits (Verification),Program Effectiveness,Program Evaluation,Outreach Programs,Community Education,Educational Policy,Institutional Characteristics,Organizational Objectives,Financial Support,Partnerships in Education,Literature Reviews,Case Studies,Interviews,Focus Groups,Institutional Role,Sustainability,Program Implementation,Relevance (Education),Skill Development,Improvement Programs

The National Literacy Secretariat (NLS) is a grants and contributions initiative established in 1987. The NLS has two objectives: (1) To increase opportunities and take-up, so that people improve their reading and writing skills; and (2) To work towards making Canada's social, economic and political life more accessible to those with weak literacy skills. From 1997/98 to 2001/02, the NLS distributed an average of $29 million per year in grants and contributions to help create a more literate Canada. The NLS allocates the full amount in grants but converts some of the funds into contributions on a case-by-case basis in accordance with Treasury Board policy. The NLS was last evaluated in 1995. The 1995 evaluation concluded the NLS was working in areas not dealt with by the provinces, had made a significant contribution to literacy in Canada (e.g. by encouraging many sectors become involved in literacy, reducing barriers to literacy training for some groups), and was highly rated by program sponsors. Since the 1995 evaluation, there have been a number of changes in the environment of the NLS. For example, the shift towards an interdependent, globalized and knowledge-based society is creating new challenges for literacy. In addition, an increased emphasis on public accountability means that organizations that distribute public funds are being asked to continually review and assess their performance to ensure their relevance, probity and effectiveness. The current evaluation of the NLS covers the five-year period from 1997/98 to 2001/02. Appended are: (1) National Literacy Secretariat Logic Model; and (2) Case Study Summary: National Literacy Secretariat. (Contains 7 tables, 1 figure and 5 footnotes.)
Individual-Based Completion Rates for Apprentices. Technical Paper
Author: Karmel, Tom
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Apprenticeships,Academic Persistence,Trainees,Graduation Rate,Prediction,Trend Analysis,Contract Training,Vocational Education,Statistical Surveys,Occupational Surveys

Low completion rates for apprentices and trainees have received considerable attention recently and it has been argued that NCVER seriously understates completion rates. In this paper Tom Karmel uses NCVER data on recommencements to estimate individual-based completion rates. It is estimated that around one-quarter of trade apprentices swap employers during their apprenticeship. Taking this into account, Karmel estimates completion rates for individuals, ranging from 39.2% for the food trades to 64.2% for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades workers. He notes that employer churn is an issue, with the worst occupations being hairdressing and the food trades. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)
Youth Employment Strategy (YES) 1997-2002: Summary of Recent Summative Evaluation Results. Final Report
Author: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
Date: 2004-05-00
Type: Reports - Evaluative
Subjects: Youth Employment,Underemployment,Summative Evaluation,Foreign Countries,Program Evaluation,Federal Programs,Equal Opportunities (Jobs),Agency Cooperation,Job Skills,Transitional Programs,Surveys,Employment Level,Economics,Unemployment,Wages,Youth Programs,Summer Programs,Labor Force,Participant Satisfaction,College Students,High School Students

This report provides a summary of six summative evaluation studies that were implemented and completed between 1999 and 2002. The evaluations were conducted on three different streams of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES). The Youth Employment Strategy was introduced by the federal government in 1997 to address employment related challenges facing youth. Fourteen federal departments and agencies together with public, private and voluntary sector partners were involved in the delivery of YES during the 1997 to 2002 period. The main goal of the Strategy is to assist young Canadians to prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment and to make a successful transition from school to work. YES focuses on young Canadians aged 15-30 who are unemployed or underemployed. During the 1997-2002 period, there were approximately 35 programs arranged in five major streams in YES. Each of the six evaluation studies that are summarized in this report addresses one or several aspects of these streams. The evaluations' results are mixed. Generally, a majority of participants who responded to the surveys expressed a high level of satisfaction with key program elements. In addition, a majority of participants stated that participation in the program increased their employability and improved skills. Participants were also less likely to state that they were underemployed. However, many respondents did state that they would have found jobs even without the program, and many indicated that they had already had contact with their internship employer prior to the program. The econometric analysis on earnings, employment and unemployment suggests that programs had moderate employment-related gains for some youth. These tended to be the youth who participated in the programs that involved the more highly educated youth--the ones who participated in the Science and Technology, Youth International, and Youth Internship Canada streams. There were little to no gains for the group that participated in YSC before it was redesigned with greater focus on youth at risk. Overall, these results could support a reconsideration of selected aspects of the programs. Evaluation Issues and Questions are appended. (Contains 5 tables, 4 figures and 12 footnotes.)
The Shifting Demographics and Lifelong Learning. Conference Paper
Author: Karmel, Tom
Date: 2011-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Futures (of Society),Human Capital,Lifelong Learning,Foreign Countries,Sustainable Development,Conference Papers,Demography,Population Trends,Productivity,Labor Force Development,Work Life Expectancy,Aging (Individuals)

This paper was presented at the International Symposium on Lifelong Learning for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development: Developing a Research Agenda for the Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong, 12-13 January 2011. Tom Karmel suggests that there are four implications of an ageing population: the need to improve labour force participation and productivity; the ageing population will provide a &quot;demographic dividend&quot; because there will be fewer young people to school; increasing life expectancy changes the arithmetic of the return to investments in human capital and makes investment in the middle-aged more attractive; and ageing populations in developed countries provide an opportunity for developing countries through the export of labour services. (Contains 4 tables, 6 figures and 2 footnotes.)