- A Policy Framework -
April 2002
to download Pdf VersionIntroduction: Campus Alberta and Lifelong Learning
Campus Alberta is emerging as a key framework under which Albertans will be able to pursue and achieve their lifelong learning goals. Campus Alberta is not a program, nor is it an institution. Rather, it is a concept, a set of principles and a way in which the learning system works together to deliver seamless learning opportunities for Albertans.
Pursuing lifelong learning is essential for people who wish to participate fully and successfully in their communities and careers. Adopting Campus Alberta as a framework under which lifelong learning is able to be realized causes us to challenge commonly held assumptions about what learning is and how it is recognized, who learners are, and what constitutes the learning system.
Within this new context, learning must be recognized not only when it leads to credentials (formal learning), but also when it does not (informal learning). Activities such as mentoring, experiential learning, and reading are viewed as valuable learning experiences whether they occur within a formal or an informal learning context. Crediting individuals for the skills they have acquired (in the workplace, for example) would encourage participation in learning and would eliminate some of the boundaries between the formal education system and learning that occurs outside of the system. It would also enable easier movement between work and school (and vice versa), allowing learners to chose their own paths to knowledge.
With respect to learners, the focus expands beyond individuals of 'traditional' education age (4-25 years) to include people of all ages. Additionally, the learning system expands beyond formal education (schools, colleges, universities, apprenticeship programs) to include other places where learning occurs (workplace, community organizations, home).
Four key factors underlie the importance of lifelong learning and the adoption of a Campus Alberta approach:
- Transition to the knowledge economy (the rapid expansion of knowledge and technology is increasing the need to train and retrain highly skilled and innovative workers).
- Globalization (the growth of international markets for products, services, expertise and creativity require that business and industry, the learning system and learners, continuously improve to remain competitive).
- Full use of potential and existing workforces (there is a growing need for the acquisition of new knowledge and skills by Aboriginal people, immigrants, and older workers as a means of bringing new skills into the workplace and to stay current).
- Societal understanding that learning supports democracy and helps individuals achieve other objectives in their lives (personal growth, recreation and leisure, health and wellness, family).
