ACE
Media Release
Newly launched ACE program prepares adult learners for success
Adult learners in Ontario now have an ACE up their
sleeve in their search for a fast-track to high school equivalency – an ACE
that is specifically geared to prepare them for success in today’s
competitive work and educational environments.
The newly approved ACE program (Academic and
Career Entrance) replaces what had been
known for years in Ontario as the BTSD program
(Basic Training for Skills Development).
The revised program is an initiative of the College
Sector Committee for Adult Upgrading under the Association of
Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (ACAATO).
It was in development
for 24 months
before its official system-wide approval in
Ontario in June 2004. The development of the
current curriculum for ACE included a review
of the new Ontario secondary school curriculum
and the previous BTSD curricula delivered by
colleges across the province, as well
as Human Resources Development Canada’s Essential Skills
resources. The new ACE program offers more
specific options to better prepare adult learners
for success in their career preparation
through college or apprenticeship programs.
The program also meets the needs of employers
who increasingly require all personnel to
have a minimum of a high school diploma.
“The revisions we have made to the college adult education
system in designing the new ACE program allow us to meet the needs
of a much wider range of adults who have not finished high school,” says
Lynne Wallace, Executive Director of the College Sector Committee
for Adult Upgrading. “Whatever direction they are heading,
they will get there more quickly and with a better
chance of success under the new ACE program because
it can be customized to their
needs. ”
More than ever, completion of high school is
a necessity for a good career and comfortable
lifestyle in Canada. According to the Government of Canada’s
Innovation Strategy document, published by HRDC (Human Resources
Development Canada) in 2002,
it is predicted that, “by 2004, more than 70% of all new
jobs created in Canada will require some form
of post-secondary education and only 6% of the
new jobs will be held by those who
have not yet finished high school. ” For adult learners, ACE delivers a customized
upgrading program which results in a certificate through Ontario’s
community college system, that not only prepares students
for success, but it is seen by industry, employers,
and colleges as a recognized
standard of achievement.
ACE is available in French through College Boreal and la Cite
Collegiale.
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