Overview

COLLEGES

Ontario’s community colleges have recently introduced two credentials especially suited to meeting the needs of adults who do not have a Secondary School Graduation Diploma.

These two credentials are the ACE Certificate and TOWES.

• ACE stands for Academic and Career Entrance/ Access Carrieres Etudes Certificate.

• TOWES stands for Test of Workplace Essential Skills.

ACE programming is available at all 24 Ontario Community Colleges. Instruction is available in French through La Cite and College Boreal. The focus in the ACE program is primarily on improving the academic skills necessary to succeed in further training at a community college. It is also appropriate to demonstrate to an employer that a current employee or applicant has the knowledge and skills required of a Grade XII graduate. ACE is accepted by the Apprenticeship Branch as an Equivalency Credential. For more information on ACE click here.

TOWES is Canada’s Essential Credential. It is a nationally accepted test that measures workplace essential skills. It is a workplace not an academic credential suitable for people seeking employment or improved training and promotion opportunities within a company. For more information on TOWES click here.

ADDITIONAL ONTARIO ADULT CREDENTIALS

In addition to the credentials available through Ontario Colleges there are two additional credentials available to adults in Ontario: the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or Grade XII and the General Education Diploma or GED. The OSSD is available through Boards of Education. GED preparation is available through colleges, school boards and a variety of community organizations. Availability and deliverer varies from community to community.

For a clearer understanding of these credentials use please refer to the following chart here. The chart also provides a brief introduction to Essential Skills.