Key Initiatives

Atlantic Student Tracking System

The Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training (CAMET) is proceeding with the implementation of an Atlantic Student Tracking project which will provide access to standardized statistics that are accurate, timely, region- and province-customized, useful, and comparable. Analysis resulting from this initiative will lead to strategic policies that will enhance outcomes for students through improved transitions and pathways within and across public school, post- secondary education and the labour force; and that ultimately may lead to increased post-secondary education participation rates, and improved skills match between education and employment. Better data and analysis have a positive impact on government decisions by:

Targeting programs and services to their intended recipients
Evaluating the impact of government programs and policies
Developing in-depth understanding of the unique pathways of sub-groups of students
Fostering social innovation and continuous improvement
Ensuring the investments in K/P-12 and post-secondary education are properly aligned and produce meaningful and measurable results.

The proposed initiative will describe the pathways of students from public to post- secondary education to the labour force through a combination of (when fully implemented): a core administrative data system linking Atlantic postsecondary and public education data; regional outcomes survey data; and pan-Canadian indicators. The ultimate goal is to improve outcomes for students through improved transitions and pathways within and across public school, post-secondary education and the labour force; and that ultimately may lead to increased post- secondary education participation rates, and improved skills match between education and employment.

The tracking of student data will be conducted by using a combination of existing data files. This includes data from each department of education as well as data that Atlantic universities and colleges currently submit to PSIS. CAMET will use the Statistics Canada’s Education and Labour Market Longitudinal Platform (ELMLP) to link public education student data with the existing post-secondary education student data.

CAMET retained the services of NB-IRDT to conduct the data analysis and prepare a report for CAMET and the provinces. The final report will be completed by winter/spring 2024.

The second round of data collection and analysis will continue in 2025.

Atlantic Canada Career Week

The 2022 Atlantic Canada Career Week focused on Skills for Success-Improving your Career Prospect. The website was an update from the 2021 Atlantic Canada Career Week website, including the development of specific and relevant resources and the addition of lesson plans to support the 2022 theme. The updated website drew attention to the skills needed in the labour force by presenting specific connections to employers in Atlantic Canada, and how these skills are needed and used in their workplaces. These skills were also portrayed through the development of videos or interviews. This approach helped public and post-secondary education students to gain more insights into workplace readiness and how to make connections to what is taking place in each province.

In 2023, CAMET is proceeding with an update to the existing website and will use the existing Atlantic Canada Career Week website as a template/foundation to integrate and update the existing information to include the relevant materials to support the 2023 theme Your Skills, Your Success, Your Well-being.

The Atlantic provinces concluded that the next phase to support the needs of young Atlantic Canadian workers and those preparing for entry into the workforce would be to introduce more explicit information and resources dedicated to well-being in the workforce. An expansion to the existing website will include information and resources that can help youth understand the relationship between Skills for Success and the skills needed to support well-being as they navigate the labour market and make career decisions that are appropriate for them and their needs. This approach is intended to help youth recognize the importance of advocacy, resiliency and adaptability in the workforce as well as their personal lives.

Career Planning Software(myBlueprint)

CAMET manages the three-year contract (2020-2023) with myBlueprint for the career planning software. CAMET and myBlueprint finalized and signed an extension agreement for another two years, starting in September 2023 and ending in August 2025.

CAMET Mental Health

A summit on Trauma Informed Care was held virtually on February 1-3, 2023. A number of topics were covered by 20 speakers during the three-day event and it was deemed a great success. Approximately 135 participants from the four provinces attended the summit and engaged in advanced discussions on implementing evidence-based practices and creating trauma-informed learning environments, workplaces, policies and supports in early childhood education, public education, and post-secondary education and training systems. To access the summit resources, please click here.

Development of a Competencies' Framework

Given the current labour market climate, it is increasingly critical to our region’s social and economic prosperity that Atlantic Canadians are able to manage their own learning and work transitions. Unemployment remains high for youth and young adults, and underemployment and part-time work continue to grow in Canada. The timing is right to provide a Competency Framework for Atlantic Canadians to effectively manage career transitions through the lifespan.

The framework articulates competencies that school and post-secondary education students should develop to navigate and propel learning, work, and transition in today’s labour market and in the future. These competencies will be used to demonstrate the skills needed to transition effectively from studies to work.

Related support documents include materials tailored to meet the needs of students, educators, career development practitioners, families, post-secondary, and business. A set of performance indicators for each developmental level have also be developed.

A collaborative, unified focus by all stakeholders was necessary to determine the set of competencies to ensure that Atlantic Canadians are prepared to participate in a world of rapid and complex change. This initiative engaged stakeholders in the collaborative development of the framework and consultation on supporting documents.

Joint Procurement of School Buses

CAMET continues to support Atlantic departments of education, transportation, and government services in the joint purchase of school buses. This important initiative results annually in substantial savings for the provinces - more than $6 million in 2022-23, for example.

Economic Impact of Post-Secondary Education International Students

In February 2018, CAMET released a major study on the economic impact of international students attending Atlantic universities and community colleges. The study, The Economic Impact of Post-Secondary International Students in Atlantic Canada 2018, is an update and expansion of a similar study conducted in 2010 for CAMET.

The following are the major highlights emerging from the 2018 report:

$795 million in output sales;
$34,188 in average annual spending per international student in Atlantic Canada;
$495 million in gross domestic product;
$329 million worth of income (salaries and wages);
6,731 fulltime job equivalents;
$22 million in tax revenues for the Atlantic provinces and the federal government;
the program of study, the Canadian reputation, and the cost of education are the major reasons why international students were attracted to Atlantic Canada to study; and
65% of international students hope to stay and work in Atlantic Canada upon graduation.

The report also contains valuable information on students’ origins, field of study, attraction, retention, plans after graduation, work, and their overall student experiences. This type of information will assist and guide provincial governments, universities, and community colleges to design and implement support programs aimed at improving recruitment and retention of international students.