May 17, 2013
Response by Minister Shea to
College of the North Atlantic Concerned Faculty Letter
The Honourable Joan Shea, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills today responded to a letter from College of the North Atlantic faculty regarding changes to the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program. Minister Shea also released additional financial information on the delivery of Adult Basic Education in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada.
A copy of the Minister’s response is available at www.gov.nl.ca/releases/2013/aes/0517n01CNA.pdf
“The staff of College of the North Atlantic point out that there is a skilled labour shortage in our province, making the need for an educated workforce that much greater,” said Minister Shea. “The cost of delivering Adult Basic Education in Newfoundland and Labrador is one of the highest in Canada. Offering this program solely through private training institutions and community-based organizations will allow us to achieve better results at a lower cost, supporting adult learners in their efforts to acquire the education and skills they require to secure independence and long-term employment.”
Annually, it costs approximately $5,000 more to provide ABE to students at College of the North Atlantic than at a private institution, and the average cost of ABE per student in this province is about three times the cost of other Atlantic provinces. Minister Shea reiterated that students will receive the same standard and content of ABE at private institutions and community-based organizations as they receive at College of the North Atlantic. Eligibility requirements for funding will also remain the same.
A breakdown of ABE funding is provided in the attached backgrounder.
“We will continue to ensure that Adult Basic Education is offered to people throughout Newfoundland and Labrador,” said Minister Shea. “This includes looking at alternate forms of how we offer Adult Basic Education for particular locations – and we will ensure graduates will have the confidence, self-sufficiency and knowledge to contribute to our economy and a sustainable future.”
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Media contact:
John Tompkins
Director of Communications
Department of Advanced Education and Skills
709-729-0753, 728-7762
jtompkins@gov.nl.ca
BACKGROUNDER
Provincial Government - ABE Expenditure Per Student
| College of the North Atlantic | Community Based Organizations | Private Training Institutions | Total | Comment | |
| Programming Grants | $6,984,719 | $1,213,760 | $8,198,479 | Salaries, Benefits and Other Expenses net Revenue | |
| AES Salaries | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | $300,000 | Notional allocation equally divided for all deliverers |
| E-Learning Equipment | $100,000 | $100,000 | |||
| Travel Costs | $5,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | Site visits by AES staff | |
| SPST Scholarships | $25,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 | Given to ABE/CAS/GED completers | |
| LMDA Tuition Costs | $420,754 | $108,855 | $4,126,190 | $4,655,799 | |
| Total Delivery Cost | $7,530,473 | $1,527,615 | $4,256,190 | $13,314,278 | |
| Total Student Enrolment | 800 | 251 | 981 | 2,032 | ABE Database |
| Total Seat Capacity | 1,250 | 210 | n/a | n/a | |
| Cost Per Student | $9,413 | $6,086 | $4,339 | $6,552 | Total Delivery Cost divided by Total Student Enrolment |
| Cost Per Seat | $6,024 | $7,274 | n/a | n/a | Total Delivery Cost divided by Total Seat Capacity |
Canadian Jurisdictions - ABE Expenditure Per Student
| Expenditures on ABE Programming** | Students Served/ Accommodated | Cost Per Student | Data Source | |
| NU (2012-13) | $6.2M | - | - | JC |
| NWT (2009-10) | $2.4M | - | - | CMEC |
| YK (2010-11) | $1M | - | - | CMEC |
| BC Advanced Edu (2010-11) | $72.3M | 25,000 | $2,800 | JC |
| BC Edu (2011-12) | $42.7M | 10,000 | $4,300 | JC |
| SK (2011-12) | $21M | 7,600 | $2,700 | JC |
| MB (2010-11) | $19.1M | 11,900 | $1,600 | CMEC |
| ON (2010-11) | $90M | 50,000 | $1,800 | CMEC |
| QC (2010-11) | $292M | 47,000 | $6,200 | JC |
| NB (2010-11) | $13.5M | - | $1,200 | JC |
| PE (2011-12) | $2.18M | 1,000 | $2,100 | JC |
| NS (2011-12) | $9.5M | 4,000 | $2,375 | Expenditures: JC Students: CMEC |
| NL (2011-12) | $13.3M | 2,032 | $6,500 | - |
Data provided via jurisdictional contacts (JC) and Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC).
- The total cost associated with delivering ABE in the province is $22.2 million. This includes the $13.3 million in program funding, plus $8.8 million in direct client benefits and supports for such things as living allowances, transportation and disability-related costs. Only the $13.3 million in program funding was used to calculate the average cost per student.
2013 05 17 9:45 a.m.