The business plan for the three years commencing April 1, 2006 was prepared under my direction in accordance with the Government Accountability Act and the government's accounting policies. All of the government's policy decisions as of February 23, 2006 with material economic or fiscal implications of which I am aware have been considered in preparing the business plan.

The Ministry's priorities outlined in the business plan were developed in the context of the government's business and fiscal plans. I am committed to achieving the planned results laid out in this business plan

[Original Signed]

David Hancock, Minister of Advanced Education
February 28, 2006

THE MINISTRY

ALBERTA'S VISION

Alberta leads the world in inspiring and supporting life long learning for all its peoples.

Advanced Education's mission is to assist Alberta to become a learning society where all Albertans have access to the opportunity to develop the learning, work and life skills they need to achieve their aspirations and maximize their potential to the benefit of themselves and Alberta.

Accessibility - Anyone who wants to pursue advanced learning in Alberta should be able to do so. We must inspire Albertans to take advantage of all opportunities to improve themselves in whatever ways they want or need.

Quality - A high quality education system must meet the needs of learners, society and the economy.

Affordability - Education must be affordable if it is to be an accessible life long pursuit for Albertans.

Diversity - Alberta's advanced learning system respects the rich diversity of learners. It also acknowledges and adapts to the diversity of communities, cultures and traditions, learner aspirations and abilities.

Collaboration - A resilient, responsive and adaptable learning system is built on a strong foundation of partnerships, coalitions and networks – both formal and informal. Learning partners must be supported in their efforts to collaborate in common purpose – creating a fully participating learning society.

The Government of Alberta business plan is an ongoing three-year plan that describes the government's goals, strategies and performance measures used to track progress towards achieving outcomes. Each of the government's goals is directly aligned with the strategic opportunities of the government's 20-year strategic plan and with the Capital Plan. Advanced Education ensures that its strategic priorities, core businesses, goals and strategies support Goal Two of the Government of Alberta's three-year business plan, which states: Albertans will be well prepared for lifelong learning and work; and Goal Fourteen, which states: Alberta will have a supportive and sustainable infrastructure that promotes growth and enhances quality of life.

Advanced Education supports the achievement of the Government of Alberta's 20-year strategic plan through strategic priorities and strategies identified in the Ministry's business plan. The Leading in Learning strategic opportunity provides the overarching direction for the Ministry's strategic priorities, focusing on providing Albertans with the opportunities they need to learn, adapt and develop new knowledge and new skills.

The following table shows the priority linkage between the Government of Alberta 20-year strategic plan, the Government of Alberta 3-year business plan and the Ministry business plan.

The key to our future prosperity and economic growth is a robust knowledge-based economy, spurred by Albertans with a desire to learn and adapt throughout their lives. It is people and their ideas, creativity, knowledge and wisdom that will secure the prosperity, economic growth and healthy communities needed to improve the quality of life for Alberta's citizens and advance us into the 21st century.

Advanced Education's mission is to help Albertans acquire the learning, work and life skills they need to achieve their full potential to the benefit of themselves, their communities and the economy. The following opportunities and challenges are considered significant in that they could impact the Ministry's ability to achieve its mission and goals. Advanced Education examines these challenges and opportunities to determine the strategic priorities, strategies and initiatives to support an advanced learning system that focuses on quality, accessibility, affordability, diversity and collaboration.

Alberta's economic strength depends on a knowledgeable citizenry and a highly skilled workforce. This requires a learning system that gives learners the opportunities and tools to succeed and excel. To enable the advanced learning system to meet the learning goals of Albertans and support a vibrant and growing economy, Advanced Education will co-lead a Government of Alberta top priority and work with partners and stakeholders on strategies that support the Leading in Learning strategic opportunity of the Government of Alberta's 20-year strategic plan. The strategic and policy directions from A Learning Alberta will also support this strategic opportunity. This will help Albertans build the learning, work and life skills they need to achieve their aspirations and maximize their potential to the benefit of themselves and all Albertans.

Advanced Education will work toward taking Alberta's advanced learning system to the next level in a way that ensures it is affordable, accessible and of the highest quality.

People are the key to Alberta's future prosperity. The success of adult learners depends upon their ability to make smooth transitions to, within and from the advanced learning system. Enhancing these transitions, along with increasing access to learning opportunities, will help Albertans achieve success in the advanced learning system and the labour market.

It is particularly important to ensure that under-represented groups have access to advanced education opportunities. Collaborating with stakeholders to improve First Nations, M้tis and Inuit learner success is a priority for Advanced Education. Advanced Education will also ensure high levels of awareness among students and their parents of advanced education opportunities.

There will also be a focus on expanded regional and community access through the strategic application of technology, expansion of degree granting capacity within the system, clarification of roles relative to communities and provision of the tools necessary to allow learners to succeed.

Increasing access to learning opportunities will generate returns for Albertans for years to come.

Ensuring Albertans have access to learning opportunities requires that those opportunities be affordable to learners and their families. Advanced Education will continue to work with the federal government to ensure assistance levels support the cost of learning and that debt levels are manageable.

It must also be recognized that advanced education brings with it a substantial return on investment to both the individual and society. Our policies and programs must ensure that financial need is not a barrier to learning. These policies and programs also must be responsive to the increasingly diverse needs of learners and leverage high rates of participation among all Albertans, including Aboriginal learners, rural Albertans, immigrants and those that are socio-economically disadvantaged.

Affordability for all learners must address the priority of the system for assurance of inclusion.

Maintaining the quality of advanced learning is a priority for Albertans. The quality of the advanced learning system underpins the ability of the system to meet the needs of learners, society and the economy.

The achievement of national and international standards is a key component in maintaining and measuring quality. Advanced Education is actively involved in cross-ministry, inter-provincial and international collaboration that will lead to increased standards of performance. Some of the current priorities for this collaboration include literacy, Aboriginal education, system capacity and high standards of excellence in the delivery of degree program opportunities.

Additionally, in collaboration with Innovation and Science, Advanced Education will support innovation and knowledge development within the advanced learning system, and provide support for centres of excellence and the transfer of knowledge to industry.

Advanced Education will collaborate with Infrastructure and Transportation to enhance the infrastructure of Alberta's public post-secondary system to facilitate delivery of high-quality advanced learning opportunities throughout the province. This includes expansion, modernization and functional renewal of post-secondary facilities and equipment within the context of a 10-year strategic capital plan.

Advanced Education has identified two core businesses that are the ongoing key responsibilities of the Ministry. Within each core business is a goal with specific outcomes that describe the end results the Ministry wants to achieve in fulfilling its mission. Advanced Education has identified strategies for 2006-09 that support the two ministry goals and government's 20-year strategic plan.

Core performance measures indicate the degree of success the ministry has in achieving its goals and outcomes. In assessing progress, targets are considered met if the result is within five per cent of the target value, and targets are considered exceeded if the result is more than five per cent above the target value.

Advanced Education strives to provide increased access to high quality advanced learning opportunities for all adult Albertans. It does this through policy, programming and funding support to post-secondary institutions and by working with industry to facilitate the development of training and certification standards in the apprenticeship and industry training system. Advanced Education also continues to work collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to enhance quality learning opportunities for Albertans.

The following have been identified as Goal 1 outcomes:

• Alberta's quality advanced learning system meets the needs of learners, society and the economy (linked to performance measures 1.a to 1.d).
• Albertans are well prepared for employment and citizenship (linked to performance measures 1.e to 1.g).

1.1 Implement an overall advanced learning policy framework to guide the strategic direction of the advanced learning system. To facilitate this, the Ministry will align the organizational structure, as well as measures of performance, so that they are supportive of the objectives of the A Learning Alberta review.

1.2 Implement the accessibility, affordability and quality requirements in the Access to the Future Act.

1.3 Support the development of a post-secondary application process, and complete the development of the web-site providing access to information and application processes for scholarships, to enable learners to better access learning opportunities.

1.4 Implement responsive mechanisms that support investment in the advanced learning system.

1.5 Develop a long-term capital plan to address the infrastructure needed to support quality learning opportunities in Alberta's public post-secondary institutions.

1.6 Encourage increased industry participation and investment in the apprenticeship and industry training system in collaboration with the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board, employers and stakeholders.

1.7 Further develop Alberta's unique cooperative arrangements and strengthen Alberta's leadership in pan-Canadian initiatives through the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada; Canadian apprenticeship councils; and others.

1.8 Co-champion the Building and Educating Tomorrow's Workforce Top Priority and support other government top priorities.

1.9 Enhance Alberta's capacity for innovation, knowledge creation and knowledge transfer in collaboration with the Ministry of Innovation and Science, post-secondary institutions and other stakeholders.

1.10 Implement the international education action plan to position the international education sector competitively and to facilitate the internationalization of the post-secondary system.

1.11 Support the implementation of Alberta's policy framework on immigration to Alberta by working with partners and stakeholders to increase opportunities for English as a Second Language, improve ways for international students to access Alberta's labour market and enhance foreign credential recognition.

Advanced Education supports learners who aspire to participate in high quality, accessible and affordable advanced learning opportunities. This support enhances the opportunities for Albertans to develop and apply the knowledge and skills that will secure Alberta's ability to maximize its economic and human potential now and into the future.

The following have been identified as Goal 2 outcomes:

• Adult Albertans participate in learning (linked to performance measures 2.a to 2.e).
• Alberta's advanced learning system is affordable to learners (linked to performance measures 2.f to 2.g).

2.1 Conduct a study to analyze the impact of the affordability of advanced education and access to advanced learning opportunities.

2.2 Develop strategies to increase participation in learning opportunities by Aboriginal, immigrant and other under-represented groups.

2.3 Review affordability and improve the design and delivery of student financial assistance to continue to ensure that financial need is not a barrier to participation in advanced learning opportunities.

2.4 Enhance the knowledge and awareness of parents and learners about planning and saving for post-secondary studies.

2.5 Improve learning access for Albertans by enhancing transitions into and within the advanced learning system.

2.6 Provide opportunities in local communities for adults including Aboriginal, immigrant, youth and other under-represented groups to return to learning to meet their personal learning and employment goals.

2.7 Develop innovative approaches to improve participation and achievement in apprenticeship and industry training, in response to industry needs.

Advanced Education's two core program divisions, Adult Learning and Apprenticeship and Industry Training, provide learning services and standards for the advanced learning system. They carry out the Ministry's mission and provide a framework for achieving results and allocating resources. The core divisions work closely with advanced learning system stakeholders and provincial ministry partners to ensure program continuity and smooth transitions for learners. Advanced Education's core program divisions support the two Ministry core businesses.

Adult Learning
The Adult Learning Division works with adult learners and the public and private post-secondary institutions to support learners, provide learning opportunities and enhance the advanced learning system. Specifically, the Division: funds post-secondary learning providers; provides student financial assistance to Albertans; coordinates and approves programs of study at public institutions; licenses and approves programs offered by private providers; funds, supports and provides community adult learning opportunities; evaluates credentials of new Albertans for learning and employment opportunities; and provides information and policy support to the advanced learning system.

Apprenticeship and Industry Training
The Apprenticeship and Industry Training Division works with industry, employer and employee organizations, technical training providers, government and ministry divisions to support the development, maintenance and delivery of designated trade and occupation programs. Specifically, the Division: provides planning, coordination and policy support to the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board and its network of industry committees; facilitates industry's development of training and certification standards; counsels apprentices and employers; provides funding for approved programs; promotes participation and certifies individuals in designated trades and occupations; and monitors the workplace for compliance with the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Act and regulations.

Strategic Corporate Services
Similar to core program divisions, the Strategic Corporate Services Division is also part of the ongoing work that the department undertakes to achieve its goals by providing services that focus on department-wide operations and by facilitating integration and accountability across the department and the advanced learning system. The Division serves as a strategic partner in program development and delivery through the provision of department-wide business planning, performance measurement and consultation, legislative planning, financial services, human resource planning and information management and technology services.

Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer
The Alberta Council on Admissions and Transfer is a 15-member Council, with representation from the public, students, the universities, public colleges and technical institutions, private colleges and Alberta Education. As an independent body, which reports annually to the Minister of Advanced Education, it is responsible for developing policies, guidelines and procedures designed to facilitate transfer agreements among post-secondary institutions. The framework for these admissions and transfer agreements is contained in the Council's principles, policies and procedures, published in the Alberta Transfer Guide.

Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board
The Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board works with industry to establish the standards and requirements for training and certification in programs under the Apprenticeship and Industry Training Act. The Board makes recommendations to the Minister of Advanced Education about the needs of Alberta's labour market for skilled and trained workers and the designation of trades and occupations. The Board establishes or recognizes trade and occupation-specific industry committees and appoints members to these committees, and promotes participation in careers, training and certification in trades and occupations. The Board consists of 13 members, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, who are knowledgeable about training in trades and occupations and the needs of the Alberta labour market. Employers and employees are represented in equal numbers. Eight of the members represent employers and employees in designated trades and four represent employers and employees in other industries.

Campus Alberta Quality Council
In spring 2004, the Post-secondary Learning Act was proclaimed into law, which provides for the establishment of the Campus Alberta Quality Council. The Campus Alberta Quality Council is an 11-member Council that provides advice to the Minister of Advanced Education with respect to the quality of all proposed degree programs at both public and private institutions. It is also responsible for monitoring the programs once approved to ensure that the Council's conditions and quality standards continue to be met.

Students Finance Board
The Students Finance Board is an 11-member Board appointed by the Minister of Advanced Education. The members of the Board serve three-year terms, and may serve no more than two terms. The Board provides advice to the Minister on matters pertaining to student financial assistance, including scholarships under the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Act.