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AUTHOR Sarkar, Gerlinde; Stallard, ClaireTITLE Do Equity Groups Have a Fair Chance in Our Education System?PUB DATE 1997-10-21NOTE 19p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian

Institutional Research and Planning Association (Toronto,Ontario, Canada, October 21, 1997).

PUB TYPE Opinion Papers (120) -- Speeches/Meeting Papers (150)EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Access to Education; Canada Natives; Disabilities;

*Employment Patterns; *Equal Education; Females; ForeignCountries; Graduate Surveys; Graduates; IndigenousPopulations; *Minority Groups; Nontraditional Occupations;Outcomes of Education; Postsecondary Education; Salaries;*Technical Institutes; Trend Analysis; Vocational Followup;Wages

IDENTIFIERS Saskatchewan; Visible Minority (Canada)

ABSTRACTThe Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology

(SIAST) conducted a trend analysis of students from four designatedgroups--Aboriginal, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, and womenin predominantly male occupations. These students were compared to theoverall student population on four success measures: access to educationalopportunities; success rates in education as measured bycompletion/graduation rates; success rates in obtaining employment in thechosen field of study; and wage/salary ranges for the employed graduates. Thestudy used data from these sources: annual Education Equity Monitoring Reportthat documents changes from year to year in terms of applications,enrollments, graduation, and leaver statistics for the four groups and annualGraduate Employment Survey from which the graduates of the four groups areextracted and their employment rates compared with overall graduates.Findings indicated the following: an increase in participation of equitygroups in SIAST programs; lower success rates for equity group students;steadily improving completion rates with parity for some groups; and loweremployment rates for equity group graduates. More long term data is necessarybefore definite correlations can be made. (Copies of 29 transparencies usedduring the presentation are appended.) (YLB)

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Do Equity Groups Have a Fair Chancein our Education System?

Presenters:

Education

Institution

Presented at:CIRPA Annual Conference

October 21, 1997Toronto, Ontario

Gerlinde SarkarDirector, Research and DevelopmentSaskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology400 - 119 4th Ave. S.Saskatoon SK S7K 5X2CanadaPhone: (306) 933-7716Fax: (306) 933-5988email: sarkar@siast.sk.ca

Claire StallardSenior Research OfficerSaskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology400 - 119 4th Ave. S.Saskatoon SK S7K 5X2CanadaPhone: (306) 933-6199Fax: (306) 933-5988email: stallard@siast.sk.ca

2

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Do Equity Groups have a Fair Chance in our Education Institutions?

An outcome assessment analysis of diversity groups students compared to students overall

IntroductionThe Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology is a technical institute in the province ofSaskatchewan, Canada, with four campuses in the major four cities of the province. In Saskatchewan we have alarge and growing population of Aboriginals. These people often face major barriers to enter the mainstream ofsociety. One of these barriers is lack of education. Even when such students enter an educational institution theyoften face many obstacles to be successful. In addition to this group, we have designated three further groupsthat have been traditionally underrepresented in the educational institutions and in the workforce: people withdisabilities, visible minorities (or racialized Canadians) and women in pre-dominantly male occupations. Since1990 SIAST has adopted an "Education Equity" Program that is designed to address the inequities that these fourdesignated groups face in participating in education.

A major component of the Education Equity program is to provide access to these groups of students to oureducational institution by setting aside seats for qualified applicants. However, the support does not stop at theentry point. Getting entry is of no particular value if these students can't succeed. In order to help these studentscomplete their studies successfully, we have put in place a number of programs and special measures that wouldeliminate or reduce some of the barriers they face in an educational setting. The goal is to have these studentsgraduate at similar rates and to obtain similar levels of attachment to the labor force than do the regular students.We have studied the progress with regard to this goal over time.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to conduct a trend analysis of students of the four designated groups (Aboriginal,visible minorities, persons with disabilities and women in non-traditional occupations) of these success measurescompared to the overall student population:

access to educational opportunitiessuccess rates in education as measured by completion/graduation ratessuccess rates in obtaining employment in the chosen field of studywage/salary ranges for the employed graduates

Literature ReviewNo formal literature review was conducted for this particular study; however, before implementing the SIASTEducation Equity program and in the context of our regular research functions, we found a significant amount ofsecondary research, which documented the need for our Education Equity program, the numerous barriers toeducation and to enter the workforce.

Data SourcesAt SIAST we complete an annual Education Equity Monitoring Report since 1990. This report documents thechanges from year to year in terms of applications, enrollments, graduation and leaver statistics for the fouridentified equity groups compared to the SIAST student population overall. The report documents the variousspecial measures that have been put into place during that year to increase the chances of succeeding in theprogram.

SIAST also conducts an annual Graduate Employment Survey of our over 4,000 graduates. In a further analysisof this overall data base we extract the graduates of the four equity groups and compare the employment rates ofthe equity group graduates to the overall graduates. This type of analysis has now been performed for six yearsand it provides us with a good data for the trend analysis.

Do Equity Groups Have a Fair Chance in our Education System? Page 2CIRPA Annual Conference, Toronto ON, 10/97

MethodologyData is analyzed on a yearly basis in a consistent manor. The proportion of students of the equity groups in thepool of applicants, enrolled students, graduates and leavers are compared. Similar proportions would indicate thatequity students face similar challenges and barriers as do the students overall in progressing through their studies.Application to enrollment ratios are compared as are graduation and leaver rates.

Conducting a course analysis for every program allows us to identify programs in which these students experienceparticular difficulty. The analysis is based on calculating the percentages of credit courses attempted, completed,failed and exited and comparing this by the various groups.Employment rates in training related employment, full and part time employment, wage and salary levels and otherrelated information are tracked and compared through the data bases of the annual Graduate EmploymentSurvey.

ResultsWe have noted an increase in participation of equity groups in the programs offered at SIAST since the EducationEquity program has been adopted. Success rates are still lower for equity group students than for the overallstudent population, however, the completion rates are steadily improving and reaching parity for some groups.

Employment rates for graduates from equity groups are generally lower than for the overall graduates. The gaphas narrowed somewhat, but the differential seems to be related to economic upswings. More long term data isnecessary before we can make any definite correlation's however.

ImplicationsThe results of the study are useful in modifying the special measures that assist students to complete their studies.These measures can then be applied in a very targeted manner to assist special groups or to approach thebarriers in specific programs. Although the institution as a whole does not have the ultimate control over who hiresour students, we can indirectly affect potential employers by encouraging them to hire graduates from the equitygroups by assuring the industry that all graduates, regardless from what special group, have mastered the samecompetencies and are equally qualified to do the work that is expected of them.

Do Equity Groups Have a Fair Chance in our Education System? Page 3CIRPA Annual Conference, Toronto ON, 10/97

4

SLIDE 1

Do Equity Groups Have a Fair Chancein our Education System?

A comparison of Aboriginal, Disabled, Visible Minorityand Female students to the overall student body withrespect to

+ Access to education+ Graduation rates+ Workforce attachment rates

Education

I netitutionWorkforce

SLIDE 2

Access

SIAST established an Education Equity Program

Outcomes

Annual Monitoring Report prepared for the

Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission

but...... where do we go from there?

Attachment to Workforce

Measured by the annual SIAST Graduate

Employment Statistics Report

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SLIDE 3

SIAST Education Equity Program

Objective+ To ensure a SIAST student body which reflects

the diverse mix of people in the Saskatchewanpopulation

Program Strives to Improve Accessibility to+ Students of Aboriginal Ancestry+ Students with Disabilities+ Students from Visible Minorities+ Female students

SLIDE 4

SIAST Education Equity Program

+ Voluntary (developed under the specialprograms section of the Saskatchewan HumanRights Code)

+ Approved by the Board and the SaskatchewanHuman Rights Commission, May 1990

+ Goal is to achieve a representative student bodyin SIAST Certificate/Diploma programs withrespect to the four designated groups

+ Defines strategies to address systemicdiscrimination and identifies special measuresto increase the participation and success ofdesignated group students in Certificate andDiploma programs

Do Equity Groups Have a Fair Chance in our Education System? Page 5CIRPA Annual Conference, Toronto ON, 10/97

SLIDE 5

Representation of Employment Equity DesignatedGroups in Saskatchewan, 1991

60 %-'50.2%

40%

Workforce Total Population 45.87T--,

20%

5.8%10.0% 8.2% 8.7%

2.6% 2.6%

0%/iAbonginal Disabled Visible Female

Minority

Workforce population for Aboriginal, Visible Minority and Females iscomprised of persons aged 15 and over who worked sometime in 1990 or1991. The workforce population for Disabled persons is comprised ofpersons aged 15 to 65 who worked sometime between 1986 and 1991.

SLIDE 6

Saskatchewan Working Age Demographics(SIAST Education Equity Long Term Goals)

+ Persons of Aboriginal Ancestry -12.2%+ People with Disabilities - 9.7%+ Visible Minority People

- Saskatoon - 4.7%- Regina - 5.1%- Saskatchewan - 2.6%

+ Females - 50%

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SLIDE 7

Direct Student Access Fund

Activities+ Learning Strategy Development+ Subject Specific Tutoring - Individual and Group+ Invigilators+ Readers+ Scribes+ Photocopy Cards+ Orthopedic Chairs+ Adaptive Computer Technology+ Application Fees+ Sign Language Interpreters+ Oral Facilitators

Learning Assistance Centre

Transition Program for LD Adults

SLIDE 8

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Enrolment Trend - Female

Goal 50.0%

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

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SLIDE 9

Enrolment Trend - Aboriginal

Goal 12.2%

SLIDE 10

Enrolment Trend - Disabled

Goal 9.7%

0% °T-

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

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SLIDE 11

Enrolment Trend - Visible Minority

Goal Regina 5.1% Saskatoon 4.7% Saskatchewan 2.6%

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

SLIDE 12

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

Graduate Trend - Female

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

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SLIDE 13

SLIDE 14

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SLIDE 15

Graduate Trend - Visible Minority

Not Recorded

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

SLIDE 16

100%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

Employment Trend - Female

TotalEmployment

1992

73.90/0

1993

75.8%

1994

78.3%

1995

82.4%

1996

83.7%

Do Equity Groups Have a Fair Chance in our Education System? Page 11CIRPA Annual Conference, Toronto ON, 10/97

SLIDE 17

100%-r

80 %-

60

40%

20%

0%1992

Employment Trend - Aboriginal

Total73.9%Employment

1993 1994 1995 1996

75.8% 78.3% 82.4% 83.7%

SLIDE 18

Employment Trend - Disabled

100 %7

80%_/'

60%_,

40%

20%

0%1992

Total73.9%Employment

1993 1994 1995 1996

75.8% 78.3% 82.4% 83.7%

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SLIDE 19

Employment Trend - Visible Minority

1992

Total73.90/0Employment

1993 1994 1995 1996

75.8% 78.3% 82.4% 83.7%

SLIDE 20

Divisions

Business 3 Health Industrial 0 Service 0 Technology

Total(n=1834)

Aboriginal(n=138)

Disabled(n=44)

VisibleMinority

(n=138)

Female(n=872)

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SLIDE 21

Full Time / Part Time Employment

76:4%

23.6%

Part Time Ei Full Time

Total Aboriginal Disabled(n=1350) (n=108) (n=28)

VisibleMinority

(n=57)

Female(n=707)

SLIDE 22

Training Related Employment

Training Related Non-Training Related

Total Aboriginal Disabled(n=1352) (n=105) (n=28)

VisibleMinority

(n=58)

Female(n=710)

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SLIDE 23

Enrolled in Any Education

Enrolled 0 Not Enrolled

81.9%

18.1%

Total Aboriginal(n=1631) (n=138)

Disabled(n=44)

VisibleMinority

(n=67)

Female(n=872)

SLIDE 24

Age Distribution

Total Aboriginal(n=1622) (n=136)

Disabled(n=44)

VisibleMinority

(n =66)

Female(n=884)

0 55 +

0 35 - 54

0 25 - 34

0 20 - 24

< 20

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SLIDE 25

Age

Minimum Average Maximum65

60 59 59

55

52 5250 50

45

40

35

31.930 29.4 28.5

25 25.9 26.1

20

17 18 18 17 1815

Total Aboriginal(n=1822) (n=136)

Disabled(n=44)

VisibleMinority

(n=88)

Female(n=884)

SLIDE 26

Location of Employment

Outside Sask. Other Sask. Saskatoon 0 Regina

32.1% 29.8%

17.9%

24.9%

32.1% 31.6%

54.6%40.3%

33.4%35.8%

Total Aboriginal Disabled(n=1358) (n=106) (n=28)

VisibleMinority

(n=57)

Female(n=713)

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SLIDE 27

Full Time Training Related Monthly Salary

$7,000 0 Minimum Average Maximum

$6,300$6,000

$5,000

$4,350 $4,350$4,000

$3,000 $3,000

$2,400$2,000

$1,751 $1,790$1,498 $1,574 $1,790$

$1,000$800 $803 $1,000

$803 o $803

$0

Total Aboriginal Disabled(n=788) (n=58) (n=12)

VisibleMinority

(n=32)

Female(n=58)

SLIDE 28

Top Reasons Unsuccessful in Finding Employment(Unemployed respondents only)

Total (n=191)

+ Employment is seasonal (27.7%)

+ Not enough experience (18.8%)

Aboriginal (n=22)+ Employment is seasonal (40.9%)

+ No jobs in desired location (18.6%)

Visible Minority (n =7)+ Employment is seasonal (28.6%)

+ Require further training / No jobs indesired location / Not enoughexperience / No jobs available at all/ Other reasons (14.3% each )

Disabled (n=14)Require further training (36%)Employment is seasonal (21%)

Female (n=1135)

+ Employment is seasonal (30%)+ No jobs available at all (17%)

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SLIDE 29

Top Reasons Not Looking for Work(Not in the Labor Force respondents only)

Total (n=139)+ Returned to school (52.5%)+ Other reasons (20.1%)

Aboriginal (n=18)+ Returned to school (50.0%)+ Family responsibilities / Other

reasons (167%,each)

Visible Minority (n=5)+ Returned to school / Other reasons

(40.0% each)

Disabled (n=4)Returned to,scboolf Family:.

-4eilionsibilltiei"tHeatth/Disability /Given up looking (25.0% each)

Female (n=87)

Returned to school(46.0%)

+ Other reasons (19.5%)

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Publication Date: October 21, 1997

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