The Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities requires each program standard for a postsecondary program of instruction to includes the following elements:

• Vocational learning outcomes (the vocationally specific learning outcomes which apply to the program in question);
• Essential employability skills* (the essential employability skills learning outcomes which apply to all programs of instruction); and
• General education requirement (the requirement for general education in postsecondary programs of instruction).
• The vocational and essential employability skills components of program standards are expressed in terms of learning outcomes.

Collectively, these elements outline the essential skills, knowledge and attitudes that a student must reliably demonstrate in order to graduate from a program. Expressing standards as vocational learning outcomes ensures consistency in the outcomes for program graduates, while individual colleges offering the program of instruction determine the specific program structure, delivery methods and other curriculum matters to be used in assisting students to achieve the outcomes articulated in the standard. Individual colleges also determine whether additional learning outcomes will be required to reflect specific local needs and/or interests.

Elements of Performance

The learning outcomes set out the culminating demonstration of learning and achievement that the student must reliably demonstrate before graduation. Learning outcomes are inter-related and when viewed as a whole, they identify what students will be able to do at the completion of a program.

The purpose of the elements of performance is to provide support for the learning outcomes so that there is clarity as to what level and quality of performance are required to meet the intended outcome. The elements of performance represent a means of tracking progress toward the achievement of the intended outcome.

Accordingly, graduates are expected to perform at the level of the vocational learning outcomes at program completion, not at the level of an individual element of performance. The elements of performance do not stand alone but collectively describe the vocational learning outcome. From: http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/pepg/audiences/colleges/progstan/ 

In true Backward Design style, the first thing we need to do when developing the curriculum is to understand whom our graduates are going to be. In their entry-to-practice job they're going to be expected to know some things, be able to do some things, and be able to look at your field using different lenses. 

This module will have you complete a few activities to help understand your graduate. It will also guide you in exploring the profile of the ideal graduate from important stakeholders. 

We can start with the wealth of knowledge your team has about what makes a good entry to practice employee in your field. Attached here you will find a working document to use with your team to collaborate and brainstorm these ideal graduate qualities. A possible way to collaborate on this project is to upload this template to your MS Teams group where you can all edit it at the same time.

Download the 'Graduate Profile' template here (graduate_profile.docx)

Your faculty team has now been working your way through identifying the key knowledge, skills and attitudes your graduates will require. To add to this list there are some important stakeholders you should bring together to provide their input.

Program Advisory Committee (PAC)

Hopefully, you have developed a Program Advisory Committee for your program in order to have completed sections 1–10 of NPAP. This is an excellent resource for you to reach out to and gather graduate profile information. Sometimes it's worthwhile to meet face-to-face to brainstorm and talk through what an entry-level employee would look like. You can use the same template you've been using with faculty to continue collecting adjectives about your graduates. In addition, you may want to consider the following questions as a way to structure the discussion with your PAC members: 

1. What are current and future INDUSTRY TRENDS and/or SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES that will influence the expected skillset for professionals in this field the next 5 years?
2. What WORKPLACE CHANGES AND ISSUES are having the biggest impact on the field (e.g. changing demographics; organization size/structure; budgets; cultural diversity; working from home; etc.)? 
3. How should the College respond to these trends and changes to best prepare students for careers in the field? 
4. What SPECIFIC VOCATIONAL JOB SKILLS and “SOFT SKILLS” are required by program graduates for entry-level positions to meet the changing needs of the field and workplace? 
5. Why do individuals fail in an entry-level job? 

When your PAC is together to discuss the graduate profile you can also use this ranking template for Essential Employability Skills. These are necessary for all college programs and should be integrated into the curriculum plan in the same way as your program outcomes. Feel free to use the template below to guide those discussions.

Professional Associations and Regulatory Bodies

In addition to faculty and PAC input into graduate profiles, you will want to connect with any documents from relevant professional associations and/or regulatory bodies. You can consider reviewing the documentation on their websites for relevant qualities and fill out a Graduate Profile template from the information provided. Alternately, you could request to meet with a representative from the organization and complete the Graduate Profile template in an interview format.

Download the (pac_ees_ranking_sheet.docx) here.

To begin the process of building out your credential it can be helpful to think through where it fits within your discipline. This would be in terms of what entry-to-practice employment looks like for your credential, but also for any credential that either comes before or after the one you are developing. Understanding the potential pathways that exist for your students will help you to keep your credential expectations aligned with their level of learning and pre-existing knowledge expectations. 

You can download a blank career trajectory to complete for your new credential here (career_and_credential_trajectory_template_for_upload.docx).