chapter 2. graduate outputs and attainment · graduate outputs and attainment 25. pass rates for...

2. Graduate Outputs and AttainmentIndicators of graduate outputs andattainment are important measuresfor any system of education. Thesemeasures allow the system to targetareas of concern in the content anddelivery of postsecondaryprograms, focusing efforts on areaswhere attainment is belowexpectations. By measuring andreporting the extent to whichstudents are graduating andperforming relative to systems ofeducation elsewhere and relative topast performance, these indicatorshighlight our successes and providekey information for areas that maynot measure up to the standardsrequired in today’s competitive jobmarket.

This chapter reports on graduationand performance in universityprograms and in selected collegeprograms. It also examines how wellour graduates perform on a varietyof national certification examinationswhich determine professionaldesignations as well as the RedSeal certification program in thearea of apprenticeship training.Finally, the section reports on highschool attainment of maturestudents through the GED tests.

Most data provided in this chapterare reasonably current. By moststandards the information is one ortwo years more current than wouldnormally be expected, for example,in a similar national report. However,data on college system graduatesare often difficult to compile andcompare in a meaningful way sinceprograms do not always conform toa standard semester system.Colleges offer continuous entry to

many programs, programs vary inlength and students may leave aprogram before it would normally becomplete in order to avail ofemployment opportunities whichmay be time-sensitive.Consequently, data may not be ascurrent as for the university or publicschool system. For most of theindicators presented in thispublication, the most current dataon the public and private collegesthat are available are for the1995/96 year which runs fromSeptember 1995 to August 1996. Acomparison year, 1989/90, isincluded to provide a historicalbenchmark against which toevaluate a given measure.

2.1 How does achievementat university compare tohigh school achievement?

Strong levels of performance in highschool courses have been linked to

strong performance at thepostsecondary level. The topacademic students in high schoolcan be expected to perform well incollege or university. There are,however, a substantial number ofuniversity students who achieved atmoderate to strong academic levelsin high school, yet meet with limitedsuccess in their first term atuniversity.

Figure 2.1.1 provides an analysis ofuniversity academic performance inthe fall semester at MemorialUniversity based on performance inhigh school. The high schoolaverage is defined as the average inthe high school courses required foradmission to university. The chartshows the fall university average byhigh school average for studentswho enrol directly from high school.As expected, the distribution showsmost of the highest achieving

Graduate Outputs and Attainment 11

first-year students came intouniversity with high school averagesbetween 90% and 100%. Of thisgroup 49% achieved a universityaverage between 80% and 100% inthe fall semester. This compares to7.3% for the freshmen with 80% to90% high school averages. Therewere virtually no students achievinguniversity fall averages between80% and 100% from the group withhigh school averages less than80%.

Almost 40% of first-year studentsreceived a fall average of less than60% and 13.9% failed to achieve a50% average, the minimumstandard required in undergraduateprograms at Memorial. Amongthose achieving less than a passingaverage, 86.2% were from thegroup that achieved an average ofbetween 70% and 80% in highschool. In general, the minimumentry requirement to MemorialUniversity is a high school averageof 70%. Conversely, there were nouniversity averages below 50%among those students whoperformed in the top ten percent ofhigh school graduates.

The fact that more than 40% of newuniversity students who achievedaverages between 70% and 90% inhigh school received less than a60% average in university is causefor concern. The transition from highschool to university can often bedifficult. Not all students who meetuniversity entrance requirements areready for the challenges of auniversity program. Nevertheless,with such a large number of newstudents experiencing academicdifficulty in their first semester, thereis a clear need to focus attention onthis problem. An examination of thespecific courses where there issignificant performance declines

when compared with high schoolachievement might be one courseof action.

This situation needs to be closelymonitored on the K-12 side also, toensure appropriate standards are inplace for graduating students. Poorperformance in first semestercourses raises questions aboutwhether school-based marks are anaccurate reflection of studentachievement across schools in thesystem.

2.2 How many universitystudents graduate with adegree or diploma eachyear?

In addition to the traditionalacademic Bachelor’s, Master’s andDoctoral degrees, MemorialUniversity confers degrees inmedicine and awards diplomas andcertificates in a number ofprofessional programs. Diplomasare awarded in BusinessAdministration, EducationalTechnology, School Resource

Services and Vocational Education,as well as other areas. Certificatesare primarily awarded in BusinessAdministration, Criminology,Municipal Administration and PublicAdministration, among others.

Memorial University conferred anaverage of 2,407 degrees a yearduring the ten-year period (Figure2.2.1) 1987 to 1996. The largestnumber was at the Bachelor’s levelconstituting, on average, about87.6% of all degrees given in anyone year. The number of Master’sdegrees conferred fluctuatedsomewhat over the period. In 1987,232 Master’s degrees wereawarded. The number of degreesdropped to 179 in 1988 andremained under 200 until 1993when the number of Master’sdegrees awarded peaked at 260.There were slightly fewer Master’sdegrees awarded over the last threeyears, just under 250 per year. Onaverage, during the period, 22academic doctorates (Ph.D.) and 55medical degrees (M.D.) wereconferred each year. The number of

12 Postsecondary Indicators '98

graduate degrees, includingmedical degrees, was 12.4% a year,on average, for the ten-year period.

The pattern of undergraduateBachelor’s degrees fluctuatedduring the period. Prior to 1986there was a steady rise in thenumber of undergraduate degreesawarded. In 1988, a sharp dropoccurred but the number of degreescontinued to increase over the nexttwo years. Except for a slightdecline in 1992, the pattern ofannual increases in the number ofdegrees conferred continued into1994. Since 1994, the number ofundergraduate degrees awardedhas been in decline.

The sharp decline of 1988 isattributed to the drop in first-yearuniversity enrolment five yearsearlier. In September 1983, Grade12 was introduced into the K-12system. It had the effect of haltingthe normal influx of first-yearuniversity registrants in Septemberof that year. For September 1983,total first-year undergraduate

enrolment at Memorial Universitydeclined by 59% from the previousyear: 1,466 in 1983 compared to3,568 in 1982

On average, over the 10 yearsexamined, Memorial University alsoawarded 286 diplomas andcertificates per year in a wide range

of professional programs. Morecertificates than diplomas wereawarded each year primarily inBusiness Administration, PublicAdministration and Criminology. Onaverage, these three programsaccounted for 91.3% of allcertificates awarded over the lastfive years. Correspondingly, themost heavily subscribed programsat the diploma level were BusinessAdministration, School ResourceServices and Vocational Educationwhich, on average, accounted for78.6% of all diplomas awarded eachyear for the last ten years.

In 1996, the majority of degrees(52%) went to students from theFaculty of Arts and the Faculty ofEducation (Figure 2.2.2), a patternwhich stayed consistent over theten-year period. However, theproportion of degrees in Educationhas decreased substantially overthe period (Figure 2.2.3). In 1996,nearly 35% of all degrees conferredwere either Business, Engineeringor Science degrees. It is also clearthat a greater proportion of


graduates are studying innon-traditional disciplines for theirgender. For example, Figure 2.2.3shows that while there has been anoverall shift in the number ofgraduates from different disciplines,whereby more students aregraduating with Science,Engineering and Business degrees,there has also been a gender shift.The majority of the increases inthese areas can be accounted forby female graduates.

2.3 How many studentsgraduate with a collegediploma or certificate eachyear?

The college system in this provinceincludes the public college whichuntil 1997 was administered as fiveseparate institutions, and the privatecolleges or private traininginstitutions. There are several mainprivate colleges with more than onecampus, a number of smallerinstitutions and some whichspecialize in one or more particularprograms. The analysis in thissection is based on data from theseven main program clusters asdescribed in Box 2.3: Trades;Engineering Technology; HealthSciences; Applied Arts/SocialSciences; Natural ResourceStudies; Fisheries and MarineStudies; and Business Studies. Untilrecently, programs in the NaturalResource Studies and Fisheries andMarine Studies clusters wereoffered only by the public collegesector, while both sectors offeredprograms in the remaining programcluster areas. However, by 1995/96there were some graduates fromthese programs who had graduatedfrom the private colleges.

The profile of college graduates in1995/96 was markedly different from

that of 1989/90 in terms of overallnumbers, gender, institutionattended and program completed.Figure 2.3.1 shows the number ofstudents graduating by gender andcollege sector for 1989/90 ascompared to 1995/96. In 1989/90the public college system produced2,728 graduates; more than 84% of

all college graduates. Mostgraduates were male, largelybecause the Trades made up asignificant part of the public collegesystem and the Trades wereprograms with males accounting foralmost 80% of graduates. In1989/90 the public colleges trainedmore graduates than the private


Box 2.3 - PROGRAM CLUSTERS: WHERE COURSES AND PROGRAMS FIT

Health Sciences

CytologyDental AssistantDiagnostic UltrasonographyDispensing OpticianMassage TherapyMedical Laboratory SciencesMedical RadiographyNursing AssistantPharmacy AssistantRespiratory Therapy

Applied Arts/Social Sciences

Commercial BakingCommunity Recreation LeadershipCommunity StudiesCookingCraftsCriminologyCultural Resource ManagementDance Teacher TrainingDiploma of Music ProgramEarly Childhood EducationFood AdministrationGarment Construction & DesignGraphic DesignHeritage CraftsHospitality AdministrationHotel/Motel Restaurant OperationsHuman Service WorkerIndependent Studies in Textiles JournalismLaw and SecurityMultimedia ProductionMusic TechnicianNative Crafts & Retail SalesParalegal Technologies/Legal StudiesPhotography StudiesPrinting TechnologyProtection & Correction ServicesRegional Economic DevelopmentSecondary ProcessingSecurity/Police SciencesSocial Work AssistantTaxidermyTextile StudiesTourism Development OfficerTravel CounsellorVisual ArtsWoodworking

Fisheries and Marine Studies

Advanced Diploma in Fisheries DevelopmentAgrifoods/EntrepreneurAquacultureCrab Plant Supervisor TrainingFisheries DevelopmentInshore Fisheries Resource AssessmentMarine Diesel MechanicMarine Engineering TechnologyMarine Environmental TechnologyMarine Systems DesignMechanical Engineering Technology (Marine)Nautical Science TechnologyNaval Architecture TechnologyPre-Sea DeckhandQuality Control for Food ProcessorsSeafood Processing Technology

Engineering Technology

Aircraft Maintenance EngineeringAppraisal Assessment TechnologyArchitectural Engineering TechnologyAutomotive TechnologyCivil Engineering TechnologyComputer Applications & ElectronicsComputer Drafting TechnologyComputer ProgrammingComputer ScienceComputer Support SpecialistComputer TechnologyComputer Aided DraftingDegree Enhancement Computer StudiesElectrical Engineering TechnologyElectromechanical TechnicianElectronics Engineering TechnicianFood Production QualityGeomatics Engineering TechnologyIndustrial Engineering TechnologyIndustrial InstrumentationMechanical Engineering TechnologyMicro Computer SpecialistsMicrocomputer ElectronicsMicrocomputer Maintenance TechniquesMicrocomputer Software and Service SpecialistPetroleum Engineering TechnologyWelding Engineering Technology


Box 2.3- PROGRAM CLUSTERS (Cont’d.)

Business Studies

Accounting & BookkeepingBanking and Financial ServicesBusiness & Office ManagementComputer StudiesComputer TechnicianData ProcessingEntrepreneurial StudiesExecutive Office AdministrationFood AdministrationFood Marketing ManagementHospitality and Computer ApplicationsIncome Tax SpecialistInformaticsInformation Technology OperatorLegal Office AdministrationMarketing

Trades

Air ConditioningAuto Body RepairAvionicsBarber/HairstylistBoilermakerBricklayingBuilding ConstructionCarpentry & JoineryCommercial Helicopter LicenseCommercial Pilot LicenseCommercial TransportComputer Aided DesignConstruction SurveyorCosmetology StudiesCrane OperatorDiesel MechanicsDiesel Station TechnicianDriller/BlasterElectrical (Basic)Electrical Power UtilitiesElectronic Service TechnicianEntrepreneurship in CosmetologyEstheticsFurniture TechnologyGas Tungsten ARC WeldingHeavy Equipment Operator

Heavy Equipment RepairIndustrial ElectricalIndustrial Trades Technician ProgramLocksmithingMachinistMillwright/Industrial MechanicalMotor Vehicle RepairerNon-Destructive TestingOffshore Crane OperatorOffshore Structural Steel/ Plate FitterOil Burner MechanicOperating LinemanPlumbing & Domestic HeatingPower EngineeringRefrigeration & Air Conditioning School Bus OperatorSheet Metal WorkerSmall Equipment RepairSteamfitter-PipefitterStructural FitterTruck/Transport RepairUpholsteryWelding

Natural Resource Studies

Adventure TourismAgrifoods Processing/Business DevelopmentBridge Resource ManagementConservation ManagementEnvironmental Engineering TechnologyEnvironmental TechnologyField Exploration TechnicianForest RangerForest Resources TechnologyGeological Field Exploration WorkerMineral TechnologyNatural Resource TechnologyOutdoor GuideWater Resource TechnologyWilderness Sports/Tour Guide Training


system in every program cluster.The most current data show thissituation has changed dramatically.The private college sector with justover 500 graduates in 1989/90increased the number of graduatesit produced to 2,499, slightly morethan 49% of all college graduates,by 1995/96. In the meantime thepublic college, which showed only aslight drop in their actual number,decreased their share of graduatesfrom 84.4% to 50.7%. The numberof private college graduatesincreased nearly 400% over thesix-year period.

While the majority of private collegegraduates continued to be female,the proportion of females hasdecreased over time. In 1989/90,86.3% were females compared tojust over 52% in 1995/96. Mostfemales continue to graduate fromBusiness Studies, Health Sciencesor Applied Arts/Social Sciencesprograms in both the private andthe public systems. Significantly,more males in both systemsgraduate from the Trades andNatural Resource Studies. In thepublic colleges, most of thegraduates in EngineeringTechnology are males while in theprivate colleges there are slightlymore female graduates in thiscluster.

Figure 2.3.2 illustrates the numberof graduates by program clusterand college sector for 1989/90 ascompared to 1995/96. The relativeproportions of graduates byprogram cluster for 1995/96 indicate28.9% of graduates are fromBusiness Studies programs,followed closely by approximately25.0 % in the Trades and almost20.3% in the Applied Arts/SocialScience area. EngineeringTechnology accounted for 14.5% of

graduates followed by NaturalResource Studies at 7.5%. Nearlyfour percent graduated fromFisheries and Marine Studies and3.0% from Health Studies.

Overall there were 1,842 morestudents graduating from thecolleges in 1995/96 than in 1989/90but this increase is entirelyaccounted for by the emergence ofthe private college sector inNewfoundland. The private collegesmade gains in all program areaswith the most significant gains inApplied Arts/Social Sciences,Business Studies, Trades andNatural Resource Studies. Theactual number of public collegegraduates decreased in the Trades,Business Studies and HealthSciences while increasing in all ofthe other program clusters.

The significance of this shift inpatterns of postsecondarygraduation can be partly explainedby the waiting list problemsexperienced by the colleges in theearly 1990s when the demand forcollege programs was on the rise.Enrolment pressures caughtcolleges by surprise and thedemand led to longer waiting lists.Additional private colleges wereestablished that offered analternative to students who hadbeen placed on waiting lists for theprograms they wanted in the publiccollege system. While the waitinglist problems that did exist have bynow been largely addressed, thatsituation and the response of theprivate colleges to the rise ofcontract training had the result ofcreating an established alternativeto the public college system.

A great deal of contract training andother federally-sponsored trainingprograms also became available to

those receiving government supportpayments through HumanResource Development programs.Individuals using theUnemployment Insurance, NCARPor TAGS programs were eligible foreducational support to upgradetheir skills and/or retrain. Manyprivate colleges were established inareas where those seekingeducational programs could avail ofthem. As a result the number ofprivate college campuses in theProvince grew considerably.

For these reasons, thepostsecondary system experiencedan increase in the proportion ofgraduates from the two collegesectors. The overall result was thatthe annual number of graduatesfrom all programs covered by theseven program clusters increasedby 57.0% over 1989/90. As seen inChapter 3: Educational Attainment,this increase is demonstrated inStatistics Canada’s recent LabourForce Survey estimates of theeducational attainment levels of theNewfoundland population and inparticular, of the 20-34 year-oldgroup.

2.4 How successful isMemorial University ingraduating students?

Graduation is defined as “meetingall the requirements for anundergraduate Bachelor’s degree".The graduation rate for MemorialUniversity was calculated bydetermining the number ofundergraduate degrees awardedeach spring as a percentage ofsecond year enrolment four or fiveyears earlier. This procedure forcalculating university graduationrates is the one used by Maclean’smagazine in their annual publicationof selected university statistics and


has become an accepted method.It should, however, be noted thatthis definition does not account forthe attrition of students that occursin first year and which can besubstantial. Although technicallymost undergraduate programs aredescribed as four-year programsand the definition assumes afour-year duration for thecompletion of a Bachelor’s degree,it is known that the average timerequired for most students tocomplete their undergraduatestudies is greater than four years.

Figure 2.4.1 provides graduationrates in four and five-yearundergraduate programs over theperiod 1990/91 to 1995/96. Five-year programs included thecooperative degree programs, suchas Engineering and Business wherestudents spend several terms inoccupational placements as part oftheir program of studies. As can beseen from the chart, graduationrates in four-year programs weresomewhat unstable fluctuating

between 38% and 53% while ratesin the five-year programs wererelatively consistent, exceeding 80%for each of the first five years in theperiod examined. When combined,the rates for four and five-yearprograms ranged from 50% to justover 58%. The most currentcombined rate was 56.5%.

Comparative graduation rates usingthis definition for other provinceswere not available at the time of thisreport preparation. However,Section 2.5 provides universitygraduation rates by province usinga definition developed by StatisticsCanada.

Memorial has examined theperformance of its 1990 cohort ofstudents in a recent publicationentitled “Performance of Fall 1990First Year Students - A LongitudinalStudy”. In this report, an analysis ofa group of 3,041 students enteringuniversity in fall 1990 is presented.Five years later in fall 1995 only21.9% of the original group had

graduated while an additional23.3% were still registered in pursuitof their first degree. The reportnotes that 61.7% of students,underwent a period of “stop-out”where they ceased to be enrolledfor one or more semesters over thefive-year period. In fact, theuniversity estimates that, in total,only about 40% of the cohort willeventually graduate. GivenMemorial’s detailed follow-up of the1990 cohort, the graduation ratescited using the methodologyemployed in PostsecondaryIndicators ‘98 do not seemunreasonable. However, it shouldbe noted that first-year attritionrates, which are known to be high,were not included in the calculation.

Reasons for the relatively lowgraduation rates are speculative.Strong performance in universityachievement has been clearly linkedto performance in high school.Students who graduate in four yearsor less typically achieved anaverage high school grade of about80%. Other factors may be relatedto the high percentage of “stop-outsat Memorial. It is clear that studentswho do not continue, semester tosemester, have a reduced likelihoodof graduating that those whoprogress in an uninterruptedmanner. In the current economicclimate it is likely that financialpressures rather than employmentopportunities lead to stopping out,but students have not yet beensurveyed to establish this.

Finally, the high attrition levelsamong first-year students exertconsiderable influence on theeventual number of graduates fromany cohort. Approximately 33% offirst-years from the entering 1990cohort dropped out of university. Itshould be noted, however, that the

1. Based on second year enrolment four years earlier for four-year programs and five yearsearlier for five-year programs. For example, the graduation year 1995/96 refers to the numberof second year students enrolled from May 1991 to April 1992 who graduated from four-yearprograms by July 1, 1995 or from five-year programs by July 1, 1996.


1990 cohort of students would haveentered university under a 60%course average admissionrequirement. Since that time theuniversity has increased theminimum admission requirementsto a 70% average in high schoolcourses.

2.5 How does ouruniversity graduation ratecompare with otherprovinces?

Another indicator of universityattainment is the university“graduation rate” in relation to thepopulation. Statistics Canadadefines university graduation rate asthe number of undergraduatedegrees awarded as a percentageof the population aged 22. Figure2.5.1 provides an interprovincialcomparison of universitygraduation, defined in this manner,for 1994/95. The rates ranged from23.5% in Newfoundland to 52% inQuebec with an overall Canadianaverage of 37.0%.

Despite a marginal increase inuniversity graduation rates forfour-year programs, this province’suniversity levels are still significantlybelow the national average. Giventhe positive link between universitycompletion and employment, lowlevels of university attainment arereason for concern in a provincewith such a high rate ofunemployment.

2.6 How well do studentsachieve at university?

The pattern of universityachievement among individualstudents is often established early intheir university careers. For thisreason performance levels offirst-year students provide a useful

indicator of overall universityachievement. Figure 2.6.1 illustratesthe proportion of first-year studentsin various course averagecategories over the period 1993 to1996. Most students (approximately30%) fell into the 60% to 70%average category in each yearexcept 1994 when overall studentperformance was significantly lower

than in each of the other years. Theoverall course average hasincreased over the period with ahigher proportion of studentsachieving course averages in the60% to 70%, 70% to 80% and above80% categories, particularly in 1995and 1996. For example, ascompared with 23% in 1993, 31% offirst-year students achieved an


overall course average of 70% orabove in 1996. Similarly over thesame period the proportion ofstudents with fall averages below60% decreased from 45% to 39%.

It should be noted that fall 1994entrants to Memorial did not have tosatisfy the 70% high school averageentrance requirement because ateachers’ strike the previous springresulted in the cancellation of final

examinations. This may explain theunusually high number of failinggrades in 1994.

Performance of undergraduateuniversity students who havedeclared a major is shown in Figure2.6.2. Fall 1996 course averages byuniversity department and facultyshow relatively consistentperformance across disciplines.Slightly higher course averages are

seen in some of the sciences andprofessional schools but these aremarginal. The overall fall averagefor these students was 68.5%.

2.7 How successful arepublic colleges ingraduating students?

The calculation of a meaningfulgraduation rate from programs inthe public college system issomewhat problematic for a numberof reasons. Issues such as“stop-outs”, students who resume aprogram of studies after one ormore years of absence, andstudents who switch programs,present challenges to thecalculation of a graduation rate.After considering these issues themost appropriate definition isprobably the simplest. Graduation isdefined as the number of graduatesas a proportion of the numberentering a program. Students whodrop out of a program before theacademic prejudice date areexcluded from the calculation andrates are provided over at least fouryears. It is necessary to view theseindicators over multiple years sincea single year rate may be subject toinfluences that may bias the rate forthat year, particularly in programswith low enrolments.

For the purpose of this comparison,three-year and several four-yearprograms are examined over theperiod 1991 to 1997 in four programclusters (see Box 2.3 ): BusinessStudies; Engineering Technology;Fisheries and Marine Studies; andHealth Sciences. Table 2.7.1 andFigure 2.7.1 summarize these data.The table shows the number ofgraduating students by graduatingyear for each group of programsand the number who began theprogram three or four years earlier.


Overall, graduation rates werehighest in the Business Studiesprograms ranging from 45.5% in1992 to 72.0% in 1996. Thegraduation rate in the BusinessStudies programs fell slightly to67.7% for 1997. Rates in the areasof Engineering Technology andFisheries and Marine Studiesfluctuated around 35% to 45% over

the same period, although rates didfall outside this range. Thegraduation rate for Health Sciencesprograms dropped substantiallyfrom their 1992 level of 67.1% tobetween 40% and 45% from 1993 to1996 The 1997 graduation rate,however, increased to 55.1%.

Generally rates between 35% and70% are characteristic of three-yearpublic college programs and theseare consistent with graduation ratesseen for university four-yearprograms based on enrolment insecond year.

While no comparative data exist forsimilar programs in other provincesthese rates indicate a significantlyhigh level of student attrition frompublic college programs and clearlyidentify an area for attention. Therecent establishment of a singlepublic college system for theProvince provides the opportunityfor a unified approach toaddressing the problem.

2.8 How do our graduatesperform on nationalprofessional certificationexaminations?

Once students graduate fromcollege or university programs manyare required to receive nationalcertification before entering aprofession. The option for nationalcertification exists in a significantnumber of professional areas. Ameasure of the performance of thisprovince’s graduates againstgraduates from other provinces istheir achievement on nationalcertification examinations.

Figures 2.8.1 to 2.8.9 provide passrates for Newfoundland candidatesas compared to the Canadianaverage in examinations for thefollowing professional occupations:

. Certified General Accountant(CGA). Chartered Accountant (CA). Pharmacist. Registered Nurse (RN). Certified Cytology Technologist. Medical Radiation Technologist

BusinessStudies

Engineering Technology

Fisheries andMarine Studies

HealthSciences

Students Enteringin 1988

184 113

Graduates in 1991 76 23

Graduation Rate 41.3 20.4


143 489 90 76

Graduates in 1992 65 176 37 51

Graduation Rate 45.5 36.0 41.1 67.1


143 541 75 84

Graduates in 1993 65 211 27 35



122 648 66 92

Graduates in 1994 62 21.8 24 40



122 680 78 85

Graduates in 1995 67 282 26 34



125 589 101

Graduates in 1996 90 229 44

Graduation Rate 72.0 38.9 43.6


133 637 69

Graduates in 1997 90 286 38

Graduation Rate 67.7 44.9 55.1

Table 2.7.1: Number of Students Entering and Completing Three-Year andFour-Year Public College Programs by Program Cluster, Newfoundland,

1991-1997


. Medical Laboratory Technologist. Respiratory Therapist. Registered Nursing Assistant(RNA)

As can be seen from the chartspass rates in the accountancycertification examinations variedsomewhat across designations.Performance in the CGAexaminations (Figure 2.8.1)fluctuated between 51% and 59%and were similar to rates for theAtlantic provinces but slightly belowthose for the Country. Rates for theCA designations (Figure 2.8.2) weresubstantially higher in the 70% to80% range. Newfoundland CAcandidates performed markedlyhigher than the national averageroutinely outperforming theCanadian rates by 14 or morepercentage points.

It should be noted that therequirements for registration intoeducation programs leading to theaccountancy designations areconsiderable. There are variationsamong the different designations

but all require a university degree ora pre-professional program onceregistered candidates complete adesignated program of studies.

Figure 2.8.3 presents pass rates forPharmacy candidates on thePharmacy Examining Board ofCanada examinations. Virtually allcandidates passed the Pharmacyexaminations for each of the fiveyears, 1992 to 1996.

Figure 2.8.4 presents pass rates forfirst-time candidates on theCanadian Nurses AssociationRegistration examination. Pass ratesapproached 100% for each of thethree years 1995/96 to 1997/98.Nationally, pass rates were slightlylower at or above the 90% mark.

Pass rates on national examinationsfor the different medical supportprofessions designations arepresented in Figure 2.8.5 to 2.8.8.All the Cytology candidates whoattempted the examinations passedin each of the years 1993 to 1995(Figure 2.8.5). Performance on the

Medical Radiography examinations(Figure 2.8.6) was less stable withpass rates that fell below thenational average for the period 1992to 1994. However, during the lasttwo years, 1995 and 1996, allcandidates attempting certificationin this profession were successful.Similar inconsistent performancewas seen for the Medical LaboratoryScience examination with passrates that were at national averagelevels in 1992 and 1993, belowaverage in 1994 and 1995, and100% in 1996 (Figure 2.8.7). Passrates for the Respiratory Therapycertifying examinations exceededthe Canadian average each yearover the period 1992 to 1996 with allcandidates achieving a passinggrade in three of the five years(Figure 2.8.8).

Figure 2.8.9 provides pass rates forthe Nursing Assistant Licensureexaminations for the period 1992 to1995. Pass rates increasedsubstantially between 1992 and1995. In that year all 60 candidateswere successful in the examination.

In some cases these indicatorsrepresent results from very smallgroups of candidates. Whenindicators are based on smallnumbers of cases, caution must beexercised in the interpretation of thedata. Nevertheless, recognizing thatlimitation, it can be said thatperformance levels in professionalcertification examinations for mostoccupations are acceptable,particularly in recent years.

It is clear from the success rates ofNewfoundland candidates relativeto Canadian performance, as awhole, that generally speakingpreparatory programs for theseprofessions in this province havebeen effective.


2.9 How do our apprenticesperform on nationalapprenticeshipexaminations?

The nature and conduct ofapprenticeship training inNewfoundland has remainedconsistent over the years. Trainingis provided in a wide variety oftrades including the constructiontrades - carpentry, bricklaying,plumbing, electrical, sheet metaland others; the automobilemaintenance trades including autobody and motor vehicle repair; themechanical trades of heavy dutyrepair, industrial mechanic, oilburner and small engine repair; andother general trade groups thatinclude welders, machinists,commercial cooks, hairstylists,heavy equipment operators,linemen, pipefitters and others.

Training related to the academicaspect of trades is provided throughthe Province’s public and privatecollege system. Trainees normallyattend one of the college campusesfor a period of weeks after whichthey return to work with theiremployer. Such training is generallyintermittent in that it is arranged inblocks during the terms ofapprenticeship. Candidates writingexaminations in this category aretermed “Completed Apprentices”(CA).

Workers, however, may obtaincertification without taking anyformal training. Many people invarious trades are classified as“Trades Qualifiers” (TQ). Becauseof documented work experience ina specific trade, they qualify to writethe appropriate interprovincialexamination. If they succeed in

achieving a passing grade, they areawarded the respective Certificateof Qualification. If not, they mayupgrade their knowledge bystudying on their own and may writethe examination at a later time. Alltradespersons receive a Certificateof Qualification (JourneypersonCertificate) if successful in theirexamination.

Interprovincial trade examinationspertain to standard or commonjourneyperson examinations that areset nationally. Tradespersons whoachieve a 70% passing grade areawarded a Red Seal Certificate ofQualification. Prior to 1994, thosewho had achieved a grade of 60%to 69% were awarded provincialcertification recognized only withinthe Province. Provincial passes forinterprovincial examinations werediscontinued in 1994.

The number of examinations writtenincreased during the late 1980s andpeaked in 1991 at 805. Since then,the annual number has decreasedslightly. In 1996 there were 759examinations written.

Completed apprentices show thehighest levels of performance bothprovincially and nationally with passrates that exceeded those of tradesqualifiers by an average of 21percentage points over the five-yearperiod. Pass rates forNewfoundland CompletedApprentices were substantiallyhigher than the national average in1992 and very similar to nationallevels in 1993 and 1994. In 1995,the Newfoundland pass rate wasonce again higher than the nationalaverage, however, comparativenational figures for 1996 were notavailable at the time this report waspublished.


Pass rates for Newfoundlandcandidates in the category of tradesqualifiers were significantly higherthan the Canadian average for allfour years for which national figuresare available. As was the case forcompleted apprentices, pass ratesfor trades qualifiers in 1995 and1996 increased markedly. Forexample, the 1994 pass rate of45.9% increased to 71.4% in 1996.

Among the trades, Red Sealexamination pass rates for 1992 to1996 varied considerably. Thesuccess rates over the five-yearperiod were pooled for individualtrades and are presented in Figure2.9.2. The Metal Work andOperations Linesman tradesregistered the highest success ratesover the period at 94% and 80%respectively. About 65% of thecandidates for most of theremaining trades achieved a

passing grade in the Red Sealexaminations. Notable exceptionswere the Painting/ Decorating andthe Heavy Equipment trades where

less than 50% of candidatesachieved success.

2.10: To what extent arehigh school non-completers receiving highschool equivalencythrough GED?

The tests of General EducationalDevelopment (GED) provide adultswho did not complete high schoolwith an opportunity to earn a highschool equivalency diploma. Bytaking and passing a series of fivetests in writing skills, social studies,science, interpreting literature andthe arts, and mathematics, adultsdemonstrate they have acquired alevel of learning that is comparableto that of high school graduates.The program is sponsored by theAmerican Council on Education andcertifies the attainment of subjectmatter knowledge and skillsassociated with high schoolcompletion.

Many who take the GED tests arepreparing to enter a public or

1. Data pooled for 1992-1996.

Notes:1. Numbers adjacent to bars indicate the number of examinations written.2. Auto Repair - autobody repair and motor vehicle repair; Carpentry and bricklaying - carpentry, joinery,bricklaying and boilermaking; Electrical Trades - electrical construction, industrial electrical and industrialinstrumentation; Heavy Equipment - truck and transportation, heavy equipment operator and various craneoperators, oil burner mechanic and small engine repair; Mechanical Trades - heavy duty repair, industrialmechanic, oil burner mechanic and small engine repair; Metal Work - welding and machinist work;Operations Lineman - operations lineman and construction lineman; Plumbing, Heating and Ventilation -plumbing, sheet metal, refrigeration/air conditioning and steam fitting/pipe fitting.


private college program. Last year,in this country, more than 10,200adults obtained high schoolequivalency certificates, about 64%of those tested.

The GED tests have beenadministered at a number ofprovincial testing sites since 1974.Figures 2.10.1 to 2.10.3 providehistorical and current information onthe participation and success of ourGED candidates. Figure 2.10.1shows the percentage of GEDcandidates receiving a credential ascompared to Canada, as a wholeover the period 1987 to 1996. Passrates for both Newfoundland andCanada were generally in the 60%to 70% range with slightly fewerNewfoundland candidates receivinga GED credential than the nationalaverages. On average, the passrate for Canada over the period wasless than one percentage pointabove the rate for the Province.

For most of this period, however, ascan be seen from the informationpresented in Figure 2.10.2,

Newfoundland candidates hadcompleted less formal schoolingthan had the average Canadianstudent. The average highest gradecompleted for Canada wasrelatively consistent between 9.6and 9.8 years of schooling.Newfoundland GED candidates in1988, for example, had completedan average of only 9 years of formal

education. The chart shows thatover the years GED candidates inthis province have acquired moreyears of K-12 schooling surpassingthe Canadian average in 1996.Corresponding to this increase inyears of formal education has beena decrease in the number of GEDcandidates.

The GED became very popular inthis province between 1989 and1993. During those five years morethan 3,500 Newfoundlandersachieved a GED credential. Annualnumbers have dropped since theypeaked at 755 in 1993 to 385 in1996, the most current year forwhich data are available. It isprobable that the significantincreases seen in the high schoolgraduation rate in this province,coupled with lower dropout rateshave resulted in fewer GEDcandidates.

Figure 2.10.3 shows, however, thatthe average age of GED candidateshas been decreasing and, forNewfoundland, is considerablylower than the Canadian average.


The average GED candidate inNewfoundland is 27 years oldcompared to the average Canadianage of 30 for Canada as a whole.This difference has always existedbut the gap appears to bewidening. Reasons why the averageNewfoundland GED candidate is soyoung are probably related to anincrease in awareness of theprogram. A number of agencieshave been promoting the use of theGED as a legitimate route toobtaining a high school credential.GED preparatory courses areavailable and are routinelyadvertised in the provincialnewspapers, and colleges promotethe GED as another way for adultlearners to meet college entrancerequirements.


chapter 2. graduate outputs and attainment · graduate outputs and attainment 25. pass rates for...

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