The Labour College offers a unique learning opportunity for union leaders and active members from across unions and regions to learn and grow together.
First offered over 50 years ago, the Labour College of Canada continues to deliver in-depth, university level courses on issues related to work and the rights of workers in Canada. Graduates are equipped with new skills and knowledge to take on the challenges of today as well as new leadership roles in their union, their labour council, and the wider labour movement for the benefit of all workers.
The new Labour College of Canada (LCC) Certificate Program is a union-made program for active union members, including today’s and tomorrow’s union leaders. The new program is more accessible, more affordable, and more relevant than ever before to today’s unions and the labour movement as a whole.
The LCC Certificate Program is a labour studies and leadership program for labour leaders and active union members that supports critical thinking and collaborative learning in a flexible format.
Continuing on the success of the previous Labour College programs, the new LCC Certificate Program is built on creating collaborative learning moments and supporting student cohorts from start to finish. The new program offers greater flexibility by blending online and in-class learning.
Three intensive course sessions are offered over the course of one year or longer. Sessions include online learning and in-person, week-long sessions in BC and/or Ontario. Students have the option to complete the program over the course of 13 months or longer, with a maximum of two weeks face-to-face, in-class learning each year.
Courses include:
The redesigned LCC Certificate Program is flexible and accessible. Most students attend the three sessions in chronological order over 12 months. However, the LCC now has the ability to adapt to today’s demands and accommodate pauses in the learning path as required.
To complete the LCC Certificate program, students must successfully complete the three program sessions, the online orientation, the online and in-class courses for all three sessions, and the independent work between sessions, associated with the LCC Project.
For each of the three sessions, students must attend one week-long, in-person school (in BC and/or Ontario). Throughout the program – at their own pace – students are also required to participate in online courses (one per session), read and reflect on a variety of texts and articles, complete one or more assignments, and work on an independent learning project.
LCC Certificate Program schedule for the next cohort (Cohort 6) starting in May/June 2020:
1st session
ONLINE ORIENTATION: May 2020
ONLINE COURSE: May/June 2020
IN-CLASS: July 12-17, 2020 (ON) ***
2nd session
ONLINE/INDEPENDENT LEARNING: July 2020 through January 2021 *
IN-CLASS: February 7-12, 2021 (BC) **
3rd session
ONLINE/INDEPENDENT LEARNING: March through June 2021 *
IN-CLASS: July, 2021 (ON) **
LCC Project:
* Independent work (for a total of 40 hours or more) will be required between each session. Some of this work will require you to complete online assignments or presentations. Online and independent learning between sessions is self-paced.
** Dates are subject to change and will be confirmed 6 months prior to the start of each session.
*** The health and safety of all faculty and students at the Labour College of Canada (LCC) are priorities for LCC and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). We continue to monitor the situation with the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in our communities and any impact this could have for the LCC week-long school this July in Cornwall. Since a portion of the LCC is run online with flexible completion times, all online courses will continue to be offered. At this point in time, the in-person courses scheduled for July 2020 will also remain as noted here. However, these dates will change if the situation with COVID-19 extends into the summer.
A NOTE ABOUT THE IN-CLASS SESSIONS:
In-class sessions take place during CLC week-long schools in BC and/or Ontario. Courses start at noon on the Sunday and end by 3 p.m. on the Friday.
Union members from CLC-affiliated unions who:
Members of equity-seeking groups: Women workers, workers of colour, workers with disabilities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit, intersex and Aboriginal workers are encouraged to apply.
Use this link to apply for admission to the next session of the Labour College of Canada. (The form will be active during the application period.)
If you are interested in being notified when the next application period is open, please let us know by emailing labourcollege@clcctc.ca.
All applicants are encouraged to speak first with their union education representative to see if this program is right for them and to identify if financial support is available.
$3000 for completion within 13 months of admission. An additional $250 administration fee will be factored in for extensions beyond this timeline.
$1000 to $1550 per week-long course (rates dependent on school location and individual or shared accommodation).
These amounts will vary, based on the provisions and discretion of each sponsoring union. They are determined locally, and not by the LCC.
If you have any questions regarding the LCC Certificate Program, the fee schedule, or the application process, please email labourcollege@clcctc.ca.