As July started, I was travelling half way around the world at the invitation (with a significant contribution to the cost) of the Minister of Education of Singapore to meet with six other jurisdictions considered to be leading edge in education. The invitation was an opportunity arising out of a McKinsey report on leading educational jurisdictions to discuss how we got to where we are and how we continue to take the necessary steps to ensure our students continue to be recognized as among the top in the world.

As August concludes we meet with the world in Calgary, hosting the Olympics of trades and technologies — World Skills 2009. Between these two bookends, an Alberta Education summer — rumoured to be a time to slow down, recuperate and think — has instead been a hotbed of activity. Setting the Direction moves to a policy approval and implementation phase. The Inspiring Education Steering Committee and Working Groups are heavily engaged in moving toward a provincial conversation on October 18-20, culminating in advice on a policy framework.

A host of issue based work progresses. And, of course, fiscal realities become part of our immediate horizon, providing impetus and inspiration for the transformative change we needed to focus on and inspire in any event. Necessity becomes the mother of invention — but with good planning, we have the breathing room to make change thoughtfully, intelligently and with the benefit of collaborative process leading toward agreed upon long term objectives.

World Skills 2009 attracts teams totalling 900 competitors from 52 countries engaging in 45 skills competitions. Planning for World Skills 2009 in Calgary began in 2003 shortly after the Bid Team returned from Hong Kong after having secured the event. Held every two years young trades and technology competitors aged 17-22 compete in regional, provincial and national competitions to earn the right to represent their country. Not only does World Skills provide an opportunity for students to showcase thir talent and ability, but the competitions provide a significant opportuntiy to encourage youth to explore careers in the trades and technology sectors. Since Finland hosted the event in 2005 their enrollment in trades and technologies has increased by 30 per cent. Hosting the World event also gives us the opportunity to showcase Alberta to the world and truly demonstrate the cosmopolitan nature of our province built on the Freedom to Create and the Spirit to Achieve.

We have leveraged the benefit of WorldSkills by holding corollory meetings such as the "Canada-Alberta International Conference on Competing for Skills: Vocational Education and Training in the 21st Century" and CMEC, and the World Skill Leaders Forum in the same week, inviting education leaders to come and join the WorldSkills events, and to meet while here in other education discussions, thus maximizing both attendance and value.

Did I mention the legacy of over $15 million of equipment to be allocated to post-secondary and secondary schools after the event? The world is here now and as Jack Dusseldorp (Australia), President of WorldSkills exclaimed, taking time out from competition organization to address the Vocational Education conference, "Although it has not even started yet already feedback from all levels — technical, setup and preparation, hospitality — on all fronts WorldSkills in Calgary is a first class event."

Our Vocational Education conference on Monday featured participants from 16 countries as well as all provinces in Canada in a discussion around and in cooperation with the OECD Learning for Jobs project. The objective was to share knowledge, showcase best practices, discuss challenges and generate new ideas, innovations and practices for the future role of Vocational Education and Training in the 21st Century. Presentations from panelists included

• Hon Anne Tolley, Minister of Education, New Zealand (with whom I also met in a side meeting to share in a broad ranging discussion);
• Dr. Tom Karmel, Director of National Centre for Vocational Education and Research, Australia;
• Michel Aribaud, European Commission, Belgium;
• Dr. Ursula Renold, Director General, Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology, Switzerland;
• Margaret McKinnon Group Manager, Youth and Industry Skills, Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Australia;
• Natalia Cuddy National Coordinator, National Coordinator, Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, United Kingdom;
• Seamus Hempenstall, Principal Officer Department of Education and Science, Ireland;
together with our own
• Cathy Faber of the Calgary Board of Education; and
• Greg Michaud Dean Academic Learner Services, SAIT.

Katherine Hoeckel of the Directorate of Education OECD provided a report on the Learning for Jobs project and we were treated to a keynote from Jack Dusseldorp, President World Skills International, from Australia and full participation and insightful commentary from Aart de Geus, Deputy Secretary General of OECD. Of course, I added my two cents worth to open and close. The presentations and subsequent discussion were thoughtful and inciteful. Well worth the price of admission.

I had the priviledge of welcoming Aart de Geus to Alberta with dinner Sunday evening. What a valuable opportunity to informally discuss education and broader issues with one of the leading figures in the OECD. He proved to be both interesting and insightful, as well as very impressed with his weekend excursion to Johnson Canyon hiking up to the inkpots. I was not only impressed but felt a very high degree of synergy of views and outlook. Gosh, I have a great job!

Capping the event, Culinary Arts students from Bishop McNally High School in Calgary did a superb job, not only catering the closing reception with a delectable selection of Alberta sourced food selections, but ably demonstrated the effectiveness of some of the best practices discussed — integrated high school and post secondary programming and the benefit of strong teacher leaders inspiring passion in students.

It's important to note that one of the reasons we were able to host the OECD in a cooperative venture of this nature is that our own Keray Henke, Deputy Minister of Education, Alberta, who co-chaired the conference with Janice Charette, Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, is the Chair of the OECD Education Policy Committee. I consider the fact that Keray was asked to chair a very important OECD Comittee focussing on Education policy reflects certainly the talent and caliber of Keray recognized as such on the world stage, but also certainly yet another indication of the regard held internationally for the quality of the work done here in Alberta and the resulting quality of our education system.

One School, One Country visits tomorrow. Schools in Calgary have adopted teams from participant countries and have taken the opportunity to study those countries, their cultures and languages in depth. Tomorrow, I visit St. Sebastian School, which is twinned with Iceland. Schools will meet with their teams tomorrow, the culmination of study over the past year or more combining education about the country with education about skills and technology. World Skills opens Tuesday. CMEC (Council of Ministers of Education, Canada) Deputies meet Tuesday and Ministers meet Wednesday and Thursday. World Skills Leaders Forum is Thursday. As well we have a Ministers Roundtable with a number of Ministers of Education from the 52 participating countries on Thursday. Friday I meet with the Metro School Boards on Alberta issues unrelated to World Skills — had to fit it in — and finally get to actually go to the event site and take in the competition. Competitions proceeds through Calgary with medals and closing ceremonies Sunday.

This is one busy week, but with all that has happened over the summer and all that is before us for the fall, I hope to get back to regular blogging — to elicit discussion and provoke comment, to seek advice and to ensure that there is continued access to information about what we are doing and why. I will return with blogs on Singapore and the other events of summer interspersed with the new and exciting fall tour. Stay tuned!