Re-training in the post-industrial era: A comparison of government policy responses to widespread worker displacement in Canada and Britain

This thesis examines government responses to the decline of resource extraction industries in Canada and England. It examines the political, social and economic factors that influence policy formulation in responding to industrial decline. The research considers two cases in particular: The Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS) implemented by the Canadian federal government following the collapse of the Northern Cod fishery in Atlantic Canada and the Coalfields Regeneration Program implemented by the government in the United Kingdom to address problems resulting from the decline in the mining industry.; The foundation of the thesis is an examination of government initiated re-training programs for workers displaced by industrial decline. The study investigates the extent to which post-industrialism informs, or can inform, policy formulation. The research considers the relationship between economic development and re-training generally and in the context of post-industrialism. The study is located at the intersection of several generally distinct and separate fields not usually brought together. Thus, the research does not obviously pertain to the standard discourse and the ways in which issues are examined in these fields. The research looks to make connections between macro focussed theory and micro level practice, and the implications of policy choice at the practical level, in an effort to understand why particular policies are implemented in response to industrial decline.