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Pension education plan—Introductory level training
Part one: A full day session

Facilitator’s notes/outline

Introductions (30 minutes)

• Who are they? What are their interests/experience in pensions? Why are they there? What is one thing they would like to learn?



• Review agenda



• Circulate pre/post test survey. Explain purpose of survey is to measure whether the learning objectives have been met for the course.

Warm up exercise: Group Activity (30 minutes)

• Individually, each participant writes down on post it notes key words, phrases, ideas or questions that pop into their heads when they think of pension plans. There should be one word, phrase or idea per post it note. Then, all participants put their post it notes in the centre of the table.



• As a group, they sort through all the post it notes and put similar ideas or concepts into piles. They then give a name or theme to each pile. Each small group presents back to the large group.

The Language of Pensions (50 minutes)

• Part One: (20 minutes) In small groups, participants are given pieces of paper with key words relevant to pensions. There is only one word on each paper. They are also given pieces of paper with the definitions that match the words. Participants have to match the words with the definitions. e.g. liability, rate of return, deferred salary, actuary, employer, union trustee, worker, defined contribution and benefits. (download definitions)



• Part Two: (30 minutes) A didactic presentation on the language of pensions (refer to Language of Pensions o/hs under Education tools/slide presentations). What do they really need to know to understand how pensions work.

BREAK (15 minutes)

Small Group Activity—The Principles of the Plans (30 minutes)

• In two small groups, participants explore the advantages and disadvantages of Defined Benefits and Defined Contributions. One small group looks at the advantages and disadvantages of DB and the other explores DC. The small groups have 15 minutes to complete the task.



• Each small group reports back to the large group. (5 minutes each)



• Facilitator debriefs exercise (10 minutes) with large group by asking which is the better principle and if the participants belong to pension plans which do they have and their thoughts on the impact on their plan.

History of Pensions (20 minutes)

• The History of Pensions (ppt 91kb) is an overhead presentation on the history of workers struggle for pensions; early voluntary state pension system; role of taxation; tension between state pension system and workplace pension plans; pension negotiability after WW2 for male unions.

Small Group Activity (20 minutes)

• Participants are assigned to two small groups. Group 1 is assigned the industrial revolution and, and Group 2 is assigned post depression/WW2 period. Each group is asked to answer: What would a pension plan look like in the era that you have been assigned? Please design the plan according to what you know about your era and what you heard in the overhead presentation.

Pensions Today (40 minutes)

• Pensions Today (ppt 2.7mb) is an overhead, didactic presentation that examines the 3 pillars of income security, types of RPPs, coverage and relationship to unions.



• In small groups, participants have 15 minutes to design their ideal pension plan for today. Each group presents back to large group for 5 minutes. Facilitator debriefs exercise and inserts any missing critical points for the eras, especially for today.

LUNCH BREAK (45 minutes)

Pensions and Investment (70 minutes)

• This is a didactic overhead presentation that explores fudiciary responsibility, long term investment and risk management, ILO standards (40 minutes)



• Show video, "CBC Venture—Carpenter’s Union" (30 minutes). Debrief.

Where is Your Money? (30 minutes)

• Distribute handout to participants identifying the Top 100 pension funds (refer to Education Tools) and how they invest.



• Brainstorm exercise with all participants exploring two questions—What is their pension plan? Where is money invested with their plan?



• Show video, Rick Mercer Rant (CBC). Debrief video by asking for their reactions to the rant and the public perceptions of public and private sector pensions.

The Role of Unions (30 minutes)

• Top Unions (ppt 58kb) overhead presentation. Facilitator leads a discussion on the role of the union trustee in managing pensions and decision-making processes.

Wrap Up and Evaluation (15 minutes)

• Facilitator wraps up sessions and distributes pre/post survey and evaluation form for completion.

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