Employment and Development Services Canada hosted a workforce summit this week. The event was built around the theme of building a workforce for the 21st century.
Minister of employment, Randy Boissonault, seemed excited while delivering opening remarks at the summit on Wednesday, but others were concerned about how this summit was organized and what it means for provinces and territories.
In a press release published on Wednesday afternoon, the Forum of Labour Market Ministers said they did not attend the summit because it was planned unilaterally without consulting the provinces or territories. The governments of New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia are in caretaker mode and are not party to this release.
“Provinces and territories have unique perspectives and experiences gained from decades of impactful labour market service delivery, which would have strengthened the summit engagement process and fostered a deeper understanding of complex workforce challenges,” the press release reads.
At the summit, Minister Boissonnault highlighted the challenges that currently face Canada’s workforce. He said problems include labour shortages in key sectors and an aging population set to retire. One solution put forward in Boissonnault’s speech is leveraging untapped labour potential of certain demographics.
“We were at historically low unemployment levels and people said we had full employment,” he said. “The reality is that there were a million persons with disabilities not in the workforce. If they were, they were under employed.”
Boissonnault also highlighted that Indigenous people, youth and women did not have equitable access to the labour market.
In light of these challenges, Boissonnault announced a retraining fund for workers in exceptional situations. Boissonnault said leaders and organizations can apply to this fund until March 31.
“Local leaders know their communities best,” Boissonnault said. “That’s why we created the Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative; to give local leaders what they need to support workforce planning and help displaced workers find work.”
Boissonnault’s words indicate he is committed to strengthening the workforce, but the Forum of Labour Market Ministers said this must come with support for provinces and territories.
In their Wednesday press release, provinces and territories demanded that Ottawa increase Labour Market Transfer Agreement funding (LMTAs). The LMTAs are sent to provinces and territories to help Canadians find and keep good jobs.
“As the majority of this funding is drawn from Employment Insurance contributions made by workers and employers, it is imperative that it be reinvested in publicly-funded and localized employment services offered by provinces and territories,” the Forum of Labour Market Ministers wrote.
Mila Roy, a media relations officer for Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), said the office had regularly shared information with provinces and territories about the department’s plan to create the Workforce Summit. Provinces and territories were invited to attend and some representatives were asked to speak on panels, she said.
“We were pleased to welcome a representative to attend on behalf of the provinces and territories in the Forum of Labour Market Ministers to observe the discussions,” she said.
A press release published Thursday by ESDC said Minister Boissonnault was disappointed the provinces and territories did not participate in the summit.
The Forum of Labour Market Ministers said the provinces and territories remain committed to delivering the best workforce programs possible. They say they are urging the federal government to work in true partnership with them.
“By failing to respect provinces and territories as key partners, the federal government has ignored the role of the Forum of Labour Market Ministers and missed an opportunity to strengthen the close federal-provincial-territorial cooperation established over 40 years ago,” they wrote.
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