Canada And PEI Governments Announce Skill-Improvement Agreements For Jobs

21 Jun 2019

Today technology and innovation are changing the way we live and work. The workers in Canada face many challenges and opportunities. This calls for ensuring that the Canadians benefit from an economy with a focus on innovation. The employed as well as the unemployed persons must learn the modern skills for the jobs that arise today, and will arise tomorrow.

Signing of Agreements

Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Labor and Workforce Development Canada and the Brad Trivers, Minister of Education Prince Edward Island announced the signing of two government agreements. Through them Canada will provide the PEI government $200 million in six years for investing in the growth of workers in Prince Edward Island.

After these agreements there will be increased funding of $11 million in this period. Moreover, this means 5,000 additional workers will get the benefits in these six years.  Additionally more skills training and jobs will be available to the residents of PEI. Also, there will be a focus on skill training programs—to the groups that have a less representation in the workforce. These include youths, disabled persons, women and finally the Indigenous people.

A vision for the future

The agreements are the Workforce Development Agreement and the Labor Market Development Agreement. In the six years (2017–23), PEI will receive $200 million in the WDA and $176 million in the LMDA.

Moreover, both The Governments will inform results to Canadians about the impacts of these training programs. There will be a Performance review focusing on increased earnings of the people; improvement of opportunities; the outcome for PEI workers joining the labor market; and removing the barriers for groups with less representation.

Delivering training and services

The WDA will help in delivering training and services to meet the requirements of the workforce like: 

• The Workplace Skills Training program for the employers to train employees to keep the skills in alignment with the change in business scenario.
• Additional support to disabled persons, like continuous skill development so that the persons can maintain significant employment.
• Support to gain the essential skills for entering the workforce to youths, disabled persons, women and finally the Indigenous people.

The Funding in LMDA will permit PEI to help more people/employers to meet their needs, by using the following measures:

• Training Support for the PEI program to permit unemployed persons to get skills and education essential for finding and maintaining sustainable employment. There will be a focus on group-based initiatives and apprentice training to meet the increasing demand for skilled workers.

Additional benefits

• The Employment Assistance program for providing career planning, employment counseling, and job search for conventional and special clients at many locations in the province.
• Expanding the Graduate Mentorship Program for support people who graduate from post-secondary institutions to get full-time employment. It will also allow on-the-job training as well as mentorship in the unique fields.
• Providing Support to non-profit community organizations for delivering short-term projects which offer work experience to unemployed persons for enhancing their skills and increasing their potential to get long-term jobs.
• Support to the Self Employment PEI program to facilitate an environment of growth through minor business start-ups. Measures to Ensure that the local entrepreneurs get the opportunity to create their own jobs to grow the economy.

The aim of the Agreements

These investments and agreements will strengthen the middle class and help people to join it. The goal is that the people will become competitive, and responsive with the growth of the economy. The people will get the tools for succeeding and the middle class will grow stronger. Moreover, there will be Meaningful jobs in the economy, and this will also help 5,000 provincial workers.

Finally, the Provincial as well as the territorial governments will get flexibility in designing and delivering programs and services to respond to the needs of the country men.