News Release

QUEBEC (GNB) – Improving job access and training was a main topic as labour market ministers from across the country met last Friday in Quebec City.

The ministers, including Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Donald Arseneault, met to discuss priorities and enable progress on shared interests, including renewed collaboration on labour market transfer agreements, improving labour market information, strengthening apprenticeship, labour mobility and foreign qualification recognition.

"By coming together with my colleagues, we are working to ensure the decisions we make are aligned with the labour needs of our province and of our country,” said Arseneault. “We are listening to New Brunswickers, and your government’s main priority is creating jobs and growing the economy by increasing access to post-secondary education and providing skills training.”

The labour market ministers reaffirmed their commitment to foster inclusive workforce participation, better align skills with labour market needs, and support efficient labour markets to better serve all Canadians.

“The work we are doing will support our employment and training programs that address labour market needs in our fast-changing economy,” said Arseneault.

The meeting was co-chaired by François Blais, Quebec minister of employment and social solidarity, and MaryAnn Mihychuk, the federal minister of employment, workforce development and labour.

To help people find and keep good quality jobs through better access to training and support, and to avoid duplication, the ministers agreed to common priorities for strengthening the $3 billion labour market transfer agreements. The provincial and territorial ministers acknowledged the additional $175 million provided for these agreements for 2016-17. They also emphasized their view that future agreements take into account input from the premiers.

“Our government’s top priority is growing the economy by helping Canadians in the middle class, and those working to join it, get the training and skills they need to get and keep good, well-paying jobs,” said Mihychuk. “Through renewed collaboration with our provincial and territorial partners, we are taking action to deliver real results for Canadians. Our government’s goal is to improve job outcomes for those facing significant labour market challenges, such as youth, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples. We will continue to work to ensure our programs and services effectively respond to the challenges of global impacts on the economy and labour market.”

Through consultations, the labour market ministers received feedback from more than 700 stakeholders on the effectiveness of the current labour market transfer agreements. They endorsed the public release of the consultation report, which will inform the collaborative approach to ensure the next generation of agreements:

• are client-focused, flexible and responsive to the needs of individuals, workers, employers and under-represented groups including indigenous people;

• build on strong evidence for relevant performance measurement to better inform and serve Canadians and help them achieve meaningful employment outcomes; and,

• foster innovative approaches and the sharing of best practices.

The importance of timely, accurate labour market information was reiterated to ensure all Canadians, including students, business people, workers and educators, have the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions. To that end, the ministers confirmed that the Labour Market Information Council is on track to hold its inaugural meeting and finalize membership of its Stakeholders Advisory Panel in the coming months.

The ministers agreed to continue working with their regulators and assessment agencies to ensure newcomers receive more timely information on whether they qualify to work in their profession or what additional training might be needed to meet Canadian standards. They announced the target to reach a decision on initial qualifications recognition will be changed from one year to six months.

In addition, the ministers launched a labour mobility website to inform certified workers on how to have their qualifications recognized across provinces and territories. As a result, employers will have increased access to the qualified workforce they need.

The ministers also agreed to explore innovative approaches to increase employer engagement for improved job opportunities and outcomes for apprentices. The federal, provincial and territorial governments also reaffirmed their commitment to harmonizing apprenticeship training for 30 Red Seal trades by 2020 in most jurisdictions, with an effort to harmonize training for two-thirds of Red Seal apprentices by 2017.

The ministers stressed the importance of digital skills improvement for workers and reaffirmed their commitment to address the labour market needs of under-represented groups. They also agreed to meet to pursue innovation and best practices. They acknowledged that the forum is a key multilateral platform to collaborate and achieve results on shared issues such as the possible impact of both Employment Insurance and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program on certain aspects of labour markets.