Governments of Canada and New Brunswick announce agreements to give workers the tools they need to find and keep good jobs

An estimated 18,000 more New Brunswick workers to benefit

December 4, 2018                        Gatineau, Quebec                        Employment and Social Development Canada

By investing directly in Canada’s greatest asset—its resilient, hardworking people—the Government of Canada is helping to ensure that the economic growth we create is the kind of growth that works for everyone.

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour and the Honourable Trevor Holder, Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, announced that the two governments have signed agreements that will see Canada provide New Brunswick with over $700 million over six years to invest in New Brunswick’s workers. These new agreements represent an increase in funding of over $70 million over the period, compared to previous funding levels. This increase means an estimated 18,000 more New Brunswick workers will benefit over the six years and more jobs and skills training will be available to people in New Brunswick, including skills development, experiential learning and more. 

Through these agreements, the Government of Canada is ensuring more people benefit from these programs than before—including people from groups typically under‑represented in our workforce, such as persons with disabilities, women and Indigenous eople.

As innovation and technology continue to change how we live and work, New Brunswickers and all Canadians are met with new challenges and new opportunities. That is why it is more important than ever before to ensure everybody can benefit from an innovation-driven economy—and that means ensuring that both employed and unemployed people have a chance to learn the skills they will need for the jobs of today as well as the jobs of tomorrow.

The agreements announced today are the Workforce Development Agreement (WDA) and the Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA). In the first two years New Brunswick will receive approximately $246 million—more than $36 million through the WDA and more than $210 million through the LMDA.

Results matter. That is why these agreements include a commitment to performance measurement. That means that Canada and New Brunswick will be able to measure how these programs are increasing people’s earnings, helping them get jobs that last, and breaking down barriers for under‑represented groups. The Government of Canada will be reporting to Canadians on the impacts of these programs, so that they are transparent and can be continually improved.

The WDA will help New Brunswick deliver training and services, such as:

• Employment Assistance Services
• Training and Employment Supports and Services for Persons with a Disability
• Workplace Essential Skills
• Community Adult Learning

Funding under the LMDA will allow New Brunswick to help more people and more employers meet their needs, through measures such as:

• Training and Skills Development including Apprenticeship
• Labour Force Training
• Human Resource Support Services
• Experiential Learning

Every Canadian deserves a fair and equal chance at success in the workforce. Through smart investments like the provincial agreements announced today, we can strengthen our middle class and help more of the people working so hard to join it.