Ministers’ message

Official title: Employment and Social Development Canada 2015–2016 Departmental Performance Report

Message from the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, and the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

We are pleased to present Employment and Social Development Canada’s 2015–16 Departmental Performance Report (DPR), which lays out our performance results against the expectations set out in the 2015–16 Report on Plans and Priorities. It outlines the work done by the Department in developing, improving and delivering important policies, programs and services to Canadians.

With the valuable support of our employees from across the Department (Employment and Social Development Canada, the Labour Program and Service Canada), we help Canadians move through life’s transitions: from having a family and children through to becoming seniors, from school to work, from job to job and from workforce to retirement.

Every Canadian has the right to live a dignified life and deserves a real opportunity to succeed. This is as true for parents who are trying to save for the future while juggling the costs of raising a family, as it is for Canadians already in retirement. We are working hard to ensure every Canadian has equal access to the opportunities they need to succeed, in their communities and in their workplaces.

With Budget 2016, we took action to help the middle class, and those working hard to join it, and set a course for fairer, more inclusive growth. We are giving Canadians the assistance they need by supporting families with the new Canada Child Benefit and with enhancements to post-secondary financial assistance that ensure education is more affordable for students from low and middle income families. We are also improving seniors’ quality of life and improving Employment Insurance for those who need it. We remain committed to helping enhance employability and support literacy, learning, essential skills and individual needs of underserved populations, such as women, Indigenous communities, persons with disabilities, and our newest Canadians. 

We will continue to invest in social infrastructure to ensure all Canadians have access to housing that is safe, adequate and affordable. The Department will also move forward with its plans to modernize services to Canadians, build stronger communities and ensure that workplaces are—and remain—safe, fair, productive and cooperative. We are helping Canadians get the skills they need for good-quality jobs by investing in skills development and training and making post-secondary education more affordable for young Canadians. We have also committed to restoring fairness, balance and stability in Canada’s federal labour relations system.

Our ambitious agenda will be realized through smart investments and a sense of fairness, along with close collaboration with our partners and an open and transparent government. By remaining focused on our mandate priorities and aligning our resources with our commitments, we are ensuring Canadians are supported by a government that works for them.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

The Honourable MaryAnn Mihychuk
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour

The Honourable Carla Qualtrough
Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities