Information about Programs and Information Holdings: Sources of Federal Government and Employee Information 2022 to 2023

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Introduction

Information about programs and information holdings explains:

  • ESDC programs and activities
  • The information held by ESDC, including personal information under its control

The Access to Information Act and Privacy Act apply to ESDC programs and activities.

Information about Programs and Information Holdings references the personal information of:

  • Individuals
  • Current and former employees of the government

The purpose of this document is to help them to find out which programs:

  • May hold personal information about them
  • To focus on when making a formal request under the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act

The list of institutions subject to the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act are available in the legislations themselves.

The Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act assign responsibility to the President of the Treasury Board (as the designated Minister) to administer these legislations.

General information

Background

The Department of Employment and Social Development Act (DESDA) describes the powers, duties and responsibilities of the:

  • Minister of Employment and Social Development
  • Minister of Labour
  • Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC)

The Department reports to Parliament through the Minister of ESDC.

Our ministers

Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion – The Honourable Carla Qualtrough

Minister of Families, Children and Social Development – The Honourable Karina Gould

Minister of Labour – The Honourable Seamus O’Regan Jr.

Minister of Seniors – The Honourable Kamal Khera

Raison d'être

The mission of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is to:

  • Build a stronger and more competitive Canada
  • Support Canadians in making choices that help them live productive and rewarding lives
  • Improve Canadians' quality of life

Mandate and role

ESDC delivers programs and services to every Canadian throughout their lives in a significant capacity. ESDC fulfills its mission by:

  1. Developing policies that ensure Canadians can use their talents, skills and resources to participate in learning, work and their community.
  2. Delivering programs that help Canadians move through life's transitions from:
    • School to work
    • One job to another
    • Unemployment to employment
    • The workforce to retirement
  3. Providing income support to seniors, families with children and those unemployed due to job loss, illness or caregiving responsibilities.
  4. Helping Canadians with distinct needs such as Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, homeless people, travellers and recent immigrants.
  5. Ensuring labour relations stability by providing mediation services.
  6. Promoting a fair and healthy workplace by:
    • Enforcing minimum working conditions
    • Promoting decent work and employment equity
    • Fostering respect for international labour standards
  7. Delivering programs and services on behalf of other departments and agencies.

Operating context: Conditions affecting our work

Each day, we provide important services to millions of Canadians. They expect easy to access and secure services that meet their needs online, through call centres, or in person.

With ESDC's commitment to provide Canadians high quality and timely services, we are working hard to:

  • Be responsive to current and future client needs
  • Provide secure and easy-to-use digital services
  • Work with stakeholders to offer integrated programs and services

We also need to improve data management to enhance service and also protect personal information.

ESDC is creating economic and social policies and programs to:

  • Increase Canadians' economic and social security
  • Support and improve the well-being of families, children, seniors, workers, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities

With our policies, we aim to help Canadians gain the skills and experience needed to obtain good quality jobs. We also support families, workers and seniors to get financial security and the quality of life they deserve.

Institutional core responsibilities, programs and activities

Legend

  • Class of Records (CoRs)
  • Personal Information Banks (PIBs)

1. Social development

Description

  • Increase inclusion and opportunities for participation of Canadians in their communities.

Departmental results

  • Not-for-profit organizations, communities and other groups have an enhanced capacity to address a range of social issues such as the social inclusion of people with disabilities, the engagement of seniors, and support for children and families.
  • Access to early learning and childcare is increased.
  • Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs.

Program mapping

  • Accessible Canada Initiative
  • Social Development Partnerships Program
  • New Horizon for Seniors Program
  • Age Well at Home Initiative
  • Enabling Accessibility Fund
  • Social Innovation / Social Finance

1.1 Accessible Canada Initiative

The Accessible Canada initiative is the statutory initiative which supports a proactive approach to the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to accessibility, particularly through the implementation and ongoing administration of the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), along with the advancement of related initiatives.

The ACA came into force on July 11, 2019. The purpose of the ACA is to benefit all persons, especially persons with disabilities, through the realization of a Canada without barriers by January 1, 2040.

Advancing accessibility through the implementation of the ACA and related initiatives includes developing accessibility regulations under the ACA; providing horizontal policy analysis and overall strategic direction to support the implementation of the ACA; collaborating with Statistics Canada to implement the Federal Data and Measurement Strategy for Accessibility to measure progress in removing barriers to accessibility; carrying out Public Opinion Research (POR) to measure awareness of the Act and attitudes towards accessibility among Canadians with and without disabilities; leading stakeholder engagement to inform policy and regulatory development; Governor in Council appointment processes for the establishment of new entities and roles as set out in the ACA (e.g., Chief Accessibility Officer, Accessibility Commissioner, and the Accessibility Standards Canada Board of Directors); promoting awareness activities of accessibility and inclusion and mobilizing knowledge to effect culture change through National Accessibility Week celebrations, including hosting the Canadian Congress on Disability Inclusion (CCDI) and raising the profile of accessibility at the national level; administering accessibility-focused grants and contributions, delivered through the Disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program; and providing expertise on accessibility to other areas under Federal Jurisdiction.

1.2 Social Development Partnerships Program

The Social Development Partnerships Program (SDPP) is a grants and contributions program. It supports government of Canada priorities through investment in not-for-profit organizations that aim to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities, children and families, Black Canadian communities, and other vulnerable populations facing physical, economic and social pressures. The program has an annual budget supporting two components: Disability and Children and Families.

Grants and contributions support communities, not-for-profit, and voluntary sector organizations in providing vulnerable Canadian populations with the tools and skills to respond to current and emerging social issues that they are facing, such as a limited ability to participate in the workplace or to contribute to their families and communities.

1.3 New Horizons for Seniors Program

The New Horizons for Seniors Program supports the Government of Canada's overarching social goals to enhance the quality of life and promote the full participation of individuals in all aspects of Canadian society. In doing so, the program initiatives at the national, regional and community level address seniors' issues through partnerships and the engagement and contributions of seniors themselves. The program's design includes two streams: Community-based grants and Pan-Canadian grants and contributions.

Community-based grants address social challenges ‘on the ground' and recognize communities as the focal point for program and service delivery. Funded projects are volunteer based; supported by communities; inspired or led by seniors; and address one or more of the five program objectives. Selected through annual calls for proposals, one-year Community-based projects are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in grant funding.

Pan-Canadian grants and contributions support innovative projects that create a significant impact in communities and invest in large initiatives that meet the growing social needs of seniors. Organizations can apply for projects up to five years in duration and up to $5M in funding under the pan-Canadian stream.

1.4 Age Well at Home Initiative

The Age Well at Home initiative is a federal grants and contributions initiative that supports projects that enable seniors to age in place by providing support under two streams: In Home Support Pilot Projects and Scaling Up for Seniors.

Under the In-Home Support Pilot Projects stream, eligible organizations with experience delivering volunteer-based services to low-income and otherwise vulnerable seniors can receive funding to expand their services to more seniors or offer additional services, as well as help seniors navigate and access eligible services provided by other local organizations. Eligible services include light housekeeping, meal delivery and/or preparation, home maintenance, transportation, snow removal, volunteer drop offs, and friendly visiting in the home.

Under the Scaling Up for Seniors stream, seniors-serving organizations in Canada can receive funding to expand services across more than one province or territory, that have already demonstrated results in helping seniors age in place.

1.5 Enabling Accessibility Fund

Persons with disabilities often experience barriers to their participation and inclusion in daily activities. To support their participation in society, the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) is taking concrete action to ensure greater accessibility and opportunities.

The EAF provides funding for eligible capital projects that increase accessibility and eliminate barriers for persons with disabilities in communities and workplaces creating more opportunities for them to participate in community activities, programs, and services, or to access employment opportunities. Eligible recipients are not-for-profit, for-profit, and Indigenous organizations, as well as municipal and territorial governments. They can apply for funding through periodic funding processes under three program components.

The small projects component supports small-scale construction, renovation or retrofit projects that increase accessibility in communities or workplaces.

The youth innovation component empowers youth to identify accessibility barriers within their communities and work with local organizations to find solutions to increase accessibility and safety in community spaces and workplaces.

The mid-sized projects component supports larger retrofit, renovation or construction projects of facilities or venues that house or will house programs and services geared towards addressing the social and/or labour market integration needs of persons with disabilities in a holistic manner.

1.6 Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy

The Social Innovation and Social Finance (SI/SF) Strategy aims to strengthen the ability of communities to develop, finance and scale new solutions to persistent social and environmental challenges in Canada. The Investment Readiness Program (IRP) represents one of the first foundational elements in building a SI/SF Strategy for Canada. The IRP is a grants and contributions program aimed at improving the ability of social purpose organizations to participate in the social finance market and the larger social innovation ecosystem. The IRP pilot was implemented between 2019 and 2021 and the program was renewed in 2021. Similar to the IRP pilot, the renewed IRP is a two-year grants and contributions program (2021-2024) that is currently under implementation.

Other foundational elements of the SI/SF Strategy include the Social Finance Fund and Social Innovation Advisory Council to be launched in 2023.

2. Pensions and benefits

Description

  • Assist Canadians in maintaining income for retirement, and provide financial benefits to survivors, people with disabilities and their families.

Departmental results

  • Seniors have income support for retirement
  • People with disabilities and their families have financial support
  • Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

Program mapping

  • Old Age Security
  • Canada Pension Plan
  • Canada Disability Savings Program
  • Universal Child Care Benefit
  • Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime

2.1 Old Age Security

The Old Age Security program is one of the main sources of retirement income for senior Canadians. Its objective is to ensure a minimum income for seniors and to contribute to their income replacement in retirement. The Old Age Security program is funded through federal tax revenues. The benefits payable under the Old Age Security program includes the Old Age Security pension, the Guaranteed Income Supplement, and the Allowances. The Old Age Security Pension is a monthly payment to all Canadians aged 65 or older who meet the residence and legal status requirements. To be eligible for the pension, an individual must have resided in Canada for at least 10 years after the age of 18. A full pension is paid to seniors with at least 40 years of residence in Canada after the age of 18.

2.2 Canada Pension Plan

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP), a contributory social insurance program and is a key component of the Retirement Income System. It provides eligible contributors and their families with modest income replacement in the event of retirement, disability, or death. It is funded by contributions from employees, employers, self-employed individuals, and revenue from investments. The retirement pension, the main benefit of CPP, is meant to replace 25% of career average pensionable earnings. Starting in 2019, this amount gradually increased and will reach 33.33% by 2024 as a result of the CPP Enhancement, with 40 years of contributions required to receive the full effects of the enhancement. The monthly pension amount depends on the age at which a beneficiary begins receiving it. To be eligible, at least one contribution to the Plan must have been made. Working beneficiaries can increase retirement income through the Post-Retirement Benefits. The CPP also provides supplementary benefits.

2.3 Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits

The Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD) pension and Post Retirement Disability benefit provide eligible contributors with partial income replacement in the event of severe and prolonged disability. In addition, the Plan pays a monthly flat-rate children's benefit for dependent children of the disabled contributor.

2.4 Canada Disability Savings Program

The objective of the Canada Disability Savings Program is to encourage long-term savings to help ensure the financial security of people with disabilities who are approved for the Disability Tax Credit by providing Government of Canada incentives (grants and bonds) to open and contribute to a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP). The Canada Disability Savings Grant and Canada Disability Savings Bond respond to long-standing and ongoing needs identified by people with disabilities, their families, and organizations supporting them to reduce barriers to saving for the future.

The grant is a limited matching grant up to $3,500 a year that the government deposits into a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) to match private contributions to the plan. Grants may be paid into a plan until the end of the calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 49 years old. The limit is $70,000 of grants over the beneficiary's lifetime. In addition, the Government will deposit a bond of up to $1,000 a year into the RDSPs of low and modest-income Canadians. Bonds may be paid into a plan until the end of the calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 49 years old. The limit is $20,000 in bonds over the beneficiary's lifetime. There is no annual RDSP contribution limit, but there is a maximum lifetime contribution limit of $200,000. No contributions are necessary to receive a bond.

Canada Disability Savings Program (PIB)

2.5 Universal Child Care Benefit

The Universal Child Care Benefit is a statutory income benefit introduced in 2006 and ended in 2016, designed to assist Canadian families with young children by supporting their childcare choices through direct financial support. The Universal Child Care Benefit was designed with the objective of supporting families in the choice of childcare that best meets the needs of their family. Families received up to $1,200 per year for each child under six, taxable in the hands of the lower income spouse. Families could use this monthly benefit to best address their childcare needs. The Universal Child Care Benefit was a pillar in the system of income benefits for families with children adding to other previous measures such as the Canada Child Tax Benefit and the National Child Benefit Supplement and did not affect the benefits families received under these programs or the Child Care Expense Deduction. The UCCB ended in 2016 and is now only available to people making retroactive claims. Retroactive eligibility is 10 years.

2.6 Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime

The Canadian Benefit for Parents of Young Victims of Crime (CBPYVC) provides income support to eligible parents or legal guardians who suffer a loss of income while taking time away from work to cope with the death or disappearance of their child (or children) under 25 years of age as the result of a probable Criminal Code offence. Eligible parents receive a payment of $450 per week for a maximum of 35 weeks for a period of two years following the date of the incident. This program is not a repayable contribution.

3. Learning skills development and employment

Description

  • Help Canadians access post-secondary education, obtain the skills and training needed to participate in a changing labour market, and provide supports to those who are temporarily unemployed.

Departmental results

  • More students from low- and middle-income families access and participate in post-secondary education
  • Canadians receive financial support during employment transitions such as job loss, illness, or maternity/parental leave
  • Canadians access education, training, and life-long learning supports to gain the skills and work experience they need
  • Canadians participate in an inclusive and efficient labour market
  • Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

Program mapping

  • Employment Insurance
  • Labour Market Development Agreements
  • Workforce Development Agreements
  • Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities
  • Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS)
  • Targeted Initiative for Older Workers
  • Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities
  • Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET)
  • Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF)
  • First Nations Job Fund
  • Job Bank
  • Sectoral Initiatives Program
  • Skills for Success Program
  • Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship (Red Seal Program)
  • Apprenticeship Grants
  • Community Workforce Development Program (CWDP)
  • Foreign Credential Recognition Program
  • Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Skills and employment

Skills and Employment Programs are intended to ensure that Canadian labour market participants are able to access the supports that they need to enter or reposition themselves in the labour market to allow them to contribute to economic growth through full labour market participation. Initiatives within these programs contribute to the common overall objectives of promoting skills development, labour market participation and ensuring labour market efficiency.

3.1 Employment Insurance

The Employment Insurance (EI) income support benefits provide eligible workers with temporary support to partially replace lost employment income. These benefits include regular and fishing benefits for eligible unemployed workers while they look for employment or upgrade their skills, and special benefits for workers who take time off due to specific life events (illness, pregnancy, to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, to provide care or support to a critically ill or injured family member or a family member requiring end of life care). EI income support benefits are delivered through a multi-channel service delivery model — online, by phone or in person — designed to meet the needs and preferences of clients.

3.2 Labour Market Development Agreements

Labour Market Development Agreements fund programs and services to help Canadians find and return to work. These agreements provide funding to design and deliver Employment Benefits and Support Measures. Employment Benefits provide eligible participants skills development, self-employment support and wage subsidies; while Support Measures, services such as Employment Assistance Services (e.g., employment counselling, job search assistance, needs assessments) are available to all workers. This program is funded through Part II of the Employment Insurance Act. Provinces and territories work with employers and other stakeholders in their jurisdictions to inform priority setting and program delivery.

3.3 Workforce Development Agreements

The Workforce Development Agreements provide individuals and employers with skills training and employment programs through bilateral agreements with provinces and territories. These agreements support individuals with weaker labour force attachment in finding employment and include funding for programs for persons with disabilities, with a focus on supporting members of underrepresented groups such as Indigenous peoples, youth, older workers, and newcomers to Canada. Provinces and territories work with employers and other stakeholders in their jurisdictions to inform priority setting and program delivery.

3.4 Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities

The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities helps reduce skills and employment gaps between persons with disabilities and those without disabilities. This program helps persons with disabilities, particularly those who are further from the labour market, to find and keep good jobs or become entrepreneurs. The program also supports persons with disabilities who are already employed to advance in their careers. Projects funded by the program provide skills and pre-employability training, self-employment activities, job placements, and a range of other wrap-around supports. Third-party organizations in the community deliver this program.

The program also funds projects that help employers hire and retain persons with disabilities and create more inclusive and accessible workplaces, as well as projects that help to increase the supply, capacity, and reach of individuals and organizations that work to support disability inclusion and accessibility in employment, including by ensuring smooth transitions and long-term retention. The program is a key vehicle for the implementation of the Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities.

3.5 Youth Employment and Skills Strategy

The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) is the Government of Canada's commitment to help youth aged 15 to 30. Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS or “The Strategy”) is led by Employment and Social Development Canada in collaboration with 11 other federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations, and focuses on providing employment services and enhanced supports to youth who face barriers to employment. This includes Youth who are early leavers from high school, Indigenous, and racialized youth, you with disabilities and youth living in low-income households. The Strategy is comprised of two long-standing youth program streams, the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy Program (YESSP) and Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ). The Strategy supports youth to develop the valuable skills and experiences they need to effectively transition into the labour market, and in return, contribute to Canada’s economic growth through recovery and into the future. ESDC YESS program is delivered through non-repayable contribution agreements.

  • YESSP offers a range of supports and services to help youth access training and work experience opportunities that range in intensity and duration.
  • CSJ provides wage subsidies to employers, including not-for profit organizations, public-sector employers, and small private sector employers to create quality summer employment opportunities.

The YESS is delivered nationally, regionally and locally through funding instruments such as contribution agreements and direct delivery methods.

3.6 Targeted Initiative for Older Workers (ended in 2018)

The Targeted Initiative for Older Workers is a federal-provincial/territorial cost-shared initiative that provides unemployed older workers (normally between the ages of 55 and 64 with employment assistance services, skills upgrading and work experience to reintegrate into the workforce and/or increase their employability. The Initiative assists unemployed older workers in small communities of 250,000 or less that are experiencing high unemployment, significant downsizing/closures, unfulfilled employer demand and/or skills mismatches. Under this program, provinces and territories are responsible for identifying specific communities for participation in the Initiative, designing and delivering projects, and monitoring and reporting on projects. All projects must include employment assistance activities such as résumé writing, interview techniques, counselling, and job search techniques and at least two employability improvement activities, such as prior learning assessment, skills training, work experience or preparation for self-employment. The Government of Canada's investment in the Initiative complements other funding provided through various labour market transfers to provinces and territories to help Canadians obtain the training they need to secure employment, including the Canada Job Fund Agreements, Labour Market Development Agreements and Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities.

3.7 Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities

The Enabling Fund for Official Language Minority Communities (EF-OLMC) aims to enhance the development and vitality of OLMCs. The EF-OLMC provides funding to a network of 14 organizations across Canada, with more than 130 employees in 50 locations. The organizations help OLMCs to strengthen their capacity in the areas of human resource and community economic development by providing local leadership, promoting partnerships, implementing projects, and leveraging networks for concerted action.

The EF-OLMC is ESDC's main program to meet its Official Languages Act obligation to enhance the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and support and assist their development.

3.8 Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program

In Canada, Indigenous peoples have historically experienced significantly higher unemployment, lesser educational attainment and lower literacy and essential skills levels. The ISET Program aims to help reduce the skills and employment gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people by providing Indigenous people with opportunities to develop and improve their skills and attain employment. The Program funds and supports a network of Indigenous agreement holders (service delivery providers) across Canada that design and deliver a full suite of skills development and employment training and supports targeting all Indigenous people. Co-developed with Indigenous partners, the Program is founded on a distinctions-based approach to better meet the needs of First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Urban/Non-affiliated Indigenous peoples.

The Program is linked to the Employment Insurance (EI) Act, which enables Indigenous organizations to deliver programs similar to those established by Part II of the EI Act. The Program supports labour market obligations specified in Treaty and Self Government Agreements that are in place with Indigenous groups. It also supports the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 7 to develop with Indigenous groups a joint strategy to eliminate educational and employment gaps between Indigenous and non- Indigenous Canadians.

3.9 Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF)

The SPF is a strategic, partnership and project-based fund focused on training Indigenous Peoples for industry identified specific jobs that align with emerging labour market needs and government priorities. It supports collaboration between Indigenous organizations and employers to increase Indigenous employment in emerging economic opportunities and to respond to changes at the local, regional, and national level. SPF has the flexibility to adjust to government priorities and address emerging economic opportunities.

SPF aims to reduce the skills and employment gaps that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and increase Indigenous participation in the labour market by ensuring Indigenous participants have improved skills and employment opportunities. SPF focuses on training Indigenous people for industry-identified, specific jobs that align with emerging labour market needs and government priorities.

3.10 First Nations Job Fund (2013 to 2017)

The youth population is growing in First Nation communities, along with high unemployment rates and high dependency on Income Assistance, especially with the on-reserve population. The First Nations Job Fund aimed to provide recipients of First Nations Income Assistance who live on reserve with the personalized training necessary to access jobs. Beneficiaries were between 18 and 24 years of age, were able to work and were trainable within one year. Clients were referred to the Fund through Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada's Enhanced Service Delivery system. This program was delivered through the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy delivery network.

Selected organizations worked with local training facilities and employers to ensure that Income Assistance recipients referred from the Enhanced Service Delivery system were provided with the training-to-employment and employment supports they needed to secure jobs. The Fund was one of two components of the First Nations Income Assistance Reform Initiative— a joint initiative between AANDC, that delivers the enhanced Service Delivery, and ESDC, that administers the First Nations Job Fund.

3.11 Job Bank

Commissioned by the Employment Insurance Act, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) delivers the National Employment Service on behalf of the Canada Employment Insurance Commission.

As part of the National Employment Service, Job Bank is a free to use and bilingual platform which is co-delivered with provincial and territorial governments. Job Bank provides a listing of job opportunities across Canada. Job seekers can use Job Bank and its various job searching tools (Job Search, Job Alerts, Job Match, Resume Builder and the Job Bank mobile app) to find suitable employment. Employers can use Job Bank to post their job vacancies and find qualified candidates. Job Bank supports the delivery of other ESDC employment programs and works with private job boards to increase the diversity of jobs that it can offer.

The National Employment Service also produces a wide range of labour market information (LMI) products (including wage and outlook reports, occupational and sectoral profiles, news, and economic reports) in collaboration with other orders of government and industry experts. These products provide a common framework for understanding and providing services related to the Canadian labour market. In addition, the dissemination of LMI and the provision of LMI tools facilitate exploration of the Canadian labour market and informed decision making related to careers, education, training and hiring.

3.12 Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP)

The objective of the SWSP is to help employers and workers by supporting key sectors of the economy develop and implement solutions to address current and emerging workforce needs.

The SWSP funds organizations to deliver sectoral projects that focus on a range of industry-driven activities such as training and reskilling workers, helping employers retain and attract a skilled and diverse workforce and other creative solutions to help sectors address labour market needs. This will help employers find skilled workers and connect Canadians with the training they need to access good jobs in key sectors. It will also support equity-deserving groups by promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce and providing wrap-around supports as needed to those facing barriers to participation.

3.13 Skills for Success Program

The Skills for Success Program helps Canadians improve their foundational and transferable skills. The Program will fund organizations to design and deliver skills training to help workers develop strong skills, become more resilient to labour market changes and have better employment outcomes. Funded projects support all Canadians, including those facing barriers to employment, to improve their foundational and transferable skills. Successful projects funded under the Skills for Success Program could be expanded in other areas across Canada.

In addition, the Skills For Success program includes the Women’s Employment Readiness Pilot Program, which is a two-year pilot ending on March 31, 2023. The pilot funds organizations to provide and test pre-employment and skills development models for multi-barriered women and works with employers to test models to improve workplace inclusivity. The results of the pilot program will be used to inform systemic changes to skills and employment programming to ultimately improve labour market outcomes for women.

3.14 Skilled Trades and Apprenticeship (Red Seal Program)

The Program is a partnership between the federal government, the provinces and territories (who are responsible for apprenticeship training and trade certification in their jurisdictions), and industry, to develop national standards for each of the designated Red Seal trades.

The department sponsors the Secretariat services for the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship which is responsible for the oversight of the Red Seal Program.

3.15 Apprenticeship Grants

The Program provides grants (up to $4,000 for all apprentices and up to $8,000 for women in trades where they are under-represented) to eligible apprentices in designated Red Seal trades for completing their first and second year of their apprenticeship or upon receipt of their journeyperson certification. The Program provides these grants through the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant, the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women, and the Apprenticeship Completion Grant. The objective of the Program is to support entry/progression and completion/certification within an apprenticeship program in a designated Red Seal trade.

3.16 Community Workforce Development Program

The Community Workforce Development Program supports communities to develop local plans that identify high growth areas and connect employers with training providers to upskill and reskill jobseekers to fill current and emerging jobs in demand. It provides opportunity to test innovative community-based approaches to help communities recover and improve resiliency through skills training and workforce planning that aims to address regional and national priorities. The program contribute towards strengthening local economic diversification efforts with a focus on addressing the needs of under-represented groups.

  • Community Workforce Development (CoR)
3.17 Foreign Credential Recognition Program

The Foreign Credential Recognition Program supports the labour market integration of skilled newcomers by: simplifying and harmonizing national credential recognition processes; providing loans and support services to help navigate foreign credential recognition processes; and helping highly skilled newcomers gain their first Canadian work experience in their profession/field of study. The objective of the Program is to support skilled newcomers and reduce barriers that keep them from fully participating in the Canadian labour market.

3.17 Foreign Credential Recognition Program

The Foreign Credential Recognition Program supports the labour market integration of skilled newcomers by: simplifying and harmonizing national credential recognition processes; providing loans and support services to help navigate foreign credential recognition processes; and helping highly skilled newcomers gain their first Canadian work experience in their profession/field of study. The objective of the Program is to support skilled newcomers and reduce barriers that keep them from fully participating in the Canadian labour market.

3.19 Canada Student Financial Assistance

The Canada Student Loans Program provides repayable loans and non-repayable grants to help Canadians finance their participation in post-secondary education. Recipients of these loans and grants include full- and part-time students, students from low- and middle-income families, students with dependents and students with permanent disabilities. The Program also offers apprenticeship loans targeting apprentices registered in a Red Seal trade to help cover the cost of technical training. Apprentices registered in a Red Seal trade apprenticeship can apply for loans of up to $4,000 per period of technical training. Students and apprentices who receive loans also have access to debt management measures if they are experiencing financial difficulty in repaying their loans. These are managed in partnership with the participating provinces and territories, educational institutions and agencies, financial aid administrators, financial institutions and a service provider. Activities are enabled by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act, the Canada Student Loans Act and the Canada Apprentice Loans Act and related Regulations. Provinces and territories that do not participate in this program are provided with an alternative payment to fund similar programs and services.

3.20 Canada Education Savings Program

The Government of Canada encourages Canadians to use Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP) to save for a child's post-secondary education. RESP savings grow tax-free until they are withdrawn to pay for full or part-time studies at a trade school, CEGEP, college, or university, or in an apprenticeship program.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) administers two education savings incentives linked to RESPs: The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) and the Canada Learning Bond (CLB):

  1. The CESG consists of a basic grant of 20% on the first $2,500 in annual personal contributions to a RESP (this grant is available to all Canadians regardless of their family income), as well as an Additional amount of CESG, which consists of:

10% on the first $500 of annual personal contributions for children from families with a net income between $53,359* and $106,717*; or,

20% on the first $500 of annual personal contributions for children from families with net incomes of $53,359* or less.

*Net family income levels are subject to annual indexing for inflation.

The CESG is available until the calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 17, and the maximum lifetime amount, including the additional amount of CESG, is $7,200.

  1. The CLB is available for children from low-income families born in 2004 or later and provides an initial payment of $500 plus $100 for each year of eligibility, up to age 15, for a maximum of $2,000. Personal contributions are not required to receive the CLB.

These incentives are delivered through agreements with financial institutions, banks, mutual fund companies, and scholarship foundations.

3.21 Canada Service Corps

4. Work conditions and relations

Description

  • Promotes safe, healthy, fair and inclusive work conditions and cooperative workplace relations

Departmental results

  • Work conditions are fair and inclusive.
  • Labour relations are cooperative.
  • Workplaces are safe and healthy.
  • Clients receive high quality, timely and efficient services that meet their needs

Program mapping

  • Labour Relations
  • Occupational Health and Safety
  • Federal Workers' Compensation
  • Labour Standards
  • Workplace Equity
  • International Labour Affairs
  • Wage Earner Protection Program

4.1 Labour Relations

The Labour Relations Program includes the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, which promotes cooperative labour relations between unions and employers in federally regulated workplaces. This encompasses: banking; telecommunications; broadcasting; air, interprovincial rail, road and pipeline transportation; shipping; uranium mining; grain handling; along with workplaces in the territories, aboriginal public administration and some Crown Corporations. Through Section 70.1 of the Canada Labour Code, the service has responsibility for assisting employers and unions in the negotiation and renewal of collective agreements and the management of relations resulting from their implementation. Program activities includes: mediation and conciliation assistance to parties to resolve collective bargaining disputes; dispute prevention skills training; facilitation services; grievance arbitration and mediation; provision of advice to the Minister of Labour on a range of industrial relations issues; and mediation assistance to artists and producers in the negotiation of scale agreements under the Status of the Artist Act.

4.2 Occupational Health and Safety

The role of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Program is to ensure that workplaces in the federal jurisdiction are safe and healthy by working with federally regulated employers to reduce the number of work-related injuries and illnesses. Employers within the federal jurisdiction include those within industries such as: banking; rail, air and road transportation; marine shipping; specific First Nations activities; most federal Crown corporations; broadcasting and telecommunications; and the parliamentary precinct. The development and amendments of legislation and regulations under Part II (Occupational Health and Safety) of the Canada Labour Code (the Code) and the Non-Smoker's Health Act are the responsibility of the OHS program, which ensures that workplaces are safe and able to keep up with the increasing demands of the evolving workforce. The program also works to enable employers to ensure workplaces are free from harassment and violence. It creates tools to increase awareness of health and safety issues and assist employers and employees to understand their duties and rights under the Code. It conducts inspections and investigations, issues directions, can initiate prosecutions and through the new Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP), in Part IV of the Code, promote ongoing compliance. It also funds a grant to support federal workplace health and safety objectives linked to Part II of the Code and a Grant and Contribution program to promote and co-develop labour management resources to reduce harassment and violence in the workplace.

4.3 Federal Workers' Compensation

The Federal Workers' Compensation Service (FWCS) of the Labour Program is responsible for administering the Government Employee Compensation Act (GECA). The Act provides compensation benefits such as medical expenses, treatments, and wage replacement to federal employees for workplace injuries and occupational illnesses. Based on Service Agreements with the Minister of Labour, the provincial workers' compensation boards (WCBs) are responsible for the adjudication of workers' compensation claims for federal government employees, for providing benefits and services such as payment of medical expenses, wage replacement, and for facilitating return to work. Once claims are adjudicated, (WCBs) charge the Labour Program for claim related costs plus administration fees. The Labour Program recovers these costs from employers from which the claims occurred. Federal government employers must provide all their employees with a safe work environment and deal with workplace injuries in a timely manner. Where an occupational injury or illness requiring professional medical care (beyond first aid) occurs, employers are expected to report that injury or illness within three days of being made aware. Employees covered by the GECA have the responsibility to work with their employer, their WCB and FWCS as they submit their claim for compensation and work towards their recovery and reintegration back into the workplace.

4.4 Labour Standards

This program seeks to support fair and equitable workplaces through the administration and enforcement of labour standards (Part III of the Canada Labour Code) that define minimum conditions of employment in the federal jurisdiction. The program also develops educational materials to assist employers and employees in understanding their obligations and rights; provides advice to employers and employees who have questions about their responsibilities and rights; investigates complaints of possible violations of Part III; responds to violations with compliance and enforcement tools; and engages in proactive inspections of employer records to verify compliance, while targeting those employers with a history of non-compliance. Note that adjudicative functions for unjust dismissal complaints and wage recovery appeals will be transferred to the Canada Industrial Relations Board in this fiscal year.

4.5 Workplace Equity

Workplace Equity comprises four programs. The Legislated Employment Equity Program promotes, supports and enhances employment equity outcomes for four designated groups – women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities – in federally regulated private-sector employers, Crown corporations and other federal organizations that have 100 or more employees and fall under the Employment Equity Act. The Federal Contractors Program ensures that contractors who have a combined workforce in Canada of 100 or more employees and have received an initial federal government goods and services contract valued at $1 million or more achieve and maintain a workforce that is representative of the Canadian workforce. Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity is a grants and contributions program designed to support employers subject to the Act in their efforts to improve designated group representation in areas of low representation through the development of partnerships and industry-tailored strategies. Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity is one of three funding streams that fall under the Terms and Conditions of the Labour Funding Program. Workplace Equity is responsible for Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity project assessments, approvals, and monitoring. The Employment Equity Achievement Awards (EEAA) is an annual Event that recognizes federally regulated private-sector employers, federal contractors, and individual business leaders for their achievements in implementing employment equity and their commitment to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces for the four designated groups.

4.6 International Labour Affairs

This program seeks to improve labour standards internationally and to protect Canadian workers and employers from unfair competition from other countries with poor labour standards or lax labour law enforcement. The program negotiates international labour standards that reflect Canadian values and oversees Canada's participation in international labour forums. This program also promotes fundamental labour rights internationally to support equitable growth and social stability in developing countries, protect human rights and contribute to reducing the growing global divide between rich and poor. The program negotiates and implements the labour provisions of free trade agreements (LPFTAs) and provides technical assistance to partner countries.

4.7 Wage Earner Protection Program

This program is designed to reduce the economic insecurity of Canadian workers in all labour jurisdictions who are owed unpaid wages and vacation, termination and severance pay when their employer files for bankruptcy or becomes subject to a receivership. Individuals can receive an amount of up to seven weeks' maximum insurable earnings under the Employment Insurance Act. Service Canada's delivery of the Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP) involves answering program queries by telephone, online, and at in-person points of service; collecting and processing applications; issuing notifications of initial payments or non-payment decisions; collecting and transferring requests for ministerial review; collecting and transferring appeal requests; and monitoring claims for accuracy. Applicants who disagree with an initial eligibility decision can request a review by the Minister within 30 days of the decision and file a request for appeal within 60 days of the review decision. When eligible individuals receive payments under the Wage Earner Protection Program Act (WEPPA), they sign over their rights as creditors of the employer to the federal government to the extent of the WEPP payment. Appeals, which are based solely on questions of law or jurisdiction, are submitted directly to the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

5. Information delivery and services on behalf of other departments

Description

  • Provide information to the public on the programs of the Government of Canada and the department and provide services on behalf of other government departments.

Departmental results

  • Clients receive high quality, timely, accurate government information and services that meet their needs.
  • Canadians can obtain an error-free passport within Canada in a timely manner.

Program mapping

  • Service Network Supporting Government Departments
  • Government of Canada Telephone General Inquiries Services
  • Government of Canada Internet Presence
  • In-Person Service Delivery Network
  • Delivery of Services for Other Government of Canada Programs
  • Passport
  • Other Government Department Programs

5.1 Service Network Supporting Government Departments

This program supports Government of Canada programs by ensuring that Canadians have the information necessary to make informed choices about available programs and services, and the tools to access them, while supporting migration to preferred service channels. Canadians are able to access information about ESDC and other Government of Canada programs and services in the most accessible and convenient way, have their questions answered quickly and accurately receive and be directed to the information or service they need. Under this program, information and services are delivered to Canadians through the Internet, 1 800 O-Canada and its customized telephone services as well as through an in-person service delivery network.

5.2 Government of Canada Telephone General Enquiries Services

The Government of Canada telephone general enquiries services support Canadians and other clients through 1 800 O-Canada as well as its customized information services. 1 800 O-Canada provides a single point of contact to access quick, up-to-date government information over the phone. It acts as the first point of contact for general information on all Government of Canada programs, services, and initiatives; it supports key government priorities and messaging, including those outlined in the Budget and Speech from the Throne; and it supports the Government's communication needs in crisis situations. Customized information services provide support for programs and services that require a service delivery partner to meet their communication needs to Canadians and other clients, which can include ongoing requirements, targeted campaigns, and temporary needs in crisis situations. Canadians who require specialized or client-specific information on programs are connected or are directed to appropriate online resources, program call centres or in-person resources.

5.3 Government of Canada Internet Presence

The Government of Canada Internet presence, Canada.ca, supports Canadians and the international public by providing easy, fast, secure, reliable, and convenient access to information and services online. Through Service Canada, ESDC is the principal publisher for a single Government of Canada website, Canada.ca. The site provides a common user experience, citizen-centric, theme-based content, and a search for all Government of Canada information.

Canadians can locate detailed information on the programs and services offered through ESDC, and on all Government of Canada programs and services. Through Service Canada, ESDC also provides simple and secure online access for Canadians to bring together several services and allow clients to, among other things, view and update their personal information and transact securely with ESDC.

5.4 Citizen Service Network

The Citizen Service Network supports the delivery of services and information for the Government of Canada in person or over the phone through its multi-channel network: Service Canada points of service, the eServiceCanada service request form, Social Insurance Number online (eSIN), and through the Outreach Support Centre. It provides information on how to self-serve; client authentication and identification; and services for clients who require one-on-one assistance. Canadians who require specialized or client-specific information for programs like Passport, Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan or Old Age Security, have their case referred to processing for follow-up.

Canadians have access to the in-person service delivery network within reasonable distances from where they live through Service Canada Centres, Service Canada – Passport Service, and Scheduled Outreach sites.

5.5 Service Delivery Partnerships

ESDC/Service Canada develops partnerships to deliver services to Canadians for its partners; and to have ESDC services delivered to Canadians by its partners. It provides Canadians access to a range of Government of Canada programs, benefits, and services in person, by phone, by mail and over the Internet through the provision of basic and detailed program and service information; application intake and review for completeness; client authentication and validation of identity documents; quick and direct access to specialized agents in other departments; and provision of space in the service delivery network for other departments. It enables a move from department and program silos to the achievement of a seamless service delivery network, resulting in timelier, accurate and cost-effective service delivery to Canadians.

The Department works with federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous stakeholders through Service Delivery Partnerships. This collaboration will improve service delivery to Canadians by establishing new, or maintaining existing, service delivery partnerships.

5.6 Passport

Service Canada delivers domestic Passport services for the Passport Program on behalf of Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Service Canada is also the primary provider of passport service delivery for applications received from the United States, Bermuda, American Samoa, Midway Islands, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. The functions include provision of information, intake of applications, validation of identity, collection of fees, admissibility and eligibility, production of passports for passport applications submitted in Canada and abroad, distribution to eligible applicants, social media messaging and response to client enquiries and complaints relating to service delivery.

6. Internal services

Internal services constitute groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are management and oversight services, communications services, legal services, human resources management services, financial management services, information management services, information technology services, real property services, materiel services, acquisition services, and travel and other administrative services. Internal services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

6.1 Management and Oversight Services

Management and oversight services involve activities undertaken for determining strategic direction and allocating resources among services and processes, as well as those activities related to analyzing exposure to risk and determining appropriate countermeasures. They ensure that the service operations and programs of the federal government comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, or plans.

6.2 Communications Services

Communications services involve activities undertaken to ensure that Government of Canada communications are effectively managed, well-coordinated and responsive to the diverse information needs of the public. The communications management function ensures that the public- internal or external- receives government information, and that the views and concerns of the public are taken into account in the planning, management and evaluation of policies, programs, services and initiatives.

6.3 Legal Services

Legal services involve activities undertaken to enable government departments and agencies to pursue policy, program and service delivery priorities and objectives within a legally sound framework.

6.4 Human Resources Management Services

Human resources management services involve activities undertaken for determining strategic direction, allocating resources among services and processes, as well as activities relating to analyzing exposure to risk and determining appropriate countermeasures. They ensure that the service operations and programs of the federal government comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and plans.

6.5 Financial Management Services

Financial management services involve activities undertaken to ensure the prudent use of public resources, including planning, budgeting, accounting, reporting, control and oversight, analysis, decision support and advice, and financial systems.

6.6 Information Management Services

Information management services involve activities undertaken to achieve efficient and effective information management to support program and service delivery; foster informed decision-making; facilitate accountability, transparency, and collaboration; and preserve and ensure access to information and records for the benefit of present and future generations.

6.7 Information Technology Services

Information technology services involve activities undertaken to achieve efficient and effective use of information technology to support government priorities and program delivery, to increase productivity, and to enhance services to the public.

6.8 Materiel Services

Materiel services involve activities undertaken to ensure that materiel can be managed by departments in a sustainable and financially responsible manner that supports the cost-effective and efficient delivery of government programs.

6.9 Acquisition Services

Acquisition services involve activities undertaken to acquire a good or service to fulfil a properly completed request (including a complete and accurate definition of requirements and certification that funds are available) until entering into or amending a contract.

7. Travel and other administrative services

Travel and other administrative services include Government of Canada travel services, as well as those other internal services that do not fit smoothly in any of the internal services categories.

Classes of personal information

Provincial personal information supplied to ESDC

Employment and Social Development Canada may obtain provincial personal information pertaining to various programs administered by provinces if applicable information sharing agreements are in place.

Currently, ESDC has information sharing agreements with the provinces whereby ESDC exchanges Employment Insurance data with selected interested provinces in return for data on social assistance. The Canada Social Transfer supports social assistance programs, which are administered by provinces and territories.

In the course of carrying out EI-related policy analysis, research and evaluation activities, departmental Project Authorities may make use of personal information pertaining to provincial social assistance recipients that is collected in accordance with applicable provincial laws and made available to ESDC by various provinces. This personal information may include, for example, age, gender, marital and/or family status, number of dependents, benefits paid and other sources of income. All such provincially collected personal information is transmitted securely to the Data Development Unit of ESDC, where it is anonymized. The ESDC Project Authorities who are provided access to the anonymized information for their approved/authorized Policy Analysis, Research and Evaluation activities are not able to identify individuals.

The purpose of this personal information is to improve the effectiveness of EI programming and to ensure that federal labour market and labour-market-related income support policies and programs are developed and implemented in a manner consistent with national economic and social goals. Masked provincially collected and supplied social assistance administrative data may be shared with ESDC employees and their duly authorized contractors to undertake approved/authorized ESDC Policy Analysis, Research and Evaluation activities in support of this purpose.

Manuals

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Service Canada

  • Career Focus Operations Directives
  • SIN Code of Practice
  • Skills Link Operational Directives
  • The Benefit Manual (BM) and Circulars for the Employment Insurance (EI) Program
  • The EI online reference tool (Please note that this implemented in May 2014 and is becoming the main source of information for EI processing procedures. It will progressively replace the BM and Circulars.)
  • Youth Employment Strategy Program Interdepartmental Operational Guidelines
  • IMPACT knowledge repositories (supporting Canada Enquiry Centre call centre operations agents): this tool includes all the information, developments and procedures that agents use as well as all the other functions that supports the agents workflow when serving the public
  • ISCC (IMPACT for Service Canada Centres) knowledge repository (supporting in-person CSOs): this tool includes information, developments and procedures that agents use when delivering information to the public.
  • Operation Knowledge Centre (OKC) Service Canada collection of Passport manuals; bulletins; procedures.

Additional information

Access to Information and Privacy

The Access to Information and Privacy Division is responsible for the administration of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act throughout the ESDC portfolio, including the Labour Program and Service Canada.

Access to Information and Privacy

Submit a request for information

Note: The Access to Information and Privacy Division is responsible for processing requests received under the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act only for records held by Employment and Social Development Canada, which includes the Labour Program and Service Canada. These requests should be forwarded to the following:

Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator

Employment and Social Development Canada
Phase IV, Level 12, Mail stop 1203
140 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau QC  K1A 0J9
Telephone: 819-654-6972
Fax: 819-953-0659
Generic Mailbox: NC-COMM-ATIP-AIPRP-GD@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

For additional information about the programs and activities, visit the Employment and Social Development Canada website.

Completed Access to Information requests

ESDC provides a list of completed access to information requests online. All requests related to ESDC, Service Canada, Labour, and the Canada Employment Insurance Commission are processed by ESDC and are included in these statistics.

Privacy Impact Assessments

To assure Canadians that privacy principles are being taken into account when there are proposals for, and during the design, implementation and evolution of programs and services that raise privacy issues by:

prescribing the development and maintenance of Privacy Impact Assessments; and

routinely communicating the results of Privacy Impact Assessments to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the public.

Privacy Impact Assessments provide a framework to ensure that privacy is considered throughout the design or re-design of programs or services. The assessments will identify the extent to which proposals comply with the provisions of the Privacy Act, regulations and Treasury Board Directive on Privacy Impact Assessment. Assessments assist managers and decision-makers to avoid or mitigate privacy risks and promote fully informed policy, program and system design choices.

Public summaries: Privacy impact reports

Subsection 5(2) of the Privacy Act requires government institutions to notify individuals of the intended uses, consistent uses and disclosure of personal information when it is being collected. To complement this requirement and to promote a broader understanding of how privacy issues related to the program or service have been addressed, institutions must make summaries of the results of their Privacy Assessments available to the public.

Privacy Impact Assessments before 2012

  • Access Key Authentication Service
  • Canada Education Savings Plan
  • Information Technology Renewal Delivery System
  • MOU Regarding the Exchange of Personal Information with Respect to Persons Sentenced to Imprisonment in a Penitentiary for the Administration of the Old Age Security Act
  • Prime Minister's Volunteer Awards (PMVA)
  • Processing and Payment Services
  • Universal Child Care Benefit

Privacy Impact Assessments 2012 to 2020

2012 to 2013

  • Parents of Murdered or Missing Children G rant
  • Connecting Canadians with Available Jobs
  • Cyber-Authentication Renewal - Phase I
  • Cyber-Authentication Renewal - Phase II
  • Old Age Security Proactive Enrolment Initiative
  • Social Security Tribunal

2013 to 2014

  • Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy
  • Citizenship and Immigration Canada - Early Initiative
  • Enabling Services Renewal Program ERP-SAP Solution
  • Information Sharing Agreement with the Ministère du Revenu du Québec
  • Information Sharing Exchanges between Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Veterans Affairs Canada
  • Labour Market Development Agreements with Provinces and Territories
  • Parents of Critically Ill Children
  • Record of Employment Web Online Registration and File Maintenance
  • Sharing of Individual-Level Data under the MOU between HRSDC and OSFI
  • Temporary Foreign Worker Program - Phase I
  • 2014-2015
  • Canada Apprentice Loans - Phase I
  • Enabling Services Renewal Program - myEMS (PeopleSoft)
  • Job Bank
  • Provincial and Territorial Delivery of the Canada Job Grant
  • Provincial and Territorial Delivery of the Canada Job Grant - Datagateway
  • Skills and Partnership Fund
  • Temporary Foreign Worker Program Phase - II
  • Temporary Foreign Worker Program Phase - III

2015 to 2016

  • Canada Apprentice Loans Phase II: Account Manager
  • Compensation for Employers of Reservists Program
  • Employment Equity Programs
  • Federal Workers' Compensation Under the Government Employees Compensation Act 
  • Hosted Social Media Account Management Service - Hootsuite 
  • Interdepartmental Memorandum of Understanding on Collection Services with the Canada Revenue Agency 
  • Managed Web Services 
  • Passport Program Transition

2016 to 2017

  • Canada Disability Savings Program: Administration of Canada Disability Savings Grants & Bonds
  • Canada Education Savings Program - Administration and the Delivery of the Canada Education Savings Grant, Canada Learning Bond and Provincial Education Savings Incentives
  • Canadian Government Annuity Program
  • Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada Global Case Management System – Social Insurance Register Linkages Project (GCMS - SIR)
  • Disclosure of Information Collected under the Old Age Security Act to the Province of Alberta for the Administration of the Alberta Seniors and Housing Programs 
  • Exchange of Information Collected under the Canada Pension Plan in Support of the Superannuation Programs Administered by Public Works and Government Services Canada 
  • Exchange of Personal Information between ESDC and Alberta Ministry of Seniors and Housing for the Administration of the Alberta Seniors Benefit 
  • Individual Quality Feedback - Accuracy 
  • Integrated Learning Management System 
  • Linked EACCOUNTS Service between ESDC and Canada Revenue Agency 
  • Old Age Security: Proactive Enrolment Initiative - Phase 2 
  • Service Canada Role in International Mobility Program Inspections 
  • Temporary Foreign Worker Program Phase IV 

2017 to 2018

  • Automatic Enrolment for the Guaranteed Income Supplement
  • Call recording and screen capture functionality for the 1 800 O-CANADA and customized information services Quality Assurance Program 
  • Canada Apprentice Loans Phase III: Repayment 
  • DFO-Ice Assistance Program
  • Direct Deposit and Sharing information Initiative 
  • eNotification Project in My Service Canada Account
  • Exchange of Information between ESDC and the Northwest Territories' Department of Education, Culture and Employment 
  • Exchange of Personal Information between ESDC and Yukon Department of Health and Social Services for the A dministration of the Yukon Senior Income Supplement
  • First Nations Job Fund
  • MOU concerning the disclosure of various administrative data files from ESDC to Statistics Canada 
  • Workforce Development Agreement
  • Youth Employment Strategy

2018 to 2019

  • Death Abroad Data Exchange Initiative
  • Education Savings Referral Service
  • Exchange of Information between ESDC and BC's Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction
  • Information Sharing Agreement between ESDC and the Department of Justice
  • Modernization of Integrity Case Management System TFWP/IMP

2019 to 2020

  • Biometrics Expansion Project: Service Canada In-Canada Biometrics Collection Services for the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
  • Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD) Medical Adjudication Quality Assurance (MA QA) Program
  • Canada Student Loans and Grants Program (CSLP) June 2019 Release
  • Canada's Volunteer Awards Program
  • DARS Replacement Project (DRP)
  • Disclosure of Information Collected under the Old Age Security Act to the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador for the Administration of the 65 Plus Plan
  • Exchange of Information between Employment and Social Development Canada, the Department of Community Services and Service Nova Scotia
  • Job Bank 3.0
  • MyAlberta Digital Identity (MADI)
  • Non-ESDC Saba Cloud Integrated Learning Management System for Government of the Northwest Territories Employees
  • Reaching Home
  • Receipt of Entry-Exit Data from the Canada Border Services Agency by the Employment Insurance Program
  • Rogers Virtual Contact Centre

2020 to 2021

  • British Columbia Trusted Digital Identity Project with the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)
  • Canada Emergency Response Benefit
  • Canada Pension Plan Service Improvement Strategy Enhanced Death Notification, Proof of Concept
  • Disclosure of Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security Personal Information with the Office of the Chief Actuary and Canada Revenue Agency for Statutory Valuations and to Prepare Actuarial Reports
  • Electronic Social Insurance Number (eSIN) Application
  • Enterprise-Wide Document Upload Solution (Enterprise DUS)
  • ESDC, Service Canada, Benefits and Integrated Services Branch, Employment Insurance Benefits Processing, Employment Insurance Emergency Response Benefit (EI ERB)
  • Government of Canada Telephone General Enquiries Services Program, 1 800 O Canada Business Model Review and Procurement Project
  • Grant Program to Support Self-Employed Fish Harvesters in Canada Affected by COVID-19
  • Mental Health Peer Support Program
  • OAS/CPP Personal Information Exchange between the Service Canada International Operations and International Social Security Agreement Foreign Partners using Canada Post, epost Connect
  • Passport Program Modernization
  • Pensions Process Automation
  • Quarantine Call Centre
  • Receipt of Entry-Exit Data from the Canada Border Services Agency by the Old Age Security Program
  • Service Canada Compliance Verification Service for the Public Health Agency of Canada During COVID-19 Pandemic 2.0 & 3.0
  • Unauthorized Access Program
  • Vidcruiter Hiring Platform

2021 to 2022

  • Addendum to the MyAlberta Digital Identity (MADI) Pilot December 2018
  • Addendum to Enabling Services Renewal Program (ESRP) – myEMS (PeopleSoft) PeopleSoft Human Capital Management (HCM) - 9.2
  • Amendment - Receipt of Entry-Exit Data from the Canada Border Services Agency by the Old Age Security Program
  • Canada Emergency Student Benefit
  • Recovery Benefits
  • COVID-19 – One-Time Non-Taxable Payment to Persons with Disabilities
  • COVID-19 – One-time Tax-Free Payment for seniors
  • Supplementary Payment for Older Seniors 75 and Over
  • Canada Service Corps Civic Participation Pilot - Application Intake and Selection
  • Canada Student Financial Assistance Program's (formerly the Canada Student Loan Program) use of Simplified Digital Identity Validation
  • Canada Education Saving Program Analytical and Monitoring Solution
  • Employment Insurance Workload Efficiency and Process Improvement (EIWEPI) Project
  • eServiceCanada Passport
  • Hosted Contact Centre Solution: Wave 2
  • Implementation of Adobe Target on Canada.ca
  • Integrated Labour System (ILS) Employer's Annual Hazardous Occurrence Reports
  • Electronic Public Trustee Portal (ePTP) to the Social Insurance Number (eSIN) Application
  • Record of Employment - Comment Artificial Intelligence Model
  • Security Screening Intake Process Simplification (SSIPS) Project
  • Exchange of personal information on offenders between Employment and Social Development Canada, the Canada Employment Insurance Commission, and Correctional Service Canada for the administration of the Employment Insurance Emergency Response Benefit
  • Simplified Digital Identity Validation

2022 to 2023

  • Hootsuite PIA-Update
  • CBSA
  • One-Time Payment to GIS-Pandemic Benefit Recipients
  • SSPB Senior's Journey Lab Privacy Protocol
  • PCE Update Submission to TBS -Administration of EI ERB Final

Contracts and Information Sharing Agreements (ISAs) implemented since October 26, 2022

Contracts:

Annual Participant Survey of CSC Participants to Support the Evaluation of the Canada Service Corps (CSC) Program

Summary

The aim of this survey is to gain a better understanding of the impacts of your volunteer service placement and/or youth-led project. This survey should take approximately 15 minutes or less to complete.

The organization you volunteered with or received micro-grant funding from had received funding through the Canada Service Corps (CSC) program which is delivered by Employment and Social Development Canada. Ference & Company, an independent research company, has been hired by Employment and Social Development Canada to conduct this survey about your experience.

Capacity on Demand for Human Resources Services

Summary

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) seeks to award an “as and when requested” contract that satisfies the department’s need for:

  • a) Competency-based assessment tools and services in the context of recruitment and staffing activities, including online standardized competency-based assessment tools and the online administration of tests; and
  • b) Human Resource (HR) professional services to be available to assist the Project Authority with a range of workforce activities and initiatives.

Evaluation of Soft Skills Development Outcomes of Students participating in the Outbound Student Mobility Pilot

Summary

The Outbound Student Mobility Pilot (OSMP) is a program under the Supports for Student Learning Program (SSLP). The SSLP aims to bridge gaps in education attainment, build competencies, and create education opportunities for youth in Canada. The SSLP funds a variety of youth-serving organizations to provide supplemental supports (financial and non-financial) needed to empower students to gain in-demand skills and to increase school completion rates. Within the SSLP, the OSMP creates opportunities for college and undergraduate university students to study and/or work abroad in order to develop transferable skills.

This contract is to evaluate the extent to which students who have received funding through the OSMP, also branded as the Global Skills Opportunity (GSO), have developed soft skills and intercultural competencies through their participation in study and/or work abroad. The acquisition of soft skills is a desired outcome and key progress indicator of the OSMP and is considered to be linked to OSMP ultimate outcomes, such as improved labour market outcomes.

Future Skills evaluation

Summary

The Evaluation Directorate of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) conducted an evaluation of the Future Skills Program. Phoenix has been contracted on behalf of ESDC to conduct the key informant interviews in support of this evaluation. The views will help ESDC better understand the successes and challenges associated with the Future Skills Program.

Information Sharing Agreements (ISA)

Validation of Birth Certificate Information – Between the Government of Canada and the Government of Nunavut

Summary

Nunavut will, at the request of the Commission/ESDC, manually validate for high-risk SIN cases using the personal information collected by the Commission from documents originating from Nunavut concerning an individual whose birth is registered in Nunavut. From time to time, the Commission/ESDC will disclose Personal Information, as described in Annex A, to Nunavut where Nunavut will verify the Personal Information by comparing it with the Personal Information contained in its own records. The purpose of the validation by the Commission/ESDC under this initiative is to ensure the validity and accuracy of the Personal Information from a document issued by Nunavut provided by individuals who are either applying for a SIN, in possession of a SIN, or seeking to update their SIR Record.

Passport Service Delivery in Canada – Between Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

Summary

Some data elements are collected from the passport application form, as they relate to the applicant and the child when applicable, by the Minister of IRCC to determine the applicant’s identity, eligibility to passport services and current and/or ongoing entitlement to a passport. These data may be used by IRCC Passport Entitlement and Investigation Division for review and/or subsequently as part of an investigation and/ or referral to law enforcement.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program Information Sharing Agreement – Between the Crown in right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Employment and Social Development (ESDC) and The Crown in right of Northwest Territories (NWT) as represented by the Minister Responsible for Education, Culture and Employment and Minister Responsible for Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission.

Summary

This Information Sharing Agreement (ISA) establishes an administrative framework for the exchange of personal information between ESDC and NWT including all aspects of collection, use, disclosure, retention and destruction. The primary objectives of this ISA are to strengthen the protections for Canada’s labour market and Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) as well as ensure the integrity of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). This Agreement will facilitate, where appropriate, the exchange of information that results from coordinated field inspections and/or investigation operations between ESDC and each of the Parties in order to support and/or enforce compliance with each Party’s respective program mandates.

Respecting the Sharing of Information between the Department of Employment and Social Development (ESDC) and the Province of British Columbia represented by the British Columbia Ministry of Finance (BC Finance) regarding Employment Insurance - Record of Employment and Employment Insurance – Emergency Response Benefit

Summary

The British Columbia (BC) Ministry of Finance (FIN) wishes to obtain information held by the Department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) with respect to Employment Insurance – Emergency Response Benefit (EI-ERB) and Employment Insurance - Record of Employment (EI-ROE). BC FIN requires this information for the purpose of administering and enforcing the BC Income Tax Act (BC ITA), and more specifically, the BC Emergency Benefit for Workers (EBW).

For the Education Savings referral Service

Summary

The Department of Employment and Social Development Minister and the Department (collectively referred to as ESDC) are responsible for human resources and skills development in Canada, the social development of Canada and for developing, managing and delivering social programs and services on behalf of the Government of Canada. ESDC has established the Education Savings Referral Service (ESR Service) provided via ServiceOntario’s online birth registration service for the purposes of facilitating the first contact between an individual and the Promoter of the individual’s choice offering Registered Education Savings Plans (RESP) and the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) and Canada Learning Bond (CLB). The purpose of this process is for the Promoter to assist the individual in deciding whether to make an appointment to further discuss and obtain details about opening an RESP and requesting the CESG or the CLB. Individuals that do not wish to use the online birth registration service for the purposes of the ESR Service may submit the required information via ESDC’s Client Services Centre. As part of the ESR Service, ESDC will disclose required personal information to the Promoter, as outlined in this Agreement.

Reading room

In accordance with the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, an area on the premises will be made available should the applicant wish to review materials on site. The address is:

National Headquarters
Place du Portage, Phase IV, Level 12
140 Promenade du Portage,
Gatineau QC  K1A 0J9

Regional offices

To locate a Service Canada Office where you can access Information about Programs and Information Holdings, visit the Service Canada website.

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