Government of Canada announces funding agreement to give British Columbians the tools they need to find and keep good jobs

June 29, 2018             Burnaby, British Columbia      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 Canada creates is the kind of growth that works for everyone.

Today, the Honourable Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan, on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour announced that the governments of Canada and British Columbia have signed agreements that will see Canada provide the province with over $2.5 billion over six years to invest in their workers. These agreements represent an increase in funding of over $250 million over the period, compared to previous funding levels. This increase means an estimated 84,000 more British Columbians will benefit over the six year period.

Speaking at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Burnaby, Minister Sajjan said these agreements will significantly increase the jobs and skills training available to people in British Columbia, including assessments, skills training, work placements, job search assistance, upgrading, certification and employment supports.  

Through these new 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 people with disabilities, women and Indigenous people.

As innovation and technology continue to change how we live and work, people in British Columbia, and all Canadians are met with new challenges and new opportunities. This Government investment in jobs and skills training will help British Columbians prepare for the good, well-paying jobs that will be created by British Columbia’s growing economy. Everybody deserves the opportunity to benefit from an innovation-driven economy—and that means ensuring that both employed and unemployed people have opportunities to acquire the skills they will need for the jobs of today as well as the jobs of tomorrow.

The agreements announced today are the new Workforce Development Agreement (WDA) and the Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA). In the first two years British Columbia will receive approximately $844 million—more than $211 million through the WDA and close to $633 million through the LMDA.

Results matter. That is why these agreements include a commitment to performance measurement. That means that Canada and British Columbia 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 like Indigenous people, people with disabilities and women. The Government of Canada will be reporting to Canadians on the impacts of these programs, so that they are transparent and so that they can be continually improved.

The WDA will help British Columbia deliver training and services, such as:

• Bridges for Women in Victoria whose goal is to help women impacted by violence or abuse break the cycle of abuse and trauma through education and employment training.
• Blade Runners, a program that helps at risk youth obtain and sustain full-time employment with life skills and job readiness training, job placement and monitoring, and ongoing support.
• Indigenous Persons Trades Training that assists Indigenous people explore and develop trades specific skills in urban areas and in home communities.

Funding under the LMDA will allow British Columbia to help more people and more employers meet their needs, through:

• 84 WorkBC Centres throughout the province that offer training and employment supports to people who are unemployed or underemployed. Supports include job search resources, employment planning, skills training, and work experience placements.
• Customized assistive supports and employment training, offered through WorkBC Centres, that help people with disabilities re-enter the workforce.
• The Community and Employer Partnerships (CEP) program that helps people get back into the workforce through projects that offer skills training and work experience.
• The Single Parent Employment Initiative (SPEI) where single parents on income or disability assistance can get the supports they need to re-enter the workforce.

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.