Labour Market Transfers
The Government of Canada’s largest investment in skills training and employment is through funding provided to provinces and territories. The bilateral Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) and the Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs) provide $3.5 billion each year for individuals and employers to receive:
- training
- upskilling
- employment supports
- career counselling, and
- job search assistance
Every year, Canadians receive more than a million training and employment supports through this federal funding.
Achievements of the Labour Market Transfers in 2021 to 2022
The LMDAs provide skills development and training support to individuals who have recently lost a job. The LMDAs are funded by the Employment Insurance (EI) contributions of employers and workers. LMDA programming assists individuals to prepare for, obtain and maintain employment.
The WDAs complement the LMDAs and focus on reaching those who are furthest removed from the labour market, such as those who are unemployed or underemployed. The WDAs also focus on supporting persons with disabilities, as well as members of underrepresented groups such as:
- Indigenous peoples
- youth
- visible minorities
- newcomers to Canada, and
- women
Provinces and territories consult annually with labour market stakeholders to inform the design and delivery of training and employment programs. This is done in order to best meet the needs of their local labour markets.
Funding at a glance
Text description of Province and territory overview of funding and individuals served in 2021 to 2022
Key numbers at a glance (2021 to 2022)
Key national figures and agreement objectives
Funding allocations: $3.5 Billion
Training and employment participants: 1.1 Million
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Funding: $164 Million; Participants: 22,000
- Prince Edward Island: Funding: $34 Million; Participants: 13,000
- Nova Scotia: Funding: $128 Million; Participants: 27,000
- New Brunswick: Funding: $132 Million; Participants: 40,000
- Quebec: Funding: $923 Million; Participants: 210,000
- Ontario: Funding: $1.1 Billion; Participants: 384,000
- Manitoba: Funding: $97 Million; Participants: 94,000
- Saskatchewan: Funding: $85 Million; Participants: 35,000
- Alberta: Funding: $317 Million; Participants: 104,000
- British Columbia: Funding: $464 Million; Participants: 176,000
- Yukon: Funding: $8 Million; Participants: 500
- Northwest Territories: Funding: $8 Million; Participants: 1,100
- Nunavut: Funding: $7 Million; Participants: 177
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