Labour Market Agreements
The Government of Canada’s largest investment in skills training and employment is through funding provided to provinces and territories. Each year, the Government of Canada provides approximately $3 billion in funding through the bilateral Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) and the Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs) for individuals and employers to receive:
- training
- upskilling
- employment supports
- career counselling, and
- job search assistance
Every year, Canadians receive training and employment supports.
To ensure that programming meets the needs of local labour markets, provinces and territories consult annually with labour market stakeholders to inform the design and delivery of training and employment programs.
Achievements of the Labour Market Agreements
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.
Eligible participants under the LMDA include:
- individuals who are currently receiving or have previously received EI benefits; and
- individuals who have made the minimum EI premium contributions for at least five out of the last ten years.
The purpose of these benefits is to help these individuals acquire new skills and gain work experience. This is done through a variety of measures, including skills training programs and wage subsidies.
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
Eligible participants and employers under the WDA include:
- Canadian citizens
- Permanent residents
- Protected persons, as per Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, entitled to work in Canada
- Private sector employers
Ineligible participants and employers under the WDA include:
- international students
- temporary foreign workers
- federal and provincial/territorial governments, federal crown corporations, and agencies
Funding at a glance
Text description of Province and territory overview of funding and individuals served in 2022 to 2023
Key numbers at a glance (2022 to 2023)
Newfoundland and Labrador: Funding: $156 Million; Participants: 21,000
Prince Edward Island: Funding: $32 Million; Participants: 13,000
Nova Scotia: Funding: $122 Million; Participants: 27,000
New Brunswick: Funding: $127 Million; Participants: 33,000
Quebec: Funding: $910 Million; Participants: 230,000
Ontario: Funding: $1.1 Billion; Participants: 403,000
Manitoba: Funding: $96 Million; Participants: 115,000
Saskatchewan: Funding: $83 Million; Participants: 40,000
Alberta: Funding: $325 Million; Participants: 117,000
British Columbia: Funding: $470 Million; Participants: 189,000
Yukon: Funding: $7 Million; Participants: 800
Northwest Territories: Funding: $7 Million; Participants: 1,000
Nunavut: Funding: $7 Million; Participants: 5,000
Reports
This report highlights the key outcomes achieved through the Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs) and the Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs) in 2022-2023, showcasing the impact of investments in skills training and employment supports across Canada.
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