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March 16, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
04-16
TORONTO, ONTARIO- The Honourable Joe Volpe, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today announced that the Government of Canada will be providing $37,336,642 for 31 projects under the Sector Council Program.
"Promoting innovative workplaces and supporting workers so they can adapt and respond to changing skills demands is key to ensuring the success of our economy in the 21st century," said Minister Volpe. "We all have a role to play in this. Workers, employers, educators and governments must all contribute to making skills training and upgrading more responsive to changing labour market needs and workplace priorities. For its part, the Government of Canada is committed to strengthening and expanding the network of sector councils."
This announcement follows commitments in the 2004 Speech from the Throne to develop a Workplace Skills Strategy (WSS) to ensure that Canada has the skilled workers it needs for the future. The WSS recognizes that the workplace is an important venue where both employers and workers face the challenges of skills and labour shortages associated with the rapid technological and demographic changes that are transforming the Canadian economy.
"Today's announcement reinforces the Government of Canada's commitment to the sector councils and the important work they do in identifying and resolving the nation's labour market issues. For over 10 years, sector councils have been bringing employers and workers together to address their common human resources issues. Councils not only have a proven track record, but a promising future as more and more industries are realizing the looming skills shortage facing Canada," said Grant Trump, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Human Resources in the Environment Industry (CCHREI), and Chair of The Alliance of Sector Councils (TASC).
Sector councils are a proven method of meeting emerging skills requirements, addressing skills and labour shortages, and building essential skills in the workplace, as a foundation for continuous learning.
Sector councils bring together business, labour and educational stakeholders in key industries to identify and address common human resources and skills issues, and to find solutions that benefit the particular sector. They are instrumental in making sure that workers already employed and those seeking employment are well prepared for the challenges of the rapidly evolving labour market. There are currently 29 national sector councils covering approximately 40 percent of Canada's labour market.
As mentioned in the 2004 Speech from the Throne, the Government of Canada is committed to refine and enhance its programs to encourage skills upgrading, in concert with sector councils, unions and businesses.
Funding for these projects was provided for in the February 2003 federal Budget.
These projects are in compliance with all departmental administrative rules governing grants and contributions, and the provisions of the Financial Administration Act, and are subject to review to ensure compliance with the objectives of the program.
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For more information:
Stephanie Lewis
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
(819) 994-2482
Media Relations
Human Resources and Skills Development
(819) 994-5559
Backgrounder
Sector Councils
The 2004 Speech from the Throne outlined the Government of Canada's vision and blueprint for a 21st century economy. As part of this path forward, the Government is developing a Workplace Skills Strategy to ensure that Canada has the skilled workers it needs to build for the future. The Government will refine and enhance its programs to encourage skills upgrading, in concert with sector councils, unions, and business.
Innovative and productive workplaces are the key to success. The ability of workers to adapt and respond to changing skills demands underpins Canada's productivity and competitiveness and contributes directly to our economic development. The Workplace Skills Strategy will recognize that the workplace is an important venue where both employers and workers face the challenges of skills and labour shortages associated with the rapid technological and demographic changes that are transforming the Canadian economy.
The Government of Canada, through the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development, will work with sector councils, business, unions, provinces and territories to create new opportunities for skills development, enhancement and recognition.
Current Government programs and activities that will form the basis of a Workplace Skills Strategy include sector council initiatives; apprenticeship programs; essential skills and workplace literacy initiatives; and Foreign Credential Recognition and Labour Mobility.
Sector Councils
Sector councils are organizations that bring together business, labour and educational stakeholders in key industries to share ideas, concerns and perspectives about human resources and skills issues, and to find solutions that benefit the sector. They are instrumental in making sure that workers already employed and those seeking employment are well prepared for the challenges of the rapidly evolving labour market.
There are currently 29 sector councils representing traditional industries such as mining and textiles and emerging industries such as biotechnology and environment. The current sector council network covers approximately 40 percent of the labour market. The Government of Canada is committed to strengthening and expanding the network of sector councils so that more Canadian workers benefit from them.
The objectives of sector councils are to:
define and anticipate skills and human resources issues,
promote lifelong learning in the workplace to help workers get the skills and knowledge needed in the changing economy,
encourage the learning system to be more responsive to the labour market,
facilitate mobility and labour market transitions, and
encourage the private sector to invest in solutions to skills challenges.
Sector councils are a proven method of meeting emerging skills requirements, addressing skills and labour shortages, and building essential skills in the workplace, as a foundation for continuous learning.
Sectoral human resources planning came to prominence in 1989 with the Labour Force Development Strategy, which funded the development of councils as a means to address human resources needs in industrial sectors. In 1992, the Sectoral Partnerships Initiative (SPI) was launched, which included funding for sectoral activities. Throughout the 1990s other sectoral activities were introduced, such as sectoral youth internships, science and technology internships, career information initiatives, essential skills and skills enabling activities. In the December 2001 Budget, additional funding was announced to expand the network of exemplary sector councils.
For more information
Visit the Sector Council page on the Department of Human Resources and Skills Development Web site at http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/hip/hrp/corporate/init_sector.shtml.
For more information about the projects, see attached backgrounder.
Backgrounder
Sector Council Program Projects
Sector councils are permanent organizations that bring together representatives with different perspectives from a given sector's various stakeholder groups. Sector councils deal solely with human resources issues and share a commitment to identify and act on the skills needs that are most important to their industry partners.
The 2001 federal Budget increased support for sector councils as an important element of the Government of Canada's Innovation and Learning Agenda. An increased investment of $60 million over five years, received through the 2001 Budget, is focused on expanding and strengthening the network of exemplary sector councils. As a result, sector councils will be better positioned to demonstrate performance and be better able to support innovative skills solutions to address human resources challenges in a range of sectors.
Projects being announced today include:
Organization
Description of Project
Funding Amount
1. Automotive Manufacturing Sector Council (Yves Landry Foundation).
Human Resources Situational Analysis of the Automotive Manufacturing Sector
February 2004 - July 2004
The project involves producing a human resources situational analysis of the automotive manufacturing sector's human resources, describing what is already known and documented about the sector's human resources issues. The document will also highlight areas requiring additional research.
$165,515
2. Automotive Manufacturing Sector Council (Yves Landry Foundation)
Infrastructure
April 2004 - April 2006
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$970,036
3. Biotechnology Human Resource Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - July 2006
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,000,000
4. Canadian Automotive Repair and Service Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2008
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,955,800
5. Canadian Automotive Repair and Service Council
CARS Professional Development Training
January 2004 - January 2007
This project involves analyzing and documenting the function of 27 priority occupations, and then creating a Web-based tool to assess an individual's skill and knowledge.
$1,334,488
6. Canadian Automotive Repair and Service Council
National Strategy for Essential Skills
January 2004 - January 2006
This project involves helping to ensure that workers' essential skills levels meet current skill requirements by developing a test for workplace essential skills suitable for the automotive repair and service sector.
$1,285,253
7. Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council
CAMC Leading Edge
November 2003 - November 2006
This project involves encouraging youth, especially Aboriginal and female youth, to pursue careers in aviation/aerospace, and to participate in Aviation Maintenance Orientation Programs (AMOP) by developing a Web site and career information materials and distributing these through industrial and educational partners.
$1,352,650
8. Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council
Infrastructure
April 2003 - March 2008
This project involves providing the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$2,012,358
9. Canadian Council for Human Resources in the Environment Industry
Enviro Careers
January 2004 - May 2005
This project involves updating the Enviro Careers package-a Web-based learning tool aimed at attracting youth to careers in the environmental sector.
$333,655
10. Canadian Council for Human Resources in the Environment Industry
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2008
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$2,500,000
11. Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2007
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,440,186
12. Canadian Plastics Sector Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2007
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,485,351
13. Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council
Communications Delivery
April 2004 - March 2007
This project will increase the impact of the Tourism Council via enhanced communications capabilities.
$3,000,000
14. Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2008
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$3,000,000
15. Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2008
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,994,022
16. Child Care Human Resources Sector Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2007
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,409,543
17. Cultural Human Resources Council
Labour Market Information (LMI) & Human Resources Analysis
December 2003 - September 2004
This project involves assessing the training needs of the documentary filmmaker occupation, the current availability of training programs and will develop a national occupational standard.
$93,000
18. Cultural Human Resources Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2007
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,500,000
19. Installation, Maintenance and Repair Sector Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2006
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$934,767
20. Mining Industry Training and Adjustment Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2006
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$869,978
21. Motor Carrier Passenger Council of Canada
Infrastructure
January 2004 - December 2006
This project involves providing the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,199,244
22. National Seafood Sector Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2007
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,431,607
23. Software Human Resource Council
Canadian IT Career Awareness Web site Initiative
November 2003 - August 2004
This project involves helping to increase youth recruitment in the IT sector by implementing enhancements to the "DiscoveryIT.org" Web site.
$313,113
24. Software Human Resource Council
Connecting the Community
January 2004 - September 2004
This project involves enabling the national council to connect with the provincial sector council in Nova Scotia and to better connect with end-users of SHRC products locally.
$386,000
25. Software Human Resource Council
Development of HR Strategy for Hardware
January 2004 - September 2004
This project involves determining the skills issues associated with the integration of hardware technologies by electronic systems companies. Once issues are identified, a strategy to address these issues will be formulated.
$99,500
26. Software Human Resource Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2007
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,800,750
27. Software Human Resource Council
OSPM Maintenance Model and Communications
March 2003 - August 2005
This project involves allowing the SHRC to create a new stream to the Occupational Skills Profile Model (OSPM) that was developed in 1998. The new stream will be "new media" and "Web design," two new occupations. It will also allow the SHRC to update 10 existing streams over the life of the project.
$750,000
28. Software Human Resource Council
Certification Feasibility Study
August 2003 - May 2004
This project is assessing the need for a national recognition of prior learning and certification process that ensures the highest standards of education, professionalism and ethical conduct for individuals in the field of information (informatics) technology. This project is also assessing the need to develop an evaluation and certification process.
$228,319
29. Software Human Resource Council
Information Technology Support Associate (ITSA)
November 2003 - January 2006
This project is developing national standards and certification associated with the Information Technology Support Associate (ITSA) program. It is also providing research for the on-line delivery of the program, as well as the creation of a body of knowledge, alternate work placement options and development of a new job stream related with the program.
$971,507
30. Wood Manufacturing Council
Occupational Analysis for the Advanced Wood Products
November 2003 - October 2005
This project involves analyzing and defining the skills and competencies of two key occupations in the wood manufacturing sector. This project will form the basis from which the sector council will be able to develop career awareness material, training needs assessment and a curriculum.
$250,000
31. Wood Manufacturing Council
Infrastructure
April 2004 - March 2007
This project will provide the sector council with stable operating funds allowing it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interest of industry partners, developing linkages with the educational system, and being results-based.
$1,270,000
TOTAL FOR 31 PROJECTS
$37,337,642
