About HRSDC | Our Offices | Programs & Services | A-Z Index May 16, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 05-37 OTTAWA, ONTARIO-The Honourable Lucienne Robillard, President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today announced that the Older Workers Pilot Projects Initiative (OWPPI) will be extended for another 12 months from May 2005 to May 2006. The OWPPI pilots are designed to find effective ways to help older workers to remain employed. The initiative is cost-shared with provinces and territories, that deliver the projects. "As a partnership undertaking with provinces and territories, this initiative helps to ensure that older workers get every opportunity to be contributing members of a community's work force," said Minister Robillard. Announced in 1999, the OWPPI was put in place following a recommendation of the Forum of Labour Market Ministers. Since that time, 128 pilot projects have been approved in 11 provinces and territories, benefiting 8,300 participating older workers. The seven provinces and one territory currently participating will be invited to take part in this extension. They include: Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. "This extension will enable the Government of Canada to contribute support for projects planned or currently under way while a national federal report is completed, based on in-depth evaluations conducted by participating provinces and territories," added Minister Robillard. Since the start of the OWPPI, the Government of Canada has made $50 million in federal funding available under the Initiative. Federal funding available for this extension totals $5 million. - 30 - For more information, see the attached backgrounders. For further information (media only): Michael O'Shaughnessy Director of Communications Office of Minister Lucienne Robillard (819) 994-2482 Media Relations Office Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (819) 994-5559 BACKGROUNDER OLDER WORKERS PILOT PROJECTS INITIATIVE UPDATE ON EXTENSION TO MAY 2006 The Older Workers Pilot Projects Initiative (OWPPI) is a federal-provincial/territorial cost-shared program through which Human Resources and Skills Development Canada is providing up to $50 million to the provinces and territories to test new approaches to help unemployed older workers to return to work and older workers at risk of becoming unemployed to remain working. Older workers are defined as individuals between the ages of 55 and 64. The OWPPI was launched in 1999 and subsequently extended twice. The most recent extension is to the end of May 2006. Provinces and territories currently participating in the Initiative will be invited to participate under the extension, which will receive $5 million in federal funding. OWPPI funds are distributed based on a formula that includes participating provinces' and territories' share of unemployed persons 55-64 years of age with a minimum of $150,000 per year available to each participating province or territory. Since the first agreement was signed in 2000, 128 projects have been approved and approximately 8,300 participants have benefited. The extension of the OWPPI to May 20, 2006 will allow projects to be supported while a national federal report is completed. The report will be based on evaluations conducted by participating provinces and territories. Results of these evaluations will be shared between the federal and provincial/territorial governments .
