About HRSDC | Our Offices | Programs & Services | A-Z Index May 2, 2005 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 05-29 MONTRÉAL, QUEBEC - The Honourable Eleni Bakopanos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Social Development with special emphasis on Social Economy, and Member of Parliament for Ahuntsic, on behalf of 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 funding of $5.9 million under the Sector Council Program, for four projects by the Textiles Human Resources Council. The projects will help support the promotion of skills development within the textile sector, and aim to improve the country's economic growth and competitiveness in the sector. "Canada's future competitiveness depends on productive, high performance workplaces, supported by a highly skilled work force" said Ms. Bakopanos. "The textile sector is an important sector of our economy, and these projects will help to ensure that we have the skilled work force to remain competitive in the face of changing demographics at home and growing international competition." The announcement was made at the FuturTex 2005 national conference in Montréal. FuturTex 2005 brings together industry and union leaders from across Canada to address the issue of competitive advantage in today's global textile industry. The Textiles Human Resources Council develops innovative skill solutions that respond to established and emerging human resources needs, seeks to foster a continuous learning environment and enhances the industry's image. Adrian Spoerry, President and CEO of Hafner Inc. and co-chair of the Textiles Human Resources Council said, "This funding will help us to build on our success with needs-driven skills development programs and services. It will contribute in a major way to our overall skills strategy for the Canadian textile industry." Today's announcement is linked to Canada's Workplace Skills Strategy, aimed at helping Canadians to become the best trained, most highly skilled workers in the world, as well as ensuring that employers' needs are met. The Government of Canada recognizes that Canada's future competitiveness depends on a highly skilled work force and on high performance workplaces that focus on skills development. It will work with business, unions, provinces and territories, sector councils and workers to ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to develop their skills so that they can obtain meaningful and productive jobs. Sector councils have been a successful method of meeting emerging skills requirements, addressing skills and labour shortages, and building essential skills in the workplace, as a foundation for continuous learning. They are organizations that 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 their 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 30 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 49 percent of the labour market. The Government is committed to strengthening and expanding the network of sector councils so that more Canadian workers benefit from them. Funding for these projects was provided for in the 2005 federal Budget. These projects comply with all departmental administrative rules governing grants and contributions, and provisions of the Financial Administration Act, and are subject to review to ensure compliance with the objectives of the program. For more information about the projects, see the attached backgrounder. - 30 - For more information: 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 Sector Council Program Funding for these projects was provided for in the 2005 federal Budget and comes from the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program. Sector councils are pan-Canadian organizations that bring together representatives from business, labour, education, other professional groups and government to identify and understand industry-wide problems and to implement long-term human resources planning and skills development strategies for their sector. There are currently 30 national sector councils covering approximately 49 percent of Canada's labour market. Item Organization Project Description Funding 1 Textiles Human Resources Council (THRC) Infrastructure 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. $1,180,632 2 Textiles Human Resources Council (THRC) Communications/Promotion Through this project, the THRC will increase industry-wide skills awareness, development and integration, and use of its suite of e-learning programs and products. $669,090 3 Textiles Human Resources Council (THRC) Textile Technical Skills Foundation Program This project aims to develop technical and foundational training programs to improve the skills levels of the textile industry work force. A "return on investment" tool will also be developed to help measure the impact of the programs on worker productivity. $3,381,740 4 Textiles Human Resources Council (THRC) Textile Career Outreach Program The THRC, in collaboration with industry and educational partners, will develop a forum to promote lifelong learning to Canadian textile communities. The project will also work to encourage youth in these communities to consider the textile industry as a viable career option. $690,084 TOTAL $5,921,546 Sector Councils To meet the needs of a 21st-century economy, Canada will require a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. Currently, employers and workers are experiencing the pressures of skills and labour shortages related to rapid demographic and technological changes affecting the Canadian economy. Countries around the world are facing similar challenges. A key element of the Government's strategy to build an even more globally competitive and sustainable economy is to invest in people. The Government is investing on three main fronts to ensure that Canada has the work force it needs - updating the skills of our existing work force; addressing the needs of groups with special needs, such as youth and our Aboriginal population; and ensuring foreign trained professionals and newcomers can fully participate in the labour market and Canadian society. Sector councils Sector councils embody the principles of partnerships and are key to the Government of Canada's strategy to ensuring that our economy succeeds in the 21st century. Sector councils help employers and workers in key industries collaborate to address workplace skills issues. These pan-Canadian organizations bring together business, labour and learning stakeholders to share ideas, concerns and perspectives about human resources and skills issues, and to find solutions that benefit the sector. They help ensure that workers and those seeking employment are well prepared for the challenges of the rapidly evolving labour market. Sector councils are a proven method of meeting emerging skills requirements, addressing skills and labour shortages, and building essential skills in the workplace-the foundation for continuous learning. There are currently 30 national sector councils representing traditional industries, such as mining and textiles, and emerging industries, such as biotechnology and the environment. The current national sector council network covers approximately 49 percent of Canada's 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 as follows: define and anticipate skills and human resources issues related to the rapidly evolving workplace; promote lifelong learning in the workplace to help workers gain the skills and knowledge they need in the changing economy; encourage the learning system to be responsive to the labour market; facilitate labour mobility and market transitions; and encourage the private sector to invest in solutions that address skills challenges. Ultimately, sector councils look at their industry's human resources issues and find solutions that are right for them. Sector Council Program Human Resources and Skills Development Canada is the federal department that houses the Sector Council Program. Through the program, the Government of Canada supports a range of activities, including the following: diagnostic studies on workforce trends; and projects to foster industry-wide skills development, such as occupational standards development, curricula and distance learning initiatives, expanding efforts to recognize prior learning and workplace essential skills development. The Sector Council Program is working to achieve certain key goals, including the following: increasing coverage and penetration of the labour market; focusing on performance and demonstrating results; and increasing sector councils' engagement and profile with industry players and post-secondary institutions. History of Sector Councils The Sector Council Program, originally called the Sectoral Partnerships Initiative, was launched in 1993 to foster the development of a training culture in the private sector by matching employers' training investments. Prompted by labour market development agreements (1995-1999), sector councils evolved from purchasers of training and learning opportunities for workers to influencers of the learning system. In addition to influencing the learning system, sector councils continue to focus employers' attention on the importance of training as well as to promote issues such as recruitment, retention, and most recently, the integration of foreign-trained professionals. Workplace Skills Strategy The Sector Council Program is linked to Canada's Workplace Skills Strategy, aimed at helping Canadians to become the best trained, most highly skilled workers in the world, as well as ensuring that employers' needs are met. The Government of Canada recognizes that Canada's future competitiveness depends on a highly skilled work force and on high-performance workplaces that focus on skills development. It will work with business, unions, provinces and territories, sector councils and workers to ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to develop their skills so that they can obtain meaningful and productive jobs. For more information on the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program, please visit the HRSDC Web site at www.hrsdc.gc.ca. Textiles Human Resources Council Sector Background Today's Canadian textile industry is innovative, technology driven and capital intensive. Producing a wide range of fibres, yarns and fabrics used by more than 150 industries, the textile industry employs more than 49,000 people.1 In 2002, the industry's sales were $6.6 billion and exports increased to $3.5 billion, up from $800 million in 1989. The industry accounts for approximately 2.5 percent2 of total manufacturing industry employment in Canada, and contributes over $2 billion3 to Canada's gross domestic product. The major human resources challenges facing this sector include the following: ensuring that employees have the skills they need, especially in light of very limited formal textile education programs, to ensure that Canadian companies can remain competitive; and promoting an accurate image of the industry to the general public and to students considering their career choices. Key Focus The Textiles Human Resources Council (THRC) was established in 1994 and is led by a board of company chief executives and union leaders. A structured, board-led planning process identified key priorities that respond to the needs of THRC's members. The Council develops innovative skill solutions that respond to established and emerging human resources needs, seeks to foster a continuous learning environment and enhances the industry's image. Program and Activity Highlights Textile Training Through Technology® - This award-winning, comprehensive work force development system uses computer-based technologies to provide a full range of skill development programs, including programs focused on textile manufacturing skills, technical skills, Essential Skills, and personal and business performance skills. Developed in collaboration with leading textile schools and educational institutions, the system is a blended training solution that incorporates peer coaches and mentors. It has been developed for all employees-from shop floor workers to senior management-as well as for suppliers and educational institutions. These programs are used throughout the Canadian industry and have been sold in more than 40 countries. CareerTex.ca - This interactive Web site informs young Canadians about textile industry career opportunities. CareerTex.ca provides information about today's textile industry, learning opportunities, job profiles, professional development and career advancement, innovative Canadian textile products and state-of-the-art technologies. The Web site is supported by a comprehensive educator's guide, with activities and assignments for use in secondary school classrooms. Skills and Learning Sites - This initiative is bringing the full range of Textile Training Through Technology® and other skills development programs right into the textile workplace, giving workers access despite the constraints imposed by shift work and a geographically dispersed industry. Web Training Needs Assessment Tool - This program helps companies to conduct workplace-specific skills needs analyses and to develop human resources plans to address the needs identified. THRC also gets immediate access to industry-wide responses that help it establish new and emerging skill requirements. Textiles Human Resources Council (THRC) 500-222 Somerset Street West Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2G3 Telephone: (613) 230-7217 Fax: (613) 230-1270 Web Site: www.thrc-crhit.org Email: info@thrc-crhit.org 1 Annual Survey of Manufacturers, 2002 2 Annual Survey of Manufacturers, 2002 3 Statistics Canada, Canadian System of National Accounts, 2003, see Srategis Web site - 30 -
