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November 7, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
05-73
OTTAWA, ONTARIO - The Honourable Tony Valeri, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, today announced, on behalf of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, that the Government of Canada will provide over $1.6 million through the Sector Council Program to promote a skilled workforce in the steel sector.
"To ensure that our economy succeeds in the 21st century, we must promote innovative workplaces and support workers so that they can adapt and respond to changing skills demands," said Mr. Valeri. "The steel industry is among the most important sectors of our economy. Today's announcement will help ensure its continued success and productivity in Canada."
The Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress (CSTEC) will receive over $965,000 in infrastructure funding and $718,000 to create career-oriented employment opportunities for recent graduates (for details, see the attached backgrounder). CSTEC is a joint venture of Canada's steel-producing companies and the United Steelworkers of America. It provides a wide range of important services to employers, and to employed and unemployed workers across Canada.
"On behalf of CSTEC and steel industry employers and workers, I would like to express our appreciation to the Government of Canada for the investment it has made toward our Career Focus Project and for the funding it has provided through the Infrastructure Agreement," said Bob Jones, Executive Director of CSTEC. "With this funding, CSTEC will continue to address the human resources challenges facing the steel industry in an extremely volatile global market."
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 workforce and on high-performance workplaces that focus on skills development. It will join with business, unions, provinces and territories, sector councils, and workers to ensure that all Canadians have the opportunity to develop skills enabling them to obtain meaningful and productive jobs.
Sector councils successfully meet emerging requirements, addressing skills and labour shortages, and building essential skills in the workplace as a foundation for continuous learning. These organizations 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 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 31 sector councils representing traditional industries (e.g., mining and textiles) and emerging industries (e.g., biotechnology and environment). The sector council network now covers approximately 48 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.
Funding for this initiative was provided for in the February 2005 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.
The projects have been reviewed to ensure compliance with the Department's administration of its grant and contribution programs, and are subject to review under the Financial Administration Act.
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For more information (media only):
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
(819) 994-5559
BACKGROUNDER
Sector Council
Description of Project
Funding
Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress (CSTEC)
Infrastructure - This project will provide the Congress with stable operating funds that allow it to focus on responding to skills needs, representing the collective interests of industry partners, developing links with the education system and being results-based.
$965,579
Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress (CSTEC)
Career Focus - Through this project, young Canadians will have the opportunity to gain job experience in the steel sector. Specifically, it will create career-oriented employment opportunities for 48 recent graduates from Canada's secondary and post secondary institutions. This project will also provide them an opportunity to gain experience and develop their employment skills working in the areas of process engineering, information technology, metallurgy, environmental science, automation, mechanical engineering and production related jobs within the broader Canadian steel industry.
$718,000
TOTAL
$1,683,579
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