Money to fund 31 new projects to promote innovative workplaces, help employers and workers adapt to changing skill demands
The federal government has pumped another $37 million into the Sector Council Program.
Joe Volpe, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, said the money will be used to fund 31 sector council programs.
“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,” he said. “We all have a role to play in this. Workers, employer, educators and governments must all contribute to making skills training and upgrading more responsive to changing labour market needs and workplace priorities.”
Grant Trump, president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Human Resources in the Environment Industry and chair of the Alliance of Sector Councils, welcomed the news.
“For over 10 years, sector councils have been bringing employers and workers together to address their common human resources issues,” said Trump. “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.”
What are sector councils?
According to Ottawa, sector councils are a 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 HR and skills issues, and to find solutions that benefit the particular sector.
There are currently 29 national sector councils covering about 40 per cent of the Canada’s labour market.
The objectives of the sector councils are to:
•define and anticipate skills and HR 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.
Where is the money going?
The projects announced as part of the $37 million investment include:
Joe Volpe, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, said the money will be used to fund 31 sector council programs.
“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,” he said. “We all have a role to play in this. Workers, employer, educators and governments must all contribute to making skills training and upgrading more responsive to changing labour market needs and workplace priorities.”
Grant Trump, president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Human Resources in the Environment Industry and chair of the Alliance of Sector Councils, welcomed the news.
“For over 10 years, sector councils have been bringing employers and workers together to address their common human resources issues,” said Trump. “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.”
What are sector councils?
According to Ottawa, sector councils are a 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 HR and skills issues, and to find solutions that benefit the particular sector.
There are currently 29 national sector councils covering about 40 per cent of the Canada’s labour market.
The objectives of the sector councils are to:
•define and anticipate skills and HR 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.
Where is the money going?
The projects announced as part of the $37 million investment 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 |
