HOUSE OF COMMONS CANADA EMPLOYABILITY IN CANADA: PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Dean Allison, MP Chair APRIL 2008 39th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION The Speaker of the House hereby grants permission to reproduce this document, in whole or in part for use in schools and for other purposes such as private study, research, criticism, review or newspaper summary. Any commercial or other use or reproduction of this publication requires the express prior written authorization of the Speaker of the House of Commons. If this document contains excerpts or the full text of briefs presented to the Committee, permission to reproduce these briefs, in whole or in part, must be obtained from their authors. Also available on the Parliamentary Internet Parlementaire: http://www.parl.gc.ca Available from Communication Canada — Publishing, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0S9 EMPLOYABILITY IN CANADA: PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE Report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities Dean Allison, MP Chair APRIL 2008 39th PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE STATUS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES CHAIR Dean Allison VICE-CHAIRS Yves Lessard Michael Savage MEMBERS France Bonsant Mike Lake Gord Brown Tony Martin Rodger Cuzner Hon. Judy Sgro Ruby Dhalla Lynne Yelich Jacques Gourde OTHER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT WHO PARTICIPATED Hon. Carolyn Bennett Gary Merasty Bonnie Brown Hon. Geoff Regan Patrick Brown Denise Savoie Hon. Michael Chong Mario Silva Hon. Denis Coderre Brian Storseth Jean-Claude D’Amours CLERK OF THE COMMITTEE Jacques Maziade LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Parliamentary Information and Research Service Chantal Collin Kevin B. Kerr iii THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES, SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE STATUS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES has the honour to present its THIRD REPORT Pursuant to its mandate under Standing Order 108(2), the Committee has studied the subject of Employability in Canada and presents its findings and recommendations. v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER 1 — LABOUR FORCE AGING, POTENTIAL LABOUR MARKET IMBALANCES AND FACILITATING LABOUR MARKET ADJUSTMENT....................... 5 FACILITATING NATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES PLANNING AND PROVIDING BETTER LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION ........................................................... 9 A. Human Resources Planning............................................................................ 9 B. Labour Market Information ............................................................................ 13 ENHANCING LABOUR MOBILITY .......................................................................... 15 A. Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program ................................................ 17 B. The Agreement on Internal Trade ................................................................. 18 C. Tax Incentives ............................................................................................... 21 D. Mobility Assistance and Employment Insurance ........................................... 22 DEVELOPING A PAN-CANADIAN FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING AND RECOGNIZING LEARNING AND CREDENTIALS.................................................. 24 A. Recognizing Foreign Credentials .................................................................. 25 B. Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition ................................................ 29 CHAPTER 2 — INVESTMENTS IN LEARNING ........................................................... 33 WORKPLACE TRAINING........................................................................................ 34 A. Apprenticeship Training................................................................................. 37 B. Workplace Literacy........................................................................................ 41 POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION ......................................................................... 47 A. Access to Post-Secondary Education ........................................................... 48 B. Federal Transfers and Post-Secondary Institutional Capacity....................... 53 1. Canada Social Transfer ........................................................................... 53 vii 2. Post-Secondary Institutional Capacity ..................................................... 55 CONTINUOUS LEARNING...................................................................................... 57 LABOUR MARKET ADJUSTMENT AND EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE................. 60 A. Building on Labour Market Training Arrangements ....................................... 65 B. At-Risk Youth ................................................................................................ 68 CHAPTER 3 — INCREASING LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION AND STRENGTHENING WORK INCENTIVES..................................................................... 71 OLDER WORKERS ................................................................................................. 71 A. Strengthening Incentives to Work ................................................................. 72 1. Mandatory Retirement ............................................................................. 73 2. Public Pensions ....................................................................................... 75 B. Adjustment Assistance.................................................................................. 77 ABORIGINAL WORKERS ....................................................................................... 81 A. Aboriginal Education ..................................................................................... 82 1. Barriers to Post-Secondary Education..................................................... 82 2. Federal Programs Supporting Aboriginal Education ................................ 83 B. Aboriginal Labour Market Participation.......................................................... 85 1. Barriers to Employment ........................................................................... 86 2. Enhancing Aboriginal Training and Labour Market Participation ............. 87 C. Federal Programs Promoting Employment for Aboriginal People ................. 89 D. Closing the Gap in Socio-Economic Outcomes between Canada’s Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal People........................................................... 91 WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES............................................................................. 95 A. Barriers to Employment................................................................................. 96 1. Unmet Needs for Disability-Related Supports.......................................... 97 2. Other Barriers .......................................................................................... 99 viii B. Role of the Federal Government ................................................................. 101 1. Human Resources and Social Development Canada Programs ........... 102 a) The Opportunities Fund ..................................................................... 102 b) Multilateral Framework for Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities ............................................................... 105 c) Other Programs ................................................................................. 106 2. Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program ................................................ 109 3. Legislative Measures and Policies to Achieve Employment Equity........ 110 4. Disability Supports ................................................................................. 113 LOW-INCOME WORKERS.................................................................................... 113 A. Work Incentives........................................................................................... 116 B. Housing....................................................................................................... 120 C. Early Learning and Child Care .................................................................... 122 WORKERS IN SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT.......................................................... 124 CHAPTER 4 — BEYOND OUR BORDERS: SELECTING SKILLED IMMIGRANTS AND UTILIZING TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS ...................... 131 SELECTING SKILLED WORKERS ....................................................................... 131 TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS ................................................................... 136 INTEGRATING IMMIGRANTS INTO THE LABOUR MARKET ............................. 143 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 149 LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................. 151 APPENDIX A: SKILLS SHORTAGES IN KEY SECTORS: MANAGING SKILLS SHORTAGES AND SURPLUSES IN CANADA ............................................. 169 APPENDIX B: ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND POINTS AWARDED FOR THE PURPOSE OF SELECTING SKILLED WORKERS UNDER CANADA’S IMMIGRATION PROGRAM ........................................................................................ 173 ix APPENDIX C: LIST OF WITNESSES ......................................................................... 177 APPENDIX D: LIST OF BRIEFS ................................................................................