Labour market ministers to hold consultations on labour market transfer agreements

Say work will help support employment, training programs

Federal, provincial and territorial ministers have agreed to work together to conduct consultations on the annual  $3-billion  investment in labour market transfer agreements to ensure they are responsive to the needs of Canadians.

The videoconference meeting of the Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM) said the consultations will take place over the summer to gather perspectives from a range of stakeholders to look at ways to improve the transfer agreements and inform future investments. This work will help support provincial and territorial employment and training programs that address labour market needs in a fast-changing economy, said FLMM.

The ministers will discuss the consultation results at their next meeting planned to take place in Quebec in October.

They also discussed the Year Two Review of the Canada Job Grant and efforts underway by federal, provincial and territorial governments to respond to the review's findings to ensure the grant is flexible and responsive, where it is implemented. The final report will be available on the FLMM website in the coming weeks.

The ministers also endorsed a business plan for the implementation of a new Labour Market Information (LMI) Council and Stakeholder Advisory Committee over the coming months. Through the council, governments and stakeholders will work together to ensure all Canadians, including students, businesses, workers and educators, have access to unbiased information they need to make informed decisions.

Ministers also acknowledged the significant commitment and ongoing work with industry and training partners toward harmonizing apprenticeship training in the Red Seal trades in most jurisdictions. The Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship has identified the trades to be harmonized by 2020 with an effort to harmonize training for two-thirds of all apprentices in Red Seal trades, in most jurisdictions, by 2017.

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