Report says equity hiring initiative not working

Program requires major overhaul

A federal initiative to increase the hiring of women, aboriginals, visible minorities and disabled Canadians has fallen short of the mark.

In fact, companies outside the program have been more successful in hiring members of all of these groups except for visible minorities.

The Toronto Star has obtained a draft copy of a report commissioned by Human Resources Development Canada. According to The Star, the report reveals that the Federal Contractors Program has run aground since 1995 when staff was cut and enforcement dropped.

The program began in 1986 and was designed to force companies with at least 100 employees to hire members of disadvantaged groups if they wanted to bid on federal contracts worth $200,000.00 or more.

The report, prepared by Toronto-based SPR Associates Inc., concluded that there were “no substantial positive effects” from the program and that a major overhaul was required in order for it to become effective.

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