HRPAO, Ottawa team up

Ottawa kicks in $840,000 for three-year program to help small and medium-sized businesses with HR issues

The federal government is teaming up with the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario to help small- and medium-sized businesses design and implement good HR management practices.

Designed by the HRPAO specifically for non-human resources (HR) professionals, the project, an online instructional program, will help participants to understand the broader scope of the Canadian labour market.

The program will provide business owners and managers with the skills necessary to attract and retain a skilled work force, thereby contributing to their organization's success. Topics include:

•employment legislation;

•developing job descriptions;

•interview skills;

•recruitment sources;

•diversity, training and development;

•structuring compensation and benefit programs;

•health and safety; and

•labour relations.

"Various studies demonstrate the difficulty businesses face in finding skilled workers," said Joe Fontana, Minister of Labour and Housing. "By investing in people and by providing training that helps companies to close these gaps, businesses can concentrate on the bottom line and contribute to the overall growth of the Canadian economy."

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada contributed $839,795 to the three-year project through a grant from the Labour Market Partnerships Program. The program is designed to encourage and support employers, employee and employer associations and communities to improve their capacity for dealing with HR requirements and issues. Small and medium-sized businesses represent a significant and growing sector of the Canadian economy, the federal government said.

"This program underscores the value of human resource skills to organizational success and marks three major firsts for HRPAO," said Dan Stapleton, chief executive officer, HRPAO. "It is our first national program, our first training program in both English and French and our first e-learning initiative."

Specifically, participants will increase their understanding of the importance of good HR management practices, including work-life balance, while enhancing their knowledge of employment legislation and the employer's responsibilities to employees. In addition, employers will learn about applying best practices in recruitment, selection, orientation, training and retention.

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