Programs and service delivery overview – Workers and employment 

Description

Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits provide temporary income support to unemployed individuals who, through no fault of their own, become unemployed while they look for work or upgrade their skills.

The EI benefit rate is 55 % of average weekly insurable earnings up to the maximum insurable earnings of $56,300 in 2021, for a maximum weekly benefit of $595. Individuals generally require between 420 and 700 insurable hours to qualify for EI regular benefits, depending on the unemployment rate in the economic region where they reside, and are entitled to receive between 14 and 45 weeks of EI regular benefits. EI claimants with children and an annual family net income that is less than or equal to $25,921 may be eligible to receive the Family Supplement, which can increase their EI benefit rate up to a maximum of 80% of their weekly insurable earnings. The Family Supplement applies to all EI benefit types and includes special benefits such as maternity, parental and caregiving benefits, as well as regular benefits following job loss.

The EI program is designed to respond automatically to changes in regional labour markets. Through the Variable Entrance Requirement, the number of insurable hours required to access EI regular benefits and the duration of benefits provided are based on the monthly unemployment rate in each of Canada’s 62 EI economic regions. The boundaries of these 62 regions are required to be reviewed every 5 years for the purposes of determining whether the current regions continue to reflect regional labour market conditions. The current review of these boundaries commenced in fall 2018.

Employment Insurance regular benefits are legislated through the Employment Insurance Act andthe Employment Insurance Regulationsand are administered by Employment and Social Development Canada. The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC), a tripartite organization representing the interests of workers, employers and government, also has a legislated role in the administration of the Employment Insurance program.

Key program statistics

In 2018 to 2019, about 1.3 million new EI regular benefits claims were established and $10.7 billion in regular benefits was paid.

Temporary changes in response to COVID-19

Temporary changes have been made to the EI program to help Canadians access EI regular benefits. The following changes are in effect until September 2021:

• the waiting period has been waived for all EI claims established until September 25, 2021
• a minimum unemployment rate of 13.1% applies to all regions across Canada
  • if a claimant’s region’s unemployment rate is higher than 13.1%, the higher unemployment rate will apply for the purposes of calculating their benefits
• a one-time credit of 300 hours, resulting in claimants only requiring 120 insured hours to qualify for regular benefits
• a minimum benefit rate of $500 per week before taxes, and
• a minimum entitlement of up to 50 weeks of regular benefits

Budget 2021 announcements

Budget 2021 has proposed measures to make EI benefits more accessible and simple for Canadians over the coming year while the job market recovers. These proposed measures include:

• maintaining uniform access to EI benefits across all regions, through a 420-hour common entrance requirement for regular and special benefits for a period of 1 year, from September 2021 to September 2022
• supporting multiple jobholders by ensuring that all insurable hours and employment count towards a claimant’s EI eligibility, as long as the most recent job separation is valid
• simplifying rules around treatment of severance, vacation pay and other monies paid on separation in order to allow claimants to receive EI benefits sooner, and
• extending temporary changes to the Work-sharing program, such as the possibility to establish longer work-sharing agreements and a streamlined application process, which will help employers and workers avoid layoffs

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders include:

• the provinces and territories; and
• a wide range of EI premium payers and their representatives, including:
  • Canadian businesses
  • employer associations
  • unions
  • not-for-profit organizations
  • Indigenous organizations
  • training institutions
  • service providers, and
  • workers

The CEIC plays a leadership role in overseeing the EI program. It includes representation from business, labour and the Government of Canada.

Key program statistics

According to the Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report, 30,367 new fishing claims were established in 2018 to 2019.

The EI program, including EI fishing benefits, are statutory and receive authority through the Employment Insurance Act.

Temporary changes in response to COVID-19

Temporary changes have been made to the EI program to help Canadians access EI fishing benefits. The following changes are in effect until September 2021:

• earnings from fishers’ 2018, 2019 and 2020 summer or winter seasons will be used to determine their benefit rate and establish their claim for the same season
• the waiting period has been waived for claims established until September 25, 2021
• a minimum unemployment rate of 13.1% applies to all regions across Canada
  • if a claimant’s region’s unemployment rate is higher than 13.1%, the higher unemployment rate will apply for the purposes of calculating their benefits, and
• a minimum benefit rate of $500 per week before taxes

Budget 2021 announcements

• Maintain uniform access to EI benefits across all regions, including a new common earnings threshold for fishing benefits of $2,500 for a period of 1 year, from September 2021 to September 2022, and
• Extend temporary eligibility changes for the entire winter 2021 fishing benefit period to ensure that all self-employed fishers who submit an EI claim for the winter benefit period are treated equally

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders include:

• the provinces and territories
• a wide range of EI premium payers and their representatives, including:
  • Canadian businesses
  • Employer associations
  • Unions
  • Not-for-profit organizations
  • Indigenous organizations
  • Training institutions
  • Service providers
  • Workers, and
  • the Department of Fisheries and Oceans

The CEIC plays a leadership role in overseeing the EI program. It includes representation from business, labour and the Government of Canada.

Description

Many workers in seasonal employment rely on Employment Insurance (EI) to help them get through their recurring periods of unemployment. If they are not able to find alternative employment, and they have not qualified for sufficient weeks of EI benefits to carry them to their return to work the following season, they may experience a period without income from either employment or EI.

In 2018, $189 million was committed to implement a new pilot project to test the provision of up to 5 additional weeks of Employment Insurance (EI) regular benefits to eligible seasonal claimants in 13 targeted EI regions. Originally, under the pilot project, the additional 5 weeks of benefits were available to eligible seasonal claimants who established a benefit period between August 5, 2018 and May 30, 2020. In May 2020, the pilot project was extended to October 30, 2021 so that eligible seasonal claimants who establish a benefit period in the identified regions between May 31, 2020 and October 30, 2021 are also eligible for additional weeks of benefits.

The EI economic regions targeted by the pilot project for the additional 5 weeks are those with the highest proportions of seasonal claimants to the total labour force and higher than average EI unemployment rates in 2017:

• Bas-Saint-Laurent–Côte-Nord
• Central Quebec
• Charlottetown
• Chicoutimi–Jonquière
• Eastern Nova Scotia
• Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
• Madawaska-Charlotte
• Newfoundland and Labrador (excludes St. John’s)
• North Western Quebec
• Prince Edward Island (excludes Charlottetown)
• Restigouche–Albert
• Western Nova Scotia, and
• Yukon (excludes Whitehorse)

A worker is considered a seasonal claimant if they meet both of the following:

• in the previous 5 years, had at least 3 claims in which they received regular or fishing benefits, and
• at least 2 of those claims have started around the same time of year as the current claim. Around the same time of year is defined as the 8 weeks preceding and 8 weeks following the week in which the current claim starts

The pilot project is complemented by an investment of up to $41 million over 2 years that was made to provinces and territories through their Labour Market Development Agreements to provide skills training and employment supports for workers in seasonal industries, and short-term action the Government of Canada took to provide immediate support to affected workers in seasonal industries through a $10 million reallocation of existing resources. The reallocation was put in place in the most affected provinces to provide them with the flexibility to deliver a wide range of supports including career counselling, workplace essential skills training and associated income supports to seasonal workers while on training.

The Employment Insurance Act provides the authority to conduct EI pilot projects, which are implemented through amendments to the Employment Insurance Regulations.

Key program statistics

There were over 425,000 claims established by seasonal workers according to the 2018 to 2019 Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report. Of seasonal claims completed in 2018 to 2019, approximately 23% exhausted their EI entitlement.

Budget 2021 announcement

On April 19, 2021, through the Budget 2021 announcement, the Government proposed legislative changes to extend the rules of the existing EI seasonal pilot project until October 2022. With $99.9 million in funding over 3 years, this measure would continue to provide up to 5 additional weeks of EI regular benefits to seasonal claimants in the 13 regions of Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Yukon originally targeted in the pilot project.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders for these supports comprise:

• the provinces and territories
• Indigenous organizations
• training institutions
• service providers, and
• a wide range of EI premium payers and their representatives, including:
  • Canadian businesses
  • employer associations
  • unions
  • not-for-profit organizations, and
  • workers

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission plays a leadership role in overseeing the EI program. It includes representation from business, labour and the Government of Canada.

Description

The Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefit provides up to 15 weeks of partial income replacement and is available to eligible claimants who are unable to work because of illness, injury or quarantine.

In order to qualify for EI special benefits, insured claimants require 600 insurable hours in the 52-week period preceding their claim. Self-employed workers who have opted into the EI program must have earned at least $7,555 in 2020 for claims in 2021. For self-employed fishers, $3,760 in fishing earnings are required to establish an EI claim. The maximum weekly benefit amount in 2021 is $595.

The Canada Labour Code provides unpaid job-protected leaves for employees in the federal private sector so that they are not at risk of losing their job while accessing EI sickness benefits. For employees under provincial jurisdiction, employment standards vary by province/territory.

The EI program also supports the delivery of sickness benefits through private-sector employers through the Premium Reduction Program (PRP). For participating employers, the PRP provides a premium reduction in exchange for companies offering employees sickness benefits that are at least equivalent to those available through EI when the employer health plan is the first payer.

The EI program also allows employers to register Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) plans. The purpose of a SUB plan is to provide supplemental payments to EI benefits during a period of unemployment due to:

• temporary stoppage of work
• training, or
• illness/injury/quarantine

The EI program, and the EI sickness benefit, are statutory and receive authority through the Employment Insurance Act.

Temporary changes in response to COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary changes were made to the EI program to facilitate access to EI benefits and increase their generosity. These changes are in effect until September 25, 2021 and apply to EI sickness benefit claimants:

• the waiting period may be waived
• the requirement to submit a medical certificate is waived
• a one-time credit of 480 insured hours, resulting in claimants only requiring 120 insured hours to qualify for EI sickness benefits
• a minimum benefit rate of $500 per week before taxes
• the 52-week period to accumulate hours of work is extended for claimants who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, and
• for self-employment claims made between January 3, 2021 to September 25, 2021, the minimum self-employment income is $5,000 earned in 2020

Budget 2021 announcements

Budget 2021 announced the government’s intention to enhance EI sickness benefits from 15 to 26 weeks, as previously committed to in the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion’s mandate letter. This extension, which would take effect in summer 2022, would provide approximately 169,000 Canadians every year with additional time and flexibility to recover and return to work.

In addition to the amendments to the Employment Insurance Act, Budget 2021 also proposes to make corresponding changes to the Canada Labour Code to ensure that workers in federally regulated industries have the job protection they need while receiving EI sickness benefits. The Government also intends to launch consultations with employers, labour organizations and private insurers regarding improvements that may be required to the EI PRP.

Budget 2021 also announced a 1-year 420-hour entrance requirements for EI regular and special benefits to come into effect September 26, 2021.

Key program statistics

According to the Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report, in 2018 to 2019 there were approximately 420,800 new sickness claims established that paid $1.8 billion in benefits. The actual average duration of sickness benefits completed remained similar to past fiscal years with 9.8 weeks; however, a little more than a third (34%) of completed sickness claims in 2018 to 2019 had used the maximum number of 15 weeks of sickness benefits, which is a similar proportion as the years before.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders include:

• the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
• employers
• employees
• health advocates
• labour unions
• private insurers, and
• NGOs such as:
  • the Canadian Cancer Society
  • Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, and
• provinces and territories

Description

Employment Insurance (EI) Maternity benefits are payable to the worker who is away from work because they are pregnant or have recently given birth. It is intended to provide temporary income support for up to 15 weeks during the period surrounding childbirth.

EI Parental benefits are provided to eligible parents, including adoptive and same-sex parents, to care for their newborn or newly adopted child(ren). Parents who share benefits can choose between 2 options:

• up to 40 weeks of standard parental benefits paid at 55% of average weekly earnings over the 12-month period following the birth or placement for adoption of the child. No parent can access more than 35 weeks, or
• up to 69 weeks of extended parental benefits paid at 33% of average weekly earnings over the 18-month period following the birth or placement for adoption of the child. No parent can access more than 61 weeks

In order to qualify for EI special benefits, insured claimants require 600 insurable hours in the 52-week period preceding their claim. Self-employed workers who have opted into the EI program must have earned at least $7,555 in self-employment net earnings in 2020 for claims in 2021. The maximum weekly benefit amount in 2021 is $595 ($357 for extended parental benefits).

Key program statistics

According to the Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Report, in 2019 to 2020 there were approximately:

• 168,000 EI maternity claims that were paid $1.2 billion in benefits, and
• 213,000 EI parental claims that were paid $2.9 billion in benefits, of which 80% claims were by women and 20% were by men. About 18% of parental benefit claims were for extended parental benefits

The 2019 Statistics Canada Employment Insurance Coverage Survey indicates that for Canada excluding Quebec, 74.2% of all new mothers (those with a child aged 12 months or less) had insurable employment, that is, employment for which EI premiums were paid. Among these mothers, 87.9% received maternity and/or parental benefits in 2019. Further, 20.5% of their spouses or partners claimed or intended to claim EI parental benefits.

Temporary Changes in Response to COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, temporary changes to the EI program were made and are in effect until September 25, 2021 and may apply to claimants:

• the waiting period may be waived
• one-time credit of 480 insured hours, resulting in claimants only requiring 120 insured hours to qualify for benefits, to help meet the required 600 insured hours of work
• a minimum benefit rate of $500 per week before taxes ($300 per week for extended parental benefits)
• extension to the 52-week period to accumulate insured hours if the claimant received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, and
• for self-employed workers who make a claim between January 3, 2021 to September 25, 2021, the minimum self-employment income required to establish a claim is $5,000 earned in 2020

Budget 2021 announced a 1-year 420-hour entrance requirements for EI regular and special benefits to come into effect September 26, 2021.

Many Canadians receive supplementary employer payments to top-up their EI maternity and parental benefits. Top-up payments are not deducted from EI benefits.

The Canada Labour Code provides unpaid job-protected leaves for employees in the federal private sector so that they are not at risk of losing their job while receiving EI maternity and parental benefits. For employees under provincial jurisdiction, employment standards vary by province/territory.

Since 2006, the Province of Quebec provides benefits to residents of Quebec who are temporarily away from work due to pregnancy or the birth or adoption of a child or children. EI premiums are reduced in the province of Quebec to reflect that workers do not have access to EI maternity and parental benefits. The Government of Canada works with the Government of Quebec to ensure ongoing coordination between the 2 programs.

The EI program, including maternity and parental benefits, is a statutory program and receives authority through the Employment Insurance Act.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Quebec’s Ministère du Travail, de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale to ensure coordination between EI and Quebec Parental Insurance Plan benefits.

Other stakeholders include:

• employers and labour organizations, and
• family and gender advocates such as the Vanier Institute for the Family

Description

Self-employed workers can opt into the Employment Insurance (EI) program to access EI special benefits, including maternity, parental, sickness, compassionate care, and the family caregiver benefits for children and adults. This is referred to as the EI program for self-employed workers. EI regular benefits are not available to self-employed workers.

To opt into the EI program, self-employed persons must enter into an agreement with the Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) through Service Canada and pay premiums. Once any benefits have been paid, participants can no longer opt out and are required to pay premiums on their self-employed earnings for the duration of their self-employment career.

To qualify for special benefits, self-employed workers are required to opt in at least 1 full year prior to claiming EI benefits and must have earned a minimum amount in self-employment earnings during the previous tax year. In order to establish a claim in 2021, self-employed workers would have normally been required to have earned self-employment income of at least $7,555 in 2020.

Self-employed residents of Quebec receive maternity and parental benefits through the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan. They can access EI sickness, compassionate care and family caregiver benefits by opting into the EI program, with the appropriate adjustments to their EI premiums.

The EI program, including EI special benefits, is statutory and receives authority through the Employment Insurance Act.

Key program statistics

Enrollment in the program has seen increased growth in participation. There were almost 29,900 self-employed workers enrolled in the EI program as of March 2020.

In 2019 to 2020, 834 claims were established for self-employed workers, of which 95% were submitted by women. The average weekly benefit rate was $365 and the total benefits paid was $10.8 million:

• $3.2 million paid in maternity benefits
• $7.0 million paid in parental benefits, and
• $551,500 paid in other benefits (includes sickness, family caregiver benefit for children, family caregiver benefit for adults and compassionate care)

An evaluation of the Special Benefits for Self-Employed program released in 2016 found that levels of program awareness among self-employed workers were low and administrative costs were high relative to benefits paid out. Self-employed claimants reported that the program had a positive impact on their lives.

Temporary changes in response to COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, temporary changes to the EI program were made:

• for claims made between January 3, 2021 to September 25, 2021, the minimum self-employment income required to establish a claim was lowered to $5,000 earned in 2020. Claimants can receive a minimum benefit rate of $500 per week before taxes ($300 per week for extended parental benefits), and
• for claims made between September 26, 2021 and December 31, 2021, the minimum self-employment income is $7,555 earned in 2020

The maximum weekly benefit amount in 2021 is $595 ($357 for extended parental benefits).

Budget 2021

Budget 2021 announced that in order to establish a claim between September 26, 2021 and September 24, 2022, self-employed workers will require $5,289 in self-employment earnings in the previous year.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders include:

• the Canadian Federation of Independent Business
• Chambers of commerce, and
• sectoral groups of self-employed workers, such as:
  • independent practice nurses
  • artists, and
  • real estate agents

The CEIC plays a leadership role in overseeing the EI program. It includes representation from business, labour and the Government of Canada.

Description

There are 2 types of EI Caregiving Benefits:

• the EI Compassionate Care Benefit provides up to 26 weeks of income support to eligible caregivers when a family member has a serious medical condition and a significant risk of death within a 26‑week period, and
• the EI Family Caregiver Benefit provides up to 35 weeks of income support to eligible caregivers to provide care for a critically ill or injured child, or up to 15 weeks of benefits to provide care to a critically ill or injured adult

To access these special benefits, claimants must submit a medical certificate signed by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner confirming that the caregiving recipient is critically ill or injured or in need of end-of-life care. Caregivers can share the benefits, either at the same time or one after another, and receive their benefits when most needed during a 52-week period.

In order to qualify for EI special benefits, insured claimants require 600 insurable hours in the 52-week period preceding their claim. Self-employed workers who have opted into the EI program would normally have required $7,555 in self-employment net earnings in 2020 for claims in 2021, however, this amount was reduced to $5,000 as part of temporary EI flexibilities as described in the section below. The maximum weekly benefit amount in 2021 is $595.

The Canada Labour Code provides unpaid job-protected leaves for employees in the federal private sector so that they are not at risk of losing their job while accessing EI caregiving benefits. For employees under provincial jurisdiction, employment standards vary by province/territory.

The EI program, including EI special benefits, is statutory and receives authority through the Employment Insurance Act.

Key program statistics

In 2019 to 2020 there were:

• 7,581 claims for EI compassionate care benefits (70% of which were made by women) with a total value of $39.6 million in benefits paid
• 11,592 family caregiver benefit claims for adults with $55.7 million in benefits paid, and
• 5,403 family caregiver benefit claims for children with $36.3million in benefits paid

Temporary Changes in Response to COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary changes were made to the EI program to facilitate access to EI benefits and increase their generosity. These changes are in effect until September 25, 2021 and apply to EI caregiving benefit claimants:

• the waiting period may be waived
• a one-time credit of 480 insured hours, resulting in claimants only requiring 120 insured hours to qualify for EI caregiving benefits
• a minimum benefit rate of $500 per week before taxes
• the 52-week period to accumulate hours of work is extended for claimants who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, and
• For self-employment claims made between January 3, 2021 to September 25, 2021, the minimum self-employment income is $5,000 earned in 2020

Budget 2021 announcements

Budget 2021 announced a 1-year 420-hour entrance requirements for EI regular and special benefits to come into effect September 26, 2021.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholder groups primarily include health advocacy groups.

Description

The Employment Insurance (EI) program is fully financed through premium contributions from workers and employers. Employers pay 1.4 times the rate paid by workers. The premium rate for 2021 is $1.58 per $100 of insurable earnings for workers and $2.21 per $100 of insurable earnings for employers.

Legislative authority for the Premium Reduction Program (PRP) stems from section 69 of the Employment Insurance Act, and administrative provisions are set out in the Employment Insurance Regulations.

The PRP provides employers who offer wage-loss plans that meet the criteria set out in the Employment Insurance Regulations with a reduction in EI premiums. To qualify for the premium reduction, the wage-loss plan must be at least equivalent to EI sickness benefits. The rationale for the reduction in premiums is that employees covered by wage-loss plans will make fewer claims for EI sickness benefits, resulting in a savings to the EI program.

The amount of the premium reduction is calculated annually by the EI Senior Actuary at the time the EI premium rate is set. The 2021 EI Actuary Report estimates that the cost savings to the EI program generated by these employer plans for 2021 will be $1.06 billion.

Key program statistics

There were over 27,220 employers receiving EI premium reductions through the PRP in 2015, as reported in the 2019 to 2020 EI Monitoring and Assessment Report, which was released in 2021. Larger firms were most likely to participate in the PRP.

Budget 2021 announcements

Budget 2021 announced the government’s intention to enhance EI sickness benefits from 15 to 26 weeks. As a result of this extension, budget 2021 also announced consultations with employers, labour organizations and private insurers regarding adjustments that may be required to the EI PRP.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholder groups primarily include employer associations, including:

• the Canadian Payroll Association
• the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and
• Trade associations, such as:
  • Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, and
  • Labour unions

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission actively engages both employer and worker constituents and stakeholders on EI issues, including the PRP.

Description

The Employment Insurance (EI) program is fully financed through premium contributions from workers and employers. Employers pay 1.4 times the rate paid by workers. The 2021 premium rate is $1.58 per $100 of insurable earnings for workers, and $2.21 per $100 of insurable earnings for employers. Premium contributions by workers and employers are made until the Maximum Insurable Earnings (MIE) limit is reached ($56,300 in 2021).

Workers and employers in Quebec pay a lower premium rate ($1.18 and $1.65 for workers and employers respectively) to account for the fact that Quebec administers its own maternity parental and adoption program, thereby reducing the amount of EI special benefits payable to workers in Quebec.

EI premium revenues are held in the Employment Insurance Operating Account (EIOA). All amounts received under the Act are deposited in the Consolidated Revenue Fund and credited to the Account.

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) is responsible for setting the EI premium rate annually according to a 7-year break-even mechanism. The 7-year break-even rate represents the premium rate that would result in a cumulative balance of zero in the EIOA over a 7-year time horizon, eliminating any cumulative surplus or deficit. Additionally, annual changes in the premium rate are subject to a legislated limit of 5 cents per $100 of insurable earnings.

The 7-year break-even rate is calculated for the CEIC by the EI Senior Actuary at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions. The Actuary relies on information provided by the Minister of ESDC and Minister of Finance. Each year the Actuary produces the Actuarial Report on the Employment Insurance Premium Rate and ESDC produces a summary of this report on behalf of the CEIC. The Minister of ESDC is required to table the Report and its summary in both houses of Parliament within 10 sitting days of publication.

The CEIC must set and announce the premium rate for the next calendar year on or before September 14. The new rate must also be published in the Canada Gazette.

Response to COVID-19

As a result of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada used its authority under the Employment Insurance Act to temporarily limit the change in the premium rate to zero in order to freeze the EI premium rate for 2021 and 2022 at the 2020 level. The EIOA is also being credited for the costs related to Canada Emergency Response Benefits.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Canada Revenue Agency (collection of premiums); Benefits Delivery Services (EI operations and benefit payment).

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholder groups primarily include employer associations, including:

• the Canadian Payroll Association
• the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and
• labour unions

The CEIC actively engages both employer and worker constituents and stakeholders on EI issues, including on financial issues.

The Department of Finance has an interest in EI financing, since the balance of the EIOA has an impact on the overall balance of the federal budget.

Description

The Employment Insurance (EI) Compassionate Care Benefit provides up to 26 weeks of income support to eligible caregivers when a family member has a serious medical condition and a significant risk of death within a 26‑week period.

To access these special benefits, claimants must submit a medical certificate signed by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner confirming that the caregiving recipient is in need of end-of-life care. Caregivers can share the benefits, either at the same time or one after another, and receive their benefits when most needed during a 52-week period.

In order to qualify for EI special benefits, insured claimants require 600 insurable hours in the 52-week period preceding their claim. Self-employed workers who have opted into the EI program would normally have required $7,555 in self-employment net earnings in 2020 for claims in 2021. However, this amount was reduced to $5,000 as part of temporary EI flexibilities as described in section below. The maximum weekly benefit amount in 2021 is $595.

The Canada Labour Code provides unpaid job-protected leaves for employees in the federal private sector so that they are not at risk of losing their job while accessing EI caregiving benefits. For employees under provincial jurisdiction, employment standards vary by province/territory.

The EI program, including EI special benefits, is statutory and receives authority through the Employment Insurance Act.

Key program statistics

In 2019 to 2020 there were 7,581 claims for EI compassionate care benefits (70% of which were made by women) with a total value of $39.6 million in benefits paid.

Temporary changes in response to COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary changes were made to the EI program to facilitate access to EI benefits and increase their generosity. These changes are in effect until September 25, 2021 and apply to EI compassionate care benefit claimants:

• the waiting period may be waived
• a one-time credit of 480 insured hours resulting in claimants only requiring 120 insured hours to qualify for EI compassionate care benefits
• a minimum benefit rate of $500 per week before taxes
• the 52-week period to accumulate hours of work is extended for claimants who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, and
• for self-employment claims made between January 3, 2021 to September 25, 2021, the minimum self-employment income is $5,000 earned in 2020

Budget 2021 announcements

Budget 2021 announced a one-year 420-hour entrance requirements for EI regular and special benefits to come into effect September 26, 2021.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholder groups primarily include health advocacy groups, for example:

• the Canadian Cancer Society
• Canadian Hospice Pallliative Care Association
• Canadian Grief Alliance
• the Canadian Medical Association
• the Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada, and
• the Canadian Nurses Association

Description

The Employment Insurance (EI) family Caregiver Benefit provides up to 35 weeks of income support to eligible caregivers to provide care for a critically ill or injured child. The EI family caregiver benefit also provides up to 15 weeks of benefits to provide care to a critically ill or injured adult.

To access these special benefits, claimants must submit a medical certificate signed by a medical doctor or nurse practitioner confirming that the caregiving recipient is critically ill or injured or whose life is at risk. Caregivers can share the benefits, either at the same time or one after another, and receive their benefits when most needed during a 52-week period.

In order to qualify for EI special benefits, insured claimants require 600 insurable hours in the 52-week period preceding their claim. Self-employed workers who have opted into the EI program must have earned $7,555 in self-employment earnings in 2020 for claims in 2021; however, this amount was reduced to $5,000 as part of temporary EI flexibilities as described in section below. The maximum weekly benefit amount in 2021 is $595.

The Canada Labour Code provides unpaid job-protected leaves for employees in the federal private sector so that they are not at risk of losing their job while accessing EI caregiving benefits. For employees under provincial jurisdiction, employment standards vary by province/territory.

The EI program, including EI special benefits, is statutory and receives authority through the Employment Insurance Act.

Key program statistics

In 2019 to 2020 there were:

• 5,403 family caregiver benefit claims for children (78% of which were made by women) with $36.3 million in benefits paid, and
• 11,592 family caregiver benefit claims for adults with $55.7 million in benefits paid

Temporary changes to the EI Family Caregiver Benefits

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary changes were made to the EI program to facilitate access to EI benefits and increase their generosity. These changes are in effect until September 25, 2021 and apply to EI family caregiver benefit claimants:

• the waiting period may be waived
• a 1-time credit of 480 insured hours resulting in claimants only requiring 120 insured hours to qualify for EI family caregiver benefits
• a minimum benefit rate of $500 per week before taxes
• the 52-week period to accumulate hours of work is extended for claimants who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, and
• for self-employment claims made between January 3, 2021 to September 25, 2021, the minimum self-employment income is $5,000 earned in 2020

Budget 2021 announcements

Budget 2021 announced a 1-year 420-hour entrance requirement for EI regular and special benefits to come into effect September 26, 2021.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholder groups primarily include health advocacy groups, for example:

• the Canadian Cancer Society
• the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Society
• the Canadian Medical Association
• the Nurse Practitioner Association of Canada, and
• the Canadian Nurses Association

Description

Introduced in 1956, the Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) Program provides employers with the ability to increase employee’s earnings during a period of unemployment through supplemental benefits.

These include:

• temporary stoppage of work
• illness
• injury
• quarantine, or
• training

The employer is responsible for registering a SUB plan with Service Canada, which must meet the requirements set out under the Employment Insurance (EI) Regulations and the Income Tax Act. The advantage of registering a SUB plan is that for the purposes of EI, the top-up payments are not considered earnings and are therefore not deducted from EI benefits according to the working while on claim provisions.^{Footnote 1} Not all SUB plans need to be registered with Service Canada. For instance, employers that offer SUB plans to top-up benefits for maternity, parental, and caregiving do not have to register them with Service Canada. Top-ups received through those plans are also not considered earnings and are not deducted from EI benefits.

Once a SUB plan is submitted to the Service Canada SUB Program, it is reviewed by program officers to ensure it meets the requirements set out in the EI Regulations.

To be registered, the core features of the plans must meet the following criteria.

• First, it must indicate that it covers unemployment caused by one or a combination of: temporary stoppage of work; training; or situations where employees are temporarily unavailable to work due to illness, injury or quarantine
• Second, the employer has to select the top-up amount (paid weekly or bi-weekly) as either a percentage of earnings or a fixed amount, neither of which should exceed 95% of the employee’s normal weekly insurable earnings when combined with the weekly EI benefit received by the worker
• Third, the SUB plan must specify the maximum number of weeks the SUB is payable and the minimum period of employment required for the employee to qualify for the benefits
• Fourth, the employer must also indicate the method used to pay for the SUB payments (for example from general revenue of the firm or from a trust fund established to provide SUB payments), and
• Finally, the employer must indicate the anticipated time before the employee is expected to return to work after the benefit.^{Footnote 2}

As indicated above, in the case where employers do not have a registered SUB plan, top-up payments are allowed for employees receiving maternity, parental and caregiving EI benefits. Similar to registered plans, these EI benefits can be topped up to 95% with employer payments without any reduction in EI benefits.

Employers are also permitted to provide top-up payments through SUB plans when an employee is not in receipt of EI benefits, for example:

• serving their waiting period
• exhausted their entitlement, or
• did not qualify for benefits

In these situations, the plan can provide a maximum of 95% of the employee’s normal weekly earnings.

In summary, the program allows employers to provide employment-related benefits to their employees without affecting their employees’ amount of EI benefit payments. Furthermore, the program may also provide support to employers in retaining employees during times of temporary layoff or inability to work.

Key program statistics

Since 2008, the number of active employers with registered SUB plans has decreased slightly, from 5,955 in 2008 to 5,675 in 2017.This represents 0.5% of all firms in Canada.

Overall, claims, which receive top-up payments through registered SUB plans account for around 3% of total EI claims or just between 40,000 and 60,000 claims per year.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders groups primarily include employer associations, including:

• the Canadian Payroll Association
• the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and
• labour unions

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission actively engages both employers and worker constituents and stakeholders on EI, including the SUB Program.

For a full description of all eligibility, criteria please see the SUB Program webpage.

Description

Work-Sharing is an adjustment program designed to help employers and workers avoid layoffs when there is a temporary reduction in the normal level of business activity that is beyond the control of the employer.

Work-Sharing operates under the authority of the Employment Insurance Act and Employment Insurance Regulations, which provide for the payment of Work-Sharing benefits to individuals who are qualified to receive benefits under the Employment Insurance Act and who are employed under a Work-Sharing agreement that has been approved by the Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC).

Under a Work-Sharing agreement, employers, workers or the union, if applicable, and Service Canada agree to reduce the employees’ workweek by a minimum of 1 half day, up to a maximum of 3 days, while the employer implements recovery activities.

To help compensate for the hours not worked, Employment Insurance (EI) eligible workers receive income support in the form of EI Work-Sharing benefits. The goal is for all participating employees to return to normal working hours by the end of the Work-Sharing agreement.

Through Work-Sharing, employers are able to retain skilled workers and avoid the expensive process of recruiting and training new employees when the business returns to normal levels. It also helps workers avoid the hardship of being laid off, allowing them to stay engaged in the workforce while supplementing their wages with Work-Sharing benefits for the days they are not working. Beyond the direct benefits to workers and employers. Work-Sharing helps participants’ families and local communities while recovery activities take place.

A standard Work-Sharing agreement can last anywhere between 6 and 38 weeks, at which time employers must serve a cooling-off period equal to the length of their agreement before reapplying to the Program. This mandatory cooling-off period between agreements is meant to provide assurance that recovery is achieved before a new agreement is approved and that the employer is not relying on Work-Sharing to sustain their business.

In recent years, the Government of Canada has also introduced temporary special Work-Sharing measures as a support mechanism for employers and workers facing downturns in specific sectors and industries, for example during the commodities downturn (2016), and in response to trade disputes, including in the forest sector (2017) and steel and aluminum industries (2018). These measures allowed eligible employers to benefit from a waiving of the mandatory cooling-off period between agreements, agreement extensions and relaxed recovery plan requirements.

The Government of Canada introduced temporary special measures as part of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan to help support affected employers and workers. The measures, which promote business viability and recovery, are currently in effect until September 26, 2021.

These include:

• extending the maximum duration of an agreement from 38 weeks to 76 weeks
• waiving the mandatory cooling-off period between Work-Sharing agreements
• expanding eligibility to employers who have been in business for 1 year rather than 2
• expanding eligibility to include staff who are essential to recovery, Government Business Enterprises and not-for-profit organizations experiencing a reduction in revenues, and
• easing recovery plan requirements to a simple attestation contained in the application form

Budget 2021 proposed to extend the temporary special measures to continue to help employers and workers avoid layoffs.

Key program statistics

In 2018 to 2019, there were almost 160 Work-Sharing agreements with approximately 5,200 workers participating. The total cost of these agreements to the Government of Canada was $21.6 million. In the absence of Work-Sharing agreements, layoffs resulting from temporary downturns would have cost the EI Operating Account an estimated $27.5 million. Work-Sharing participation accounted for approximately $5.9 million in unpaid EI benefits due to employee retention in 2018 to 2019, resulting in overall savings to the EI Operating Account.

In the context of COVID-19, between February 28, 2020 and April 4, 2021, approximately 7,500 Work-Sharing applications have been received. Of these applications, over 4,300 agreements have been approved, representing an estimated total agreement value of $1.5 billion dollars. The agreements have supported over 131,600 participants and averted close to 61,000 layoffs.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits Delivery Services

List of key stakeholders

Since the Work-Sharing Program supports both employers and workers, key program stakeholders include:

• labour unions
• national industry associations, and
• various other groups representing employers and workers

The CEIC plays a leadership role in overseeing the EI program, which includes setting the administrative policy of the Work-Sharing Program and representing the balanced interests of both employers and workers

Service Canada carries out the administration of the Work-Sharing Program on behalf of the CEIC, assessing applications against program requirements and monitoring agreements.

Description

The Government of Canada invests in employment and skills training programming for Canadians by transferring ongoing funding annually to provinces and territories through the Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs). Under the LMDAs, provinces and territories are responsible for the design and delivery of programs, which offer a variety of supports to eligible individuals so they can gain skills and work experience. They can also access a combination of interventions and support measures, such as skills training, and wage subsidies.

Through the LMDAs, the Government of Canada provides $2.14 billion annually to provinces and territories, as well as an additional $1.8 billion over 6 years from 2017 to 2018 and 2022 to 2023. In 2021 to 2022, this represents $425 million for skills training and employment support for Canadians. The LMDAs are funded by Employment Insurance (EI) premiums (paid by employers and workers) and are governed by Part II of the Employment Insurance Act. The purpose of EI Part II is to help maintain a sustainable EI system, for example, by helping individuals get back to work before the end of their EI benefit entitlement period.

In accordance with the Employment Insurance Act, LMDAs can support individuals who are unemployed or further removed from the labour market to find and maintain employment. Provinces and territories design and deliver the labour market programming needed by clients through the following key services:

• Employment Benefits, which include the more extensive programming under the LMDAs. These benefits are available to current and former unemployed EI claimants (unemployed individuals who completed an EI claim in the previous 5 years) and unemployed individuals who have made minimum EI premium contributions in at least 5 of the last 10 years. These activities can include:
  • the provision of financial support for individuals to attend a course or training
  • wage subsidies paid to employers to hire individuals they would not normally hire
  • earnings supplements paid to workers to accept available jobs, and
  • support to help individuals start their own businesses

They also include partnerships with employers and communities to create jobs and provide individuals with opportunities to gain work experience that leads to ongoing employment.

• Support Measures, which include Employment Assistance Services such as:
  • employment counselling
  • help with résumé writing, and
  • the development of job search skill

These supports are available to both employed and unemployed individuals in Canada. They also include:

• partnerships with employers or associations to assist them in developing human resource strategies to deal with labour force adjustments, and
• financial support for eligible employers to train workers who need assistance to maintain their job, or are at risk of losing it

LMDAs can also fund research and innovation projects to identify better ways of helping individuals prepare for or keep employment.

The LMDAs are complemented by the Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs), which are also bilateral agreements with provinces and territories that, support their employment and skills training programming. WDAs are funded from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

Key program statistics

In 2018 to 2019, over a million participants received training and employment supports under the LMDAs. Of these, over 190,000 clients found employment within 6 months of completing their LMDA-funded interventions, resulting in over $1 billion in unpaid EI benefits from the EI Operating Account. The impact and effectiveness of LMDA interventions are evaluated every 5 years. Results from the latest evaluation cycle demonstrate that overall, program participants had improved labour market outcomes (employment and earnings) and reduced dependence on government income support (EI and social assistance). Annual results from LMDA-funded activities are included in chapter 3 of the EI Monitoring and Assessment Report, tabled annually in Parliament.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Provinces and territories, which may choose to deliver services through third-party organizations.

List of key stakeholders

In addition to provinces and territories, LMDA stakeholders comprise a wide range of EI premium payers.

Those include:

• Canadian businesses and their representatives
• employer associations
• unions
• not-for-profit organizations
• training institutions
• service providers
• official language minority communities, and
• workers

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission includes representation from business, labour unions and the Government of Canada. It is responsible for overseeing the EI program. ESDC administers EI Part II on behalf of the Commission.

Description

The Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs) transfer funding to provinces and territories to support their employment and skills training programming. Under the WDAs, provinces and territories are responsible for the design and delivery of programs, which offer a variety of supports including:

• skills training
• employment counselling and services
• group training
• financial assistance and benefits
• labour market connections
• experiential learning, and
• employer-sponsored training

Through the WDAs, the Government of Canada provides $722 million annually to provinces and territories, as well as an additional $900 million over 6 years from 2017 to 2018 to 2022 to 2023. In 2020 to 2021, this represents an additional $200 million for skills training and employment support for Canadians. The WDAs are funded by the Consolidated Revenue Fund and are established by the Minister of the Department of Employment and Social Development pursuant to section 7 of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act.

Programs delivered under the WDAs can support individuals who are unemployed or further removed from the labour market to find and maintain employment. They can also support those who are underemployed, employed or self-employed and seeking to upskill and/or reorient their careers. These agreements include specific funding for programs targeted for persons with disabilities and can be used to provide targeted supports to under‑represented groups such as:

• Indigenous peoples
• Youth
• older workers, and
• newcomers to Canada

The WDAs also support employers seeking to train current or future employees.

The WDAs represent the Government of Canada’s largest source of targeted funding for employment supports for persons with disabilities. Between 2017 to 2018 and 2022 to 2023, approximately $2.7 billion will be invested nationally under the WDAs for employment and training supports for persons with disabilities. This includes approximately $1.44 billion in federal funding and $1.24 billion in provincial/territorial cost-match spending.

The WDAs offer provinces and territories broad flexibility to support a range of clients with the tailored supports they need to enter or re-enter the labour market. In 2020 to 2021, an additional $1.5 billion was provided through the WDAs to help workers and employers adjust to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WDAs are complemented by the Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs), which are also bilateral agreements with provinces and territories that, support their employment and skills training programming. LMDAs are funded from EI premiums and aim at helping those with some ties to the EI program. The WDAs are funded from general revenues and help those farther removed from the labour market, employed individuals and employers.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Provinces and territories, which may choose to deliver services through third-party organizations.

List of key stakeholders

In addition to provinces and territories, WDA stakeholders include:

• workers
• unions
• employers and their representatives
• not-for-profit organizations
• training institutions
• service providers, and
• official language minority communities

Description

The purpose of Employment Insurance (EI) Part II is to help maintain a sustainable EI system. This is achieved through the provision of skills training and employment services that enable eligible individuals to gain skills and work experience, with a combination of interventions such as skills training and wage subsidies.

The responsibility for direct service delivery to individuals under EI Part II has been largely devolved to provinces and territories through the Labour Market Development Agreements, which provide over $2 billion annually in ongoing funding and the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program (of approximately $123.5 million in EI funds in 2021 to 2022, reaching $124.6 million in 2022 to 2023). The Government of Canada continues to deliver Pan-Canadian programming under EI Part II to meet labour market priorities that are national in scope, for example, labour mobility, labour market information, or of strategic importance.

To align with the provisions under Part II of the Employment Insurance Act, including the one pertaining to the harmonization with provincial and territorial initiatives to reduce overlap or duplication, the federal government delivers programming under the following authorities:

• Labour Market Partnerships: measures to support: employers, employee or employer associations, community groups and communities in developing and implementing strategies for dealing with labour force adjustments and meeting human resource requirements, and
• Research and Innovation: supports activities to identify better ways of helping individuals prepare for, return to or keep employment and be productive participants in the labour force

The current ongoing activities under the Pan-Canadian funding envelope represent investments of roughly $151 million (program and operating) annually, supporting 3 key objectives:

• address Pan-Canadian labour market issues and priorities of national and strategic importance
• promote an efficient and effective national labour market, and
• promote equality of opportunity for all Canadians, with a focus on helping under-represented groups reach their full potential in the Canadian labour market

Examples of priorities covered include:

• ISET Program: ISET Program service delivery organizations design and deliver training and employment programs, based on local priorities to support the development of the Indigenous labour market, moving clients along the skills continuum and supporting them in achieving their employment goals
• Skilled Trades, Apprenticeships and Red Seal Program: A number of initiatives aimed at developing a highly skilled, mobile and adaptable skilled trade workforce that is responsive to the current and future needs of the labour market. This includes supporting the development of a cohesive and coordinated approach to trade certification and apprenticeships that supports greater labour mobility and employment opportunities in the skilled trades, and
• Labour Market Information: The Government plays a key role in providing timely, reliable and comprehensive labour market information to help Canadians make informed decisions. For example, the Sectoral Initiatives Program helps develop and disseminate sector-specific labour market information to employers, employer associations and Canadians

Details and results on individual programs funded under EI Part II are included in their respective 2 pager note. Results for programs under Part II of the Employment Insurance Act are also reported in Chapter 3 of the annual EI Monitoring and Assessment Report, which is tabled in Parliament.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Indigenous and third party organizations, and Service Canada

List of key stakeholders

EI Part II stakeholders include:

• Canadian businesses and their representatives
• employer associations
• unions
• not-for-profit organizations
• training institutions
• official language minority communities
• Indigenous people
• service providers, and
• workers

The Canada Employment Insurance Commission includes:

• representation from business
• labour, and
• the Government of Canada

It is responsible for overseeing the EI program. ESDC administers EI Part II on behalf of the Commission.

Description

As part of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Government has introduced the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB). The CRB is effective from September 27, 2020 to September 25, 2021. It provides a benefit amount of $500 per week (available in 2-week periods) for up to 38 weeks for those who:

• are not eligible for Employment Insurance (EI)
• are not employed or self-employed due to COVID-19, or
• have had their employment/self-employment income reduced by at least 50% due to COVID-19

The Canada Recovery Benefit is available to residents in Canada who:

• are at least 15 years old and have a valid Social Insurance Number
• are not employed or self-employed for reasons related to COVID-19 pandemic
• are working and have had their employment/self-employment income reduced by at least 50% due to COVID-19
• are available and looking for work
• are not eligible for EI
• had employment and/or self-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2019, or in 2020, or in the 12-month period prior to their first application for the CRB
• have not quit their job voluntarily
• have not rejected a reasonable job offer
• have not rejected a request to resume work, or
• failed to resume work if self-employed where reasonable to do so

Key program statistics

As of April 4, 2021, over 1.8 million workers have accessed the CRB, and almost 40% of CRB applicants are continuing to apply every 2 weeks, without interruption.

Budget 2021 announcement

On April 19, 2021, the Government announced measures to continue to support workers through a transition away from emergency income supports and position Canadians for the recovery, while maintaining flexibility based on public health considerations. Budget 2021 proposes:

• to provide up to 12 additional weeks of CRB to a maximum of 50 weeks
  • the first 4 of these additional 12 weeks will be paid at $500 per week; and
  • the remaining 8 weeks of this extension will be paid at a lower amount of $300 per week, as the economy reopens
• all new CRB claimants after July 17, 2021 would also receive the $300 per week benefit, available up until September 25, 2021, and
• legislative amendments to provide authority for additional potential extensions of the CRB until no later than November 20, 2021, should they be needed

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: The Canada Revenue Agency administers the CRB.

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders include:

• workers
• self-employed workers
• employers, and
• groups representing employers and workers

Description

As part of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Government has introduced the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB). The CRSB is effective from September 27, 2020 to September 25, 2021. It provides $500 per week ($450 after taxes withheld), for up to a maximum of 4 weeks.

The CRSB is available to workers in Canada who were resident and present in Canada for the period in which they were unable to work and:

• are at least 15 years old and have a valid Social Insurance Number
• are employed or self-employed at the time of the application
• earned at least $5,000 in 2019 or 2020, or in the 12 months preceding the day of their application
• are not in receipt of paid leave during the period claimed, and
• are unable to work for at least 50% of the time that they would have otherwise worked or devoted to their work in the week for which they claim the benefit, because:
  • they are sick with or may have contracted COVID-19, or
  • they have isolated themselves on the advice of their employer, a medical practitioner, a nurse practitioner, a person in authority, a government or a public health authority for reasons related to COVID-19, or
  • they have underlying conditions, are undergoing treatments or have contracted other sicknesses that, in the opinion of a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, person in authority, government or public health authority, would make them more susceptible to COVID-19

Workers are not required to have a medical certificate to qualify for the benefit. Workers cannot claim the CRSB and receive other paid sick leave for the same period.

Workers can apply after the 1-week period in which they are seeking income support and attest they meet the requirements. The benefit is taxable, with taxes deducted at source to reduce the amount of tax owed at the end of the year.

International travelers who, on or after October 2, 2020, are required to quarantine or isolate upon their return to Canada are not be eligible to receive the recovery benefits, including the CRSB during the period of their quarantine or isolation. Once they have served the mandatory quarantine or isolation period, individuals would be able to claim the recovery benefits for subsequent periods if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Exceptions apply to:

• a worker who travelled for medical treatment certified as necessary by a medical practitioner
• a worker who accompanied a person who is incapable of travelling without assistance of an attendant to receive a medical treatment certified by a medical practitioner, and
• a worker who has to isolate but would have otherwise been exempt from quarantine when they return to Canada such as health care workers or truck drivers who need to cross the border for work

Key program statistics

As of April 11, 2021, roughly 469K individuals have accessed the CRSB since its launch on September 27, 2020. The CRSB has paid out over $417 million in total benefits during this period. For up-to-date information on the number of CRSB applications, please visit the CRA benefits website.

Budget 2021 announcements

Budget 2021 proposes legislative amendments to provide authority for additional potential extensions of the Canada Recovery Benefit and its associated suite of sickness and caregiving benefits, until no later than November 20, 2021, should they be needed.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: The Canada Revenue Agency administers the CRSB.

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders include:

• the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
• employers
• employees
• private insurers
• health advocates
• labour unions
• NGOs such as the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, and
• the provinces and territories

Description

As part of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Government has introduced the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB). The CRCB is effective from September 27, 2020 to September 25, 2021. It provides $500 per week ($450 after taxes withheld) for up to 38 weeks.

The CRCB is available to employed and self-employed individuals who were resident and present in Canada for the period in which they were unable to work, and:

• are at least 15 years old and have a valid Social Insurance Number
• are employed or self-employed at the time of the application
• earned at least $5,000 in 2019 or 2020, or in the 12 months preceding the day of their application
• are not in receipt of paid leave during the 1 week period claimed, and
• are unable to work for at least 50% of their scheduled work week because they had to care for a child under the age of 12 or another family member who requires supervised care:
  • because their school, daycare, day program, or facility that they normally attend is unavailable, closed or open only certain times or for certain individuals, or
  • because the care services or the person that usually cares for the child or family member is not available due to COVID-19, or
  • because they are sick and/or have been directed to quarantine for reasons related to COVID-19, or
  • because they are at high risk of serious health complications if they contracted COVID-19

A household is entitled to a maximum of 38 weeks of the CRCB. If 2 or more persons reside in the same household, the benefit can be shared among eligible workers but only one of them may be paid a CRCB for any particular week.

Workers can apply after the 1-week period in which they are seeking income support and attest that they meet the requirements. The benefit is taxable, with taxes deducted at source to reduce the amount of tax owed at the end of the year.

International travelers who, on or after October 2, 2020, are required to quarantine or isolate upon their return to Canada are not eligible to receive the recovery benefits, including the CRCB, during the period of their quarantine or isolation. Once they have served the mandatory quarantine or isolation period, individuals would be able to claim the recovery benefits for subsequent periods if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Exceptions apply to:

• a worker who travelled for medical treatment certified as necessary by a medical practitioner
• a worker who  accompanied a person who is incapable of travelling without assistance of an attendant to receive a medical treatment certified by a medical practitioner, and
• a worker who has to isolate but would have otherwise been exempt from quarantine when they return to Canada such as:
  • health care workers, or
  • truck drivers who need to cross the border for work

Key program statistics

As of April 11, 2021, roughly 370 000 individuals have accessed the CRCB since its launch on September 27, 2020. The CRCB has paid out roughly $2 billion in total benefits during this period. For up-to-date information on the number of CRCB applications, please consult the Canada Revenue Agency CRCB statistics webpage.

Budget 2021 announcements

Budget 2021 proposed to extend the CRCB by an additional 4 weeks, to a maximum of 42 weeks, at $500 per week.

Budget 2021 proposes legislative amendments to provide authority for additional potential extensions of the CRB and its associated suite of sickness and caregiving benefits, until no later than November 20, 2021, should they be needed.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: The Canada Revenue Agency administers the CRCB

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders include:

• the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities
• employers
• employees
• labour unions
• NGOs, and
• the provinces and territories

Description

As part of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, the Government introduced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). The CERB was a temporary response to support workers, including the self-employed, who stopped working due to COVID-19. The CERB provided a weekly amount of $500 for up to 28 weeks, between March 15, 2020, and October 3, 2020. The deadline to retroactively apply for CERB was December 2, 2020. It was delivered under the authority of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit Act by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and under the authority of the Employment Insurance Act by Service Canada.

The CERB was available to workers:

• residing in Canada, who were at least 15 years old
• who had stopped working because of reasons related to COVID-19, or
• were eligible for Employment Insurance (EI) regular or sickness benefits, or
• had exhausted their EI regular or fishing benefits between December 29, 2019 and October 3, 2020
• who had employment and/or self-employment income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application, and
• who had not quit their job voluntarily

When submitting their first claim, workers could not have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for 14 or more consecutive days within the 4-week benefit period of their claim.

When submitting subsequent claims, workers could not have earned more than $1,000 in employment and/or self-employment income for the entire 4-week benefit period of their new claim.

Key program statistics

As of October 4, 2020, nearly 8.9 million workers accessed the CERB and $74.08 billion in benefits paid.

Budget 2021 announcement

Budget 2021 proposes to amend the Income Tax Act to allow individuals the option to claim a deduction in respect of the repayment of a COVID‑19 benefit amount in computing their income for the year in which the benefit amount was received rather than the year in which the repayment was made. This option would be available for benefit amounts repaid at any time before 2023. Individuals may only deduct benefit amounts once they have been repaid. An individual who makes a repayment, but who has already filed their income tax return for the year in which the benefit was received, would be able to request an adjustment to the return for that year.

This relief measure would include:

• the CERB paid by either the CRA or EDSC
• the Canada Emergency Student Benefit
• the Canada Recovery Benefit
• the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit, and
• the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit

In addition, the Government announced it would extend temporary provisions related to the EI Emergency Response Benefit. This ensures that workers who accessed the CERB through Service Canada, continue to have access to training and skills development programs and to allow integrity activities over a longer time frame. The Government intends to introduce amendments to the Employment Insurance Act to extend the application of certain provisions related to the CERB.

Policy actions taken since the 2020 Fall Economic Statement

In February 2021, the Government announced that self-employed individuals who applied for the CERB and would have qualified based on their gross income instead of net income will not be required to repay the benefit, provided they also met all other eligibility requirements. The Government of Canada also announced targeted interest relief on income tax debt for the 2020 tax year for Canadians who received COVID-related income support benefits.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: The CRA administered the CERB and Service Canada administered the EI Emergency Response Benefit.

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders include:

• the provinces and territories
• self-employed workers
• employers and groups representing employers, and
• workers

Description

A priority for ESDC is to ensure that policy and program development is based on sound evidence and research that is undertaken within the Department as well as by organizations outside the government.

By supporting emerging and priority driven research and research-related events undertaken by leading policy institutions, non-governmental organizations and academics, ESDC fosters the development of sound public policy.

The Strategic Engagement and Research Program (SERP) is a grant and contribution program to fund research and research-related events (such as academic and policy conferences) that are aligned with the Department’s mandate and government priorities. The program is used when there are no other appropriate programs or funding mechanisms available in the Department.

The research funded by the program is beneficial for provinces and territories, the non-government sector, as well as the Department and other federal departments and agencies. It also allows the Department to contribute to the broader domestic and international research community.

The SERP has 2 funding streams: International stream and Domestic stream.

By supporting research and research-related events undertaken by international organizations and allowing the payment of various assessed contributions, the International stream supports the strengthening of relationships with key international multilateral partners and stakeholders on current and emerging issues of importance to the Department.

This stream includes the existing Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Named Grant, which was the former vehicle used to transfer funds to the OECD annually for research projects that are used to address gaps in policy or program knowledge in Canada.

The Domestic stream funds research and events that align with the Department’s mandate and priorities that are undertaken by domestic universities, think tanks and public policy institutions, which thereby increases the Department’s presence in discussions of pertinent public policy issues.

Key program statistics

In 2020 to 2021, the SERP supported research projects undertaken by the OECD, the First Nations and Information Governance Centre, the Centre for the Study of Living Standards and the Public Policy Forum. The program also supported the organization of policy conferences such as the annual Queen’s International Institute on Social Policy Conference and the Special Session of the XXII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work.

The SERP authorities also allow for payment of the assessed contributions to international organizations of which the Canada is a member, such as:

• the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• International Social Security Association (ISSA)
• the Inter-American Conference on Social Security (CISS), and
• the World Association of Public Employment Services (WAPES)

Policy Lead: Strategic and Service Policy Branch

Service delivered by: Strategic and Service Policy Branch and Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

The primary target client group for this program is all Canadians (rather than specific sub-groups). Benefit is derived from funding research and events that support policy and program development and contribute to better outcomes for Canadians.

Eligible recipients

Description

The Indigenous Skills and Employment Training (ISET) Program is a distinctions-based labour market program designed to support First Nations, Inuit, Metis and Urban/Non-affiliated Indigenous people to improve their skills and meet their long-term career goals. The Program’s goal is to help reduce the skills and employment gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

The ISET Program funds a wide range of labour market activities, including locally designed programs in support of each distinctions-based labour market strategy. Indigenous service delivery organizations can provide employment-related and career development assistance; wrap-around supports such as:

• living expenses
• coaching and mentorship, and
• disability-related supports

The program funds a network of over 110 Indigenous service delivery organizations with over 650 points of service to provide Indigenous people with training and supports to improve their skills and secure employment.

The ISET Program is discretionary and is established under the authority of section 7 of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act. It has 2 sources of funding:

• the Pan-Canadian Fund established under the Employment Insurance Act, Part II, and
• the Consolidated Revenue Fund

In 2018, an investment of $2 billion over 5 years, and $408.2 million per year ongoing, was made to support the creation of the ISET Program.

Key Program Statistics

The results from 2019 to 2020 include over 15,000 Indigenous people being employed and integrated into the Canadian labour market, with over 3,700 returning to school.

The precursor to the ISET Program, the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy (ASETS) (2010 to 2019) served 476,897 clients, of which approximately 157,255 clients were employed and 77,237 clients returned to school.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

To ensure that Indigenous people continue to participate in labour market program design and delivery, ESDC and Service Canada work closely with a range of Indigenous partners, including:

• Indigenous Service Delivery Organizations
• National Indigenous Organizations
  • Assembly of First Nations
  • Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
  • Métis National Council
  • Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
  • Native Women's Association of Canada), and
• Indigenous leadership

Description

The Skills and Partnership Fund (SPF) is a project-based program that funds partnerships between Indigenous organizations and industry employers to provide skills training for Indigenous peoples linked to economic opportunities at the local, regional and national level.

By increasing access to training that is demand-driven, the SPF plays a key role in directly linking Indigenous peoples to specific jobs and improving their employment outcomes. The SPF aims to reduce the skills and employment gaps that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and increase Indigenous participation in the labour market by ensuring Indigenous participants have improved skills and employment opportunities.

With an ongoing investment of $50 million per year, SPF focuses on training Indigenous people for industry-identified, specific jobs that align with emerging labour market needs and government priorities. SPF funds Indigenous labour market development activities that:

• respond to economic and partnership opportunities with targeted labour force development initiatives, and
• demonstrate partnership with the private sector, not-for-profit, and/or public

The SPF is established under the authority of section 7 of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act.

Key program statistics

Since 2010, SPF has supported over 45,000 clients with over 16,000 employed and over 2,400 returning to school.

Since the last call for proposal in 2016, SPF has served over 11,000 clients across 55 projects. These projects have supported over 4,200 Indigenous people find employment and over 780 return to school.

In 2019 to 2020, out of 4,621 participants participating in SPF projects, the program supported 1,784 Indigenous people find employment and 285 returned to school.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

Indigenous organizations are eligible recipients under the SPF program. This may include:

• Incorporated for-profit and not-for-profit Indigenous-controlled organizations
• Indigenous-controlled unincorporated associations
• Indian Act bands
• Tribal Councils, and
• Indigenous self-government entities

Description

The Literacy and Essential Skills (LES) program helps adult Canadians improve their literacy and essential skills to better prepare for, get and keep a job and adapt and succeed at work. The Government of Canada identified and validated 9 essential skills as the foundation for all other skills training. These include:

• Reading
• Writing
• Numeracy
• Document use
• Computer use
• Thinking
• Oral communication
• Working with others, and
• Continuous learning

Strong essential skills help workers to be more resilient to workplace changes and are associated with better labour market outcomes.

The Government of Canada, through the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES), collaborates with partners and stakeholders to provide Canadians with access to essential skills tools, resources and training. OLES works closely with provincial and territorial governments to support the integration of essential skills into their employment and training programs, which are supported by federal labour market transfers such as the labour market development agreements and the workforce development agreements.

The LES program places emphasis on vulnerable populations and those facing multiple barriers to employment, such as:

• Indigenous people
• Youth
• Newcomers, and
• Official language minority communities (OLMCs)

As such, OLES works horizontally with other ESDC programs such as the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program and the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy to integrate essential skill into their programming. OLES also partners with other federal government departments, such as:

• Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada, to enhance the availability of essential skills supports for newcomers, and
• Canadian Heritage, through the Action Plan for Official Languages, to support OLMCs

The LES program is a grants and contributions program with funding from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and EI Part II, allocated through the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program and the National Essential Skills Initiative, respectively. Funding primarily supports the testing, replicating and scaling up of effective and innovative training models. Funded projects complement provincial and territorial programming, support the development and testing of new models that address gaps and contribute to training and service delivery that is responsive to worker and employer needs.

The 9 essential skills, also known as the Essential Skills Framework, was created over 25 years ago. To ensure it is aligned with current labour market needs, OLES is modernizing the framework through extensive engagements with key partners and stakeholders, which is expected to be completed in 2021.

Key program statistics

The key performance indicators for the LES program are:

• the number of organizations supporting essential skills training and development, and
• the number of Canadians that have accessed essential skills training or supports

The program results for 2018 to 2019 as of March 31, 2020, are:

• 1,100 organizations were supporting essential skills training and development, and
• 17,290 Canadians accessed essential skills training or supports

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

OLES has a wide range of stakeholders that each play a unique role in supporting essential skills, including:

• Federal departments
• Provinces and territories
• Post-secondary education systems
• Unions
• Employers
• Service delivery organizations, and
• Other organizations that support research on essential skills

Description

The Red Seal Program is a federal-provincial/territorial partnership that works with industry to set common occupational standards to assess the skills of tradespeople across Canada in Red Seal trades. Industry is heavily involved in developing the national occupational standard for the Red Seal trades across various sectors.

For example:

• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Automotive
• Industrial
• Service, and
• Natural resources

The program is managed and delivered by the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship through a partnership between ESDC and all 13 provincial/territorial apprenticeship authorities, which are responsible for apprenticeship training and trade certification in their respective jurisdictions.

Tradespersons who have successfully passed the Red Seal examination receive a Red Seal endorsement on their provincial/territorial trade certificate. The Red Seal, when affixed to a provincial or territorial trade certificate, indicates that a tradesperson has demonstrated the knowledge required for the national occupational standard in that trade. The Red Seal endorsement promotes excellence to employers, instills pride in skilled workers, and facilitates labour mobility.

Key program statistics

Over 750,000 tradespeople have attained a Red Seal endorsement. The Red Seal trades cover approximately 77% of apprentices (Registered Apprenticeship Information System, 2019).

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Skills and Employment Branch in collaboration with the provinces and territories

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders for the Red Seal Program include:

• Unions, for example:
  • UA Canada
  • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
  • International Union of Operating Engineers
  • Labourers’ International Union of North America, and
  • United Brotherhood of Carpenters
• Industry/employer organizations, for example:
  • National Electrical Trade Council
  • Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, and
  • Canadian Construction Association
• Post-secondary institutions, for example:
  • Polytechnics Canada, and
  • Colleges and Institutes Canada
• Non-governmental organizations representing women and Indigenous peoples in the trades, for example:
  • Women Building Futures, and
  • Indigenous Works

Description

The new Apprenticeship Service will provide $470 million over 3 years, starting in 2021 to 2022, to help 55,000 first-year apprentices in Red Seal trades connect with opportunities at small and medium-sized employers.

Employers will be eligible to receive up to $5,000 for all first-year apprenticeship opportunities to assist with upfront costs such as salaries and training.

In addition, to boost diversity in the Red Seal trades, this incentive will be doubled to $10,000 for employers who hire underrepresented individuals, including:

• Women
• Racialized Canadians, and
• Persons with disabilities

The Apprenticeship Service is discretionary and does not have governing legislation.

Key program statistics

Given that the Apprenticeship Service is a new initiative, key program statistics are not available.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

The Program’s key stakeholders are:

• Employers and industry groups
• Unions and labour organizations
• Provincial and territorial authorities
• Indigenous organizations, and
• Organizations representing key groups facing barriers in the trades

Description

The objective of the Program is to support entry/progression and completion/certification within an apprenticeship program in a designated Red Seal trade. Funds may be used to pay for:

• Tuition
• Living expenses
• Textbooks, and/or
• Tools during training

The Program provides grants (up to $4,000 for all apprentices and up to $8,000 for women in trades where they are under-represented) to eligible apprentices in designated Red Seal trades for completing their first and second year of their apprenticeship or upon receipt of their journeyperson certification.

The Program provides these grants through the:

• Apprenticeship Incentive Grant: a taxable cash grant of $1,000 for first and second year/level of training, up to a lifetime maximum amount of $2,000 per person
• Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women: a taxable cash grant of $3,000 for first and second year/level of training, up to a maximum amount of $6,000 per person, and
• Apprenticeship Completion Grant: a one-time taxable cash grant lifetime amount of $2,000 per person for registered apprentices who complete their apprenticeship training and obtain their journeyperson certification

The Apprenticeship Grants Program is discretionary and does not have a governing legislation.

Key program statistics

In 2019 to 2020, over 65,300 grants were issued to apprentices representing $93.6 million in funding.

• 40,000 Apprenticeship Incentive Grants ($40 million)
• 3,000 Apprenticeship Incentive Grants for Women ($9 million), and
• 22,300 Apprenticeship Completion Grants ($44.6 million)

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Transformation and Integrated Service Management Branch

List of key stakeholders

The Program’s key stakeholders are:

• Provincial and territorial training authorities
• Unions
• Academic institutions, and
• Trades associations

Description

The Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP) provides $25 million annually to strengthen training in the Red Seal trades through 2 streams of funding.

• stream 1 (Investments in Training Equipment) provides unions representing workers in the Red Seal trades with up to 50% of the cost of purchasing up-to-date training equipment and materials to meet industry standards or invest in new technology
• stream 2 (Innovation in Apprenticeship) provides support for innovative approaches to address barriers limiting apprenticeship outcomes for key groups. A range of organizations are eligible, but unions representing workers in Red Seal trades must be involved, either as the lead or as partner on projects

For both streams, a priority is given to projects that aim to increase the participation and success of key groups in the trades.

For example:

• Youth
• Women
• Indigenous people
• Newcomers
• Persons with disabilities, and
• Racialized communities, including Black Canadians

Challenges that key groups face to enter the trades include barriers caused by:

• A lack of mentors
• Difficulty finding an employer
• Discrimination
• Family obligations
• Lack of job readiness
• Geographic barriers, and
• Insufficient financial supports to continue training

Priority is also given to projects that involve broad-based partnerships with:

• Employers
• Community and non-profit groups
• Training providers
• Provinces and territories
• Indigenous communities
• Colleges, and
• Etc.

The Government of Canada has a separate agreement with the Government of Quebec, which represents an investment of $12 million from 2018 and 2019 to 2020 and 2021. The Agreement ensures that the UTIP is delivered along the same parameters as in the rest of Canada and responds to the unique features of Quebec’s apprenticeship system.

The UTIP is discretionary and does not have governing legislation.

Key program statistics

The 2017 Call for Proposals (CFP) for the UTIP was held from July 24, 2017, to September 5, 2017.

• A total of 34 Stream 1 projects were approved in 2017 to 2018 and are underway for a total investment of approximately $10.3 million, and
• A total of 19 Stream 2 projects were approved in 2018 to 2019 and are underway for a total investment of approximately $27.3 million

The 2018 CFP for Stream 1 (Investments in Training Equipment) was held from July 23 to September 17, 2018. A total of 56 Stream 1 projects were approved and are underway for a total investment of approximately $11.6 million.

The 2019 CFP for Stream 1 was launched on April 30, 2019, for a 4-week application period, closing on May 29, 2019. A total of approximately $13.1 million is being invested in this CFP. A total of 38 Stream 1 projects were approved and are underway.

The 2020 CFP for UTIP was launched on July 3 2020.

• A total of 50 Stream 1 projects were approved and are underway for a total investment of approximately $6.2 million, and
• A total of 16 Stream 2 projects were approved and are underway for a total investment of approximately $56 million

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

Key union stakeholders for the Red Seal trades include:

• Canada’s Building Trades Unions and most of their affiliated unions, and
• the International Union of Operating Engineers

Other stakeholders include:

• Industry/employer representatives, for example:
  • Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters
  • the Canadian Construction Association
  • the Progressive Contractors Association, and
  • the Association de la construction du Québec
• Post-secondary institutions, for example:
  • Polytechnics Canada, and
  • Colleges and Institutes Canada
• Non-governmental organizations representing women and Indigenous people in the trades, for example:
  • Women Building Futures
  • the Assembly of First Nations, and
  • the Aboriginal Human Resource Council

Description

The Women in Construction Fund (WCF) provides $10 million over 3 years, starting in 2018 to 2019, to increase the participation of women in the Red Seal trades. Due to challenges caused by the COVID‑19 pandemic, it is now a 4-year program ending in March 2022. The Program supports projects building on existing models that have proven to be effective in:

• attracting and recruiting women into the trades (for example, site visits, hands-on experiences and career exploration)
• supporting apprentice training and skills development through upgrading of essential skills and a continuum of tailored services for women (for example, child care, transportation, purchase of tools, coaching and mentoring), and
• supporting employers by developing recruitment and retention tools and supports based on best practices for inclusive and respectful workplaces

A wide range of organizations and partnerships are eligible for this program, including:

• Women’s non‑profit organizations
• Employer and industry associations
• Unions
• Training providers, and
• Provinces and territories

The WCF is discretionary and does not have governing legislation.

Key program statistics

Projects were solicited in 2018 through a targeted solicitation process with a wide range of organizations and partners eligible for this program. A total of 4 projects have been approved and are underway for a total investment of $7.7 million over 4 years.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders include women’s organizations, such as Women Building Futures and the Office to Advance Women Apprentices.

Description

The Skilled Trades Awareness and Readiness (STAR) Program provides $10 million annually to encourage Canadians—including those facing barriers, such as women, youth, Indigenous people, racialized communities, including Black Canadians, persons with disabilities and newcomers—to explore and prepare for careers in the skilled trades.

More specifically, the Program’s objective is to build awareness of the trades as viable, good quality careers; help equip individuals with the skills and supports they need to pursue a career in the skilled trades; and provide opportunities to explore the trades.

Activities funded under the STAR Program include:

• Career exploration opportunities to support well-informed career decisions (for example, through “try a trade”, career fairs, mentorship, in school introduction, job shadowing, simulators and mobile training)
• Skills training to better prepare individuals for success (for example, essential skills training and safety certification), and
• Work experience to offer hands-on job experience and connections with employers (for example, work placements to increase awareness of the trades and get hands-on experience)

A wide range of organizations are eligible for the STAR Program, such as community and not-for-profit organizations, employers, provincial and territorial governments, colleges and training providers.

The STAR Program is discretionary and does not have governing legislation.

Key program statistics

As of December 2020, 13 projects have been approved (9 in 2018 to 2019, 3 in 2019 to 2020, 1 in 2020 to 2021), for a total investment of approximately $31.8 million over 5 years. Nine were approved through a targeted solicitation process (2018 to 2019), while 4 were from unsolicited projects (2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021).

The need for solicitation or a call for proposal is reassessed yearly, based on available funding.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders include:

• Unions, for example:
  • Canada’s Building Trades Union
  • the Christian Labour Association of Canada,  and
  • the Commission de la construction du Québec
• Post-secondary organizations, for example:
  • Colleges and Institutes Canada
  • Mohawk College
  • Polytechnics Canada
  • the Council of Deans of Trades and Apprenticeship, and
  • Canada Polytechnics Canada
• Organizations representing groups facing barriers in the trades, for example:
  • Women Building Futures
  • National Indigenous organizations, and
  • Skills Competences Canada

Description

As a result of Budget 2021, the Sectoral Initiatives Program (SIP) will be folded into a new Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP) with the objective to help employers and workers by supporting key sectors of the economy develop and implement solutions to address their immediate, emerging and longer-term workforce challenges.

Through contribution agreements, the new Program will fund sector-specific projects delivered by third party organizations that develop and implement a range of industry-driven activities, such as:

• Training and reskilling initiatives
• Workforce solutions for employers
• Labour market intelligence, standards and tools, and
• Initiatives promoting a diverse and inclusive labour market

The SIP/SWSP is discretionary and does not have governing legislation.

Key program statistics

The SIP is currently supporting 34 active projects in 18 different economic sectors.

During the 2019 to 2020 fiscal year, projects funded by the Program produced:

• 141 labour market intelligence reports and 14 forecasting systems
• 14 national occupational standards
• 3 pilot project reports
• 13 curricula or training programs, and
• 2 accreditation programs

From 2013 to March 2018, the Program leveraged $44.8 million from program partners and their industry stakeholders towards project budgets.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

The Program’s key stakeholders are primarily partnership-based organizations engaged in skills and workforce development in their respective economic sectors or employment groups across Canada.

These include:

• Employer consortia
• Sector organizations
• Industry associations
• Unions
• Education and training bodies
• Professional associations, and
• Indigenous organizations

Description

Launched in 2005, the Enabling Fund (EF) for Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs) aims to enhance the development and vitality of OLMCs through 3 broad objectives:

• development of human resources in OLMCs
• community economic development, and
• community capacity building

The program delivers on these objectives through contribution agreements with a pan-Canadian network of 14 non-profit organizations, 1 in each province and territory, and 1 national organization. Projects and activities under these contribution agreements include:

• Human resource development:
  • training and workshops supporting labour market integration for people with disabilities, youth and newcomers
  • local job offers for youth and immigrants to support their retention and promote their recruitment
  • job fairs and networking events for employers and jobseekers
  • making employers aware of hiring Francophone youth and immigrants, and
  • entrepreneurial training
• Community economic development:
  • cooperative development and projects
  • tourism projects and activities, development of tourism products and promotion of entrepreneurship
  • services for employers: business plans, marketing, recruitment, human resources tools and access to capital, and
  • events for OLMC employers to facilitate networking
• Community capacity building:
  • community plans and projects and support to community organizations to build their capacity and apply for funding
  • community and operational self-assessments for companies and projects, and
  • development of social enterprises

The EF was renewed through the 2018 to 2023 Action Plan for Official Languages with $70.75 million over 5 years. The program is discretionary and, on average, an annual budget of $14.15 million is allocated through contribution agreements to 14 organizations. An annual operational funding of $1.92 million is managed by ESDC.

Included in the above funding, the Department is managing a 5-year (2018 to 2023) investment of $6.85 million for early childhood development daycares and child care services in French in minority communities. The goal of this initiative is to support entrepreneurs in opening more Francophone daycares and child care services.

The EF is ESDC’s primary program to meet the legal and mandated obligations under section 41 of the Official Languages Act. Pursuant to subsection 41(1) of the Official Languages Act, the “Government of Canada is committed to enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development; and fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.” Subsection 41(2) requires that positive measures be taken for the implementation of these commitments. The Department of Canadian Heritage is responsible for the horizontal coordination of official languages programs, including the EF.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch in collaboration with Skills and Employment Branch

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholder groups primarily include non-profit organizations that provide leadership in economic and human development matters on behalf of the OLMCs in their respective province or territory.

These organizations are part of 2 networks:

• the Réseau de développement économique et d’employabilité (RDÉE), composed of:
  • RDÉE Canada (the national coordinating body), and
  • 12 provincial/territorial organizations in Francophone and Acadian communities
• the Community Economic Development and Employability Corporation (CEDEC) for English-speaking communities in Quebec

Description

Future Skills helps to transform skills development policies and programs that Canadians access nationwide. Given that skills development is an area of shared jurisdiction between federal, provincial and territorial governments, collaboration with and across governments is key to support the integration of evidence generated through the initiative into policy development and program design to deliver better results for Canadians. ESDC is working with the Forum of Labour Market Ministers to support provincial and territorial involvement in Future Skills, which is integral to the initiative’s success.

Launched in February 2019, Future Skills is part of the Government of Canada’s plan to help prepare Canadians for jobs of the future. The Government committed $225 million over 4 years, starting in 2018 to 2019, and $75 million per year thereafter in Future Skills. The initiative mobilizes action amongst public, private, labour, education and training providers, Indigenous and not-for-profit organizations. It aims to ensure that Canada’s skills policies and programs adapt and meet the evolving needs of jobseekers, workers and employers within a changing world of work. With 50% of funding dedicated to supporting underrepresented groups, Future Skills contributes to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce so everyone has a chance to succeed.

It includes:

• The Future Skills Council: a Ministerial advisory council that brings together multi-sectoral leaders to advise on skills and workforce trends; and identify and mobilize action on areas of pan-Canadian significance, and
• The Future Skills Centre: an independent innovation and applied research centre that identifies emerging in-demand skills; and prototypes, tests and evaluates innovative approaches to skills assessment and development

Key program statistics

The Future Skills Council’s Report Canada - A Learning Nation was released in November 2020. It identifies 5 priority areas that are key to fostering a skilled, agile workforce ready to shape the future. The report is a call to action for business, labour, education and training providers, Indigenous and not-for-profit organizations and governments to work together to seize emerging opportunities and to drive innovation and inclusive economic growth.

The Future Skills Centre has initiated more than 110 innovation projects and is active in every province and territory. It has undertaken more than 55 research reports on a range of key issues, including:

• Indigenous-focused education and training
• Social and emotional skills
• Closing the skills gap, and
• Bracing for automation

The Centre has developed more than 5,000 partnerships with a wide range of organizations nationwide and has actively engaged with provinces and territories.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholder groups primarily include:

• Business and industry associations
• Employers
• Education and training providers
• Indigenous organizations and groups
• Labour associations and unions
• Not-for-profit organizations, and
• Academics

Future Skills complements the Labour Market Information Council (LMIC), which has a mandate to make available consistent, granular local labour market information nationwide.

Annex A – Council members

• Denise Amyot, President and Chief Executive Officer, Colleges and Institutes Canada
• Jeremy Auger, Chief Strategy Officer, D2L
• Judy Fairburn, Board Director, Calgary Economic Development
• Amanda Kilabuk, Executive Director, Tungasuvvingat Inuit
• Lisa Langevin, Director, Equity and Engagement, Industry Training Authority
• Mike Luff, National Representative, Canadian Labour Congress
• Dr. Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald, President and Chief Executive Officer, Holland College
• Melissa Sariffodeen, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Canada Learning Code
• Kerry Smith, Senior Director, Manitoba Métis Federation
• Michelle Snow, Assistant Deputy Minister, Workforce Development, Labour and Immigration, Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
• David Ticoll, Chair, National Stakeholder Advisory Panel, LMIC
• Rachel Wernick, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Skills and Employment Branch, ESDC, Government of Canada

Description

The Labour Market Information Council (LMIC) is a non-for profit organization established in 2017 by the Forum of Labour Market Ministers to improve the timeliness, reliability and accessibility of labour market information (LMI) to facilitate employment-related decision-making.

The Council’s mission is to empower Canadians, including employers, workers, job seekers, academics, policy makers, educators, career practitioners, students, parents and under-represented groups, with timely and reliable LMI and insights in an engaging way that supports their decision-making and helps them navigate a changing and dynamic world of work.

The organization works to identify and implement pan-Canadian priorities for the collection, analysis and distribution of LMI in collaboration with provincial, territorial and federal jurisdictions as well as a wide network of stakeholders involved in labour market issues.

The LMIC is led by a Board of Directors and guided by two advisory panels: the National Stakeholder Advisory Panel (NSAP) and the Labour Market Information Experts Panel.

The Board of Directors is composed of 15 senior government officials representing each province and territory as well as the federal government (ESDC and Statistics Canada). The Board of Directors, in consultation with stakeholders, is responsible for setting the overall priorities and areas of activity for the Council.

The NSAP provides advice on the overall activities of the LMIC, including identifying specific priorities on an annual basis. The NSAP is composed of non-government stakeholders possessing substantial knowledge and expertise in one or more areas of LMI. They are also providers of LMI to Canadians.

The LMI Experts Panel provides expertise and advice on LMI practice and methods, and acts as a resource for technical support on various projects and initiatives. The LMIC has an Executive Director, Mr. Steven Tobin, who provides overall leadership and management.

Key priorities

The LMIC is focusing on the following priorities, as approved by its Board of Directors:

• Guide LMI Systems: Collaborate with LMI stakeholders to identify and address LMI data gaps to foster an innovation LMI ecosystem and improve its ability to respond to pan-Canadian LMI needs in a timely and efficient manner
• Enhance LMI Practices: Promote benchmarks and guidelines to improve the quality and application of LMI by adopting and sharing best practices related to LMI, improving the understanding of LMI and by promoting LMI consistency and coherency, and
• Champion LMI Access: Enable access and sharing of LMI data, knowledge and best practices

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

14. Job Bank

Description

The Accessible Canada Initiative supports a proactive approach to the identification, removal and prevention of barriers to accessibility, particularly through the implementation and ongoing administration of the Accessible Canada Act, along with the advancement of broader accessibility initiatives.

The Accessible Canada Act came into force on July 11, 2019. The purpose of the Act is to benefit all people, especially persons with disabilities, through the realization of a Canada without barriers, on or before January 1, 2040. Approximately $290 million has been allocated over 6 years to advance accessibility through the implementation of the Act and complementary initiatives.

The Accessible Canada Directorate leads the overall administration and implementation of the Act and supports broader accessibility initiatives. The Directorate is responsible for, among other things:

• providing horizontal policy analysis and overall strategic direction to support the implementation of the Act
• developing regulations under the Act and non-binding tools, best practices and recommendations to assist entities in meeting or exceeding requirements set out in the Act
• leading stakeholder engagement to inform policy and regulatory development
• supporting Governor in Council appointment processes, including the positions of Chief Accessibility Officer and Accessibility Commissioner
• administering accessibility-focused grants and contributions, delivered through the Disability component of the Social Development Partnerships Program
• promoting awareness and mobilizing knowledge to effect culture change on accessibility, and
• measuring and reporting on progress on accessibility, including leading the development, in collaboration with Statistics Canada and others, of an overarching accessibility data and measurement strategy

In February 2021, the Accessible Canada Directorate pre-published the proposed Accessible Canada Regulations in Canada Gazette, Part I. The proposed regulations aim to operationalize the requirements for accessibility plans, progress reports and feedback processes, and establish a framework for administrative monetary penalties, as set out in the Act. These will apply to the federally regulated private sector, such as banks, airlines, marine transport companies, broadcasting companies, and the Government of Canada, including federal government departments and agencies, Crown corporations and parliamentary entities.

Other entities within the ESDC portfolio involved in implementation of the Accessible Canada Initiative include:

• the Office of the Chief Accessibility Officer a Governor in Council appointee who would report on outcomes achieved under the Act and provide the Minister for Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion with advice in respect of systemic and emerging accessibility issues
• the Accessibility Commissioner, a Governor in Council appointee to be housed within the Canadian Human Rights Commission, who will be responsible for compliance and enforcement under the Act, and
• Accessibility Standards Canada, a departmental corporation established under the Accessible Canada Act, that is responsible for the development of national standards aimed at reducing barriers related to the 7 priority areas under the Act, such as, the built environment, communication, employment and others

Governor-in-Council appointment processes to fill the positions of Chief Accessibility Officer and Accessibility Commissioner were recently launched by the Accessible Canada Directorate in collaboration with the Privy Council Office.

In support of the objectives of the Act, the Government of Canada has undertaken a number of complementary initiatives focused on accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities, including:

• the creation of an Office of Public Service Accessibility and launch of an Accessibility Strategy for the Public Service of Canada (Treasury Board Secretariat lead)
• the establishment of a Centralized Enabling Workplace Fund (Treasury Board Secretariat lead);
• the creation of a Federal Internship Program for Canadians with Disabilities (Public Service Commission lead)
• the a commitment to hire an additional 5,000 people with disabilities into the public service by 2025 (Public Service Commission lead)
• the establishment of an Accessible Procurement Resource Centre (Public Services and Procurement Canada lead), and
• the an assessment of the accessibility of the federal built environment (Public Services and Procurement Canada lead)

Policy lead: Income Security and Social Development Branch

Service delivered by: Income Security and Social Development Branch

List of key stakeholders

Further to extensive stakeholder engagement in support of the legislative development process, ESDC continues to engage with the disability community, where this includes individuals and the organizations that advocate on their behalf, accessibility-focused organizations, the federally regulated private sector, other Government of Canada departments and agencies, provinces and territories, national Indigenous organizations and academia to inform regulatory and policy development, and in advancing broader accessibility activities such as those pertaining to culture change, and data and measurement.

Description

Introduced in 2008, the Canada Disability Savings Program (CDSP) is a statutory program that helps Canadians with severe and prolonged disabilities and their families save for the future. There are 3 components: the Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP), the Canada Disability Savings Grant (the grant) and the Canada Disability Savings Bond (the bond). The grant and bond components are governed by the Canada Disability Savings Act and Canada Disability Savings Regulations. The RDSP is governed by the Income Tax Act and is a tax-deferred, long-term savings plan. Earnings accumulated under the RDSP are tax-free until withdrawn. Individuals under the age of 60 who are Canadian residents and have a Social Insurance Number, are eligible for the disability tax credit (DTC), and can open an RDSP. There is no annual contribution limit; however, the maximum lifetime contribution limit is set at $200,000.

To help individuals save, the Government of Canada pays matching grants of up to 300%, depending on the amount contributed and the beneficiary’s family income. The maximum grant is $3,500 each year, with a limit of $70,000 over the beneficiary’s lifetime. Grants will be paid into the RDSP on contributions made on or before December 31 of the calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 49.

In addition, the Government deposits a bond of up to $1,000 a year into the RDSPs of low- and modest-income beneficiaries with a limit of $20,000 over the beneficiary’s lifetime. It is not necessary to make a contribution to the RDSP to receive the bond. Bonds will be paid on applications made on or before December 31 of the calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 49.

After the year the beneficiary reaches the age of 49, private contributions to an RDSP can continue until the end of the year the beneficiary turns 59 years of age, but will not attract the matching grant.

To encourage long-term savings, grants and bonds must remain in the plan for at least 10 years, or be subject to full or partial repayment to the Government. The amount to be repaid depends on the amount withdrawn and the amount of time the grant and bond remained in the plan. Withdrawals from an RDSP must start no later than the end of the calendar year in which the beneficiary reaches the age of 60.

Budget 2019 announced changes to RDSPs including: 1) Eliminate the requirement to close an RDSP when the beneficiary no longer qualifies for the DTC, and 2) Exempt RDSPs from seizure in bankruptcy. While the first proposed change is pending Royal Assent, the second came into force as of November 1, 2019. These changes will better protect the long-term savings of persons with disabilities.

As of the end of February 2021, 214,536 RDSPs were registered, into which the Government had paid a total of $3.08 billion in grants and $1.39 billion in bonds since the beginning of the program. The total value of RDSP assets was $7.23 billion.

Policy lead: Finance Canada sets the overall policy parameters. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is responsible for the administration of the savings vehicle, the RDSP, ESDC is responsible for the administration of the grant and bond. Within ESDC, the Income Security and Social Development Branch is responsible for program policy and outreach. The Learning Branch is responsible for the operations including providing client services, the processing and payment of grants and bonds, and developing training materials for the financial institutions that offer RDSPs.

Service delivered by: The Canadian financial services industry, with guidance from ESDC or CRA as required.

List of key stakeholders

The list includes 17 financial institutions who offer RDSPs to the public and various disability organizations, particularly those focused on financial security for people with disabilities and financial literacy.

Description

The Social Development Partnership Program – Disability (SDPP-D) Component is a grants and contributions program that seeks to improve the participation and social inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of Canadian society. It provides $13.7 million annually to not-for-profit organizations for project and operating funding.

• The Operating funding ($8 million annually) seeks to increase the capacity of national and regional not-for-profit organizations in the disability sector. The national operating funding currently supports 28 disability organizations under the Performance and Accountability Framework (PAF), and the regional operating funding supports 13 organizations under the Community Inclusion Initiative (CII), and
• Project funding ($5.7 million annually) supports a wide range of initiatives that address social issues and barriers that confront persons with disabilities. It also supports the development of tools and resources, and fosters partnerships and collaborative networks across and outside the disability community

National Operating Funding

In December 2017, following consultations with the disability community in 2016, a renewal of the national operating funding was launched through a competitive Call for Proposals (CFP). The renewal introduced the PAF to guide future operating funding decisions for national not-for-profit disability organizations. The Framework was designed to foster fairness, transparency, predictability and accountability in decision-making about national operating funding.

The CFP resulted in 28 organizations successfully meeting program objectives around governance, leadership and/or operations in the disability community and beyond, representing an increase of just over 1-third more organizations receiving support to increase their capacity.

In June 2020, $1.1 million funding was announced to support the 28 national disability organizations to enhance their communications and engagement activities to better address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons with disabilities. As a result, approximately $890,000 additional funding was allocated to 28 disability organizations.

Regional Operating Funding

On December 7, 2020, SDPP-D launched a solicited process to renew the CII. The CII has been supporting 12 regional affiliates of Inclusion Canada (formerly the Canadian Association for Community Living) since 1997. Starting in 2021, the organization responsible for community living in Nunavut will also receive CII funding, bringing the total number of organizations to 13 – 1 in each province and territory.

The objectives of the renewal of the CII are twofold:

• to improve the capacity of communities to address barriers to social inclusion for persons with intellectual disabilities, and
• to generate knowledge and raise public awareness about barriers, solutions, and opportunities that advance the inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities

The renewal also requires recipients to work with diverse stakeholders and includes a new performance framework that will enable streamlined and robust reporting on the reach and impact of CII funded activities.

Project Funding

Additional funding was provided in 2019 for SDPP-D to support the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as well as implementation of the Accessible Canada Act. This included:

• $2.6 million over 2 years (2019 to 2021) to support the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and
• $6.13 million over 3 years (2019 to 2022) and $2.7 million per year ongoing (effective in 2021 to 2022) to support accessibility

Launched through calls for proposals in 2019 to 2020, a number of projects are underway that support the Accessible Canada Act, the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities, as well as capacity building and financial security for persons with disabilities. Projects under these streams include:

• Accessible Canada Partnership Project: to build stakeholder knowledge and expertise and to promote partnerships with the disability stakeholders to support the implementation of the Accessible Canada Act
• National AccessAbility Week (NAAW) projects: to support 14 projects across Canada to celebrate NAAW and raise awareness of efforts from individuals, communities and workplaces that are working to remove barriers to accessibility and increase inclusion
• Indigenous Leadership: to help provide the perspective of Indigenous persons with disabilities as part of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities reporting process
• Youth Leadership: to develop the next generation of youth disability leaders by providing meaningful leadership experiences to youth with disabilities or lived experience, while also facilitating succession planning and sustainability in the disability sector
• Financial Security: to help improve the financial security of persons with disabilities through innovative approaches aimed at improving the financial situation of working-age Canadians with disabilities living in or near poverty, and
• LIFT Philanthropy Partners: to increase the capacity of 8 disability organizations whose mandate focus on social inclusion and employment outcomes for persons with disabilities

SDPP-D is a discretionary program that operates under the authority of sections 5 and 7 of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act.

Policy lead: Income Security and Social Development Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch, Service Canada

List of key stakeholders

Various disability organizations representing persons with a range of disabilities.

Description

The Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF) was announced in 2007 as a 3-year, $45 million grant and contribution program to support community-based projects across Canada. In 2013, the EAF was extended on an ongoing basis at $15 million annually ($13.65 million in grant and contribution funding and $1.35 million in operational funding).

In 2016, an additional $4 million over 2 years was provided to the EAF as part of social infrastructure investments to further support construction and renovation projects related to improving physical accessibility and safety for persons with disabilities in Canadian communities.

An additional $77 million ($70 million in grant and contribution funding and $7 million in operational funding) over 10 years was provided in 2017 to expand the activities of the EAF. As a result, starting in 2018 to 2019, the yearly EAF budget grew to $22.7 million, of which $20.7 million is dedicated to grant and contribution funding, and $2 million is reserved for operational funding. This expansion will help support an additional 1,846 accessibility projects over 10 years, making Canadian communities more inclusive and accessible.

Budget 2021 announced over $129 million over 2 years starting in 2021 to 2022 for EAF. An enhancement of $100 million will improve the social inclusion of Canadians with disabilities by supporting a greater number of small and mid-sized projects with not-for-profit organizations, women’s shelters, small municipalities, Indigenous organizations, territorial governments and businesses of all sizes. This will help to offset the costs of renovations, retrofits and accessible technologies. An additional $29.2 million will support childcare centers in improving their physical accessibility, including the construction of ramps, accessible washrooms and accessible play structures.

Since inception in 2007, over $191 million in funding has been disbursed to support over 4,500 projects that have helped thousands of Canadians in communities across the country access programs and services, as well as employment opportunities.

Eligible recipients are not-for-profit, for-profit and Indigenous organizations, as well as municipal and territorial governments, which can apply for funding through periodic funding processes under 3 program components:

• The small projects component supports small-scale construction, renovation or retrofit projects up to $100,000 that increase accessibility in communities or workplaces. Project examples include the installation of screen reader devices and hearing induction loop systems, creation of a controlled multisensory environment (Snoezelen room) and the construction of universally designed offices
• The youth innovation component empowers youth to identify accessibility barriers within their communities and work with local organizations to apply for project funding of up to $10,000 to increase accessibility and safety in community spaces and workplaces. Project examples include installing automatic door openers, constructing raised community garden beds and acquiring specialized wheelchairs to access sandy beaches, and
• The mid-sized projects component supports larger retrofit, renovation or construction projects of up to $3 million that increase accessibility of facilities or venues that house or will house programs and services geared towards addressing the social and/or labour market integration needs of people with disabilities in a holistic manner. Project examples include the creation or expansion of existing centres or hubs that offer centralized programming and services for people with disabilities in their communities

In 2020, the Department enhanced the delivery of EAF to improve the client experience. A flat rate costing model was introduced to calculate construction costs for commonly funded projects, such as ramps, accessible doors and washrooms. Flat rate considers several variables such as, project location, materials and professional fees and provides applicants with detailed specifications of accessibility standards and requirements to help clients plan their accessibility projects. In 2021, elevators and lifts will be added to the projects eligible for flat rate costing. Other enhancements to EAF include streamlining the application form to reduce the instances of incomplete applications and introducing service standards for when clients can expect to receive funding decisions

The EAF is a discretionary program that operates under the authority of sections 5 and 7 of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act.

Policy lead: Income Security and Social Development Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch, Service Canada

List of Key Stakeholders

Communities and workplaces across the country seeking to increase accessibility to programs, services and spaces for persons with disabilities.

Description

The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities (Opportunities Fund) program assists persons with disabilities in overcoming barriers to participation in the Canadian labour market, and helps employers create accessible and inclusive workplaces. Launched in 1997, the program was designed to fill a gap in federal supports for persons with disabilities who are not eligible for Employment Insurance, or for training support under Part II of the Employment Insurance Act.

With $40 million per year in annual funding (expanded to $105 million for 2021 to 2022), the Opportunities Fund supports third-party organizations in providing:

• A wide range of interventions, including:
  • Job search supports
  • Skills development, and
  • Wage subsidies for job seekers with disabilities
• Awareness initiatives to encourage employers to hire persons with disabilities, and
• Various physical and non-physical workplace supports to help employers create inclusive and accessible workplaces

Third-party organizations may also provide training, mentoring, coaching and other supports to help persons with disabilities who are employed advance in their careers.

In 2021 to 2022, the Opportunities Fund’s has 3 funding stream, which:

• enhance individual supports by assisting persons with disabilities, who have little or no labour market attachment, prepare for, obtain and keep employment or become self-employed, thereby increasing their economic participation and independence
• strengthen supports for employers, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, through a range of activities, such as job coaching, training, human resources development and other supports, to help create inclusive and accessible workplaces for employees with disabilities, and
• support career advancement for persons with disabilities by assisting those who are employed full-time or part-time, to gain greater knowledge, experience and essential skills to advance in their careers or have more job responsibilities

The program includes both a national and a regional stream. National projects operate in 3 or more provinces and support both participant-centered and employer-centered projects. Regional projects focus exclusively on participant-based interventions. There are currently 67 active regional projects and 16 active national projects. Program funding is distributed via a competitive Call for Proposals (CFP) held every 3 years. The next CFP for the program is planned for 2022.

The Opportunities Fund is a discretionary program that operates under the authority of sections 5 and 7 of the Department of Employment and Social Development Act.

Additional temporary funding measures under the Opportunities Fund

Starting in 2018 to 2019, an additional investment of $18.4 million over 6 years was made to expand the program to better support small and medium employers. The funding is being used to support the development of matching services that connect employers and persons with disabilities, and to help employers develop and implement effective recruitment and retention strategies.

Starting in 2019 to 2020, $12 million over 3 years has been earmarked for the continuation of the Ready, Willing and Able project. Inclusion Canada (formerly known as Canadian Association for Community Living) is delivering this project in partnership with the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorders Alliance. One million was earmarked in 2019 to 2020 for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, to connect persons with visual impairments to small and medium-sized employers.

In 2020 to 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government invested $15 million in a new National Workplace Accessibility Stream under the Opportunities Fund. This measure aims to improve workplace accessibility and access to jobs for persons with disabilities during the pandemic and to help employers set up effective work-from-home arrangements.

An additional $65 million investment in the program was announced in the fall economic statement for 2021 to 2022 to further support skills and employment training and career advancement for persons with disabilities as well as supports to employers to help them create more inclusive and accessible workplaces.

Key Program Statistics

On average, the Opportunities Fund serves approximately 4,300 persons with disabilities each year.

The 2019 to 2020 program results were as follows:

• 4,242 clients were served
• 1,554 clients were employed or self-employed
• 294 clients returned to school, and
• 2,804 clients enhanced employability (completed an intervention and/or found employment)

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch for the national stream; Program Operations Branch in collaboration with Service Canada Regions for the regional stream.

List of key stakeholders

The Opportunities Fund serves a range of stakeholders, as the organizations it supports vary depending on which receive funding after any given CFP. The principal stakeholders for the program consist of organizations whose primary focuses are advocacy and/or the provision of skills and employment training and employment programming for persons with disabilities, along with some representative organizations for employers.

Description

Canada Pension Plan Disability (CPPD) is a component of the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).

The fundamental purpose of the CPPD benefit is to provide partial earnings replacement for eligible CPP contributors who cannot work due to a severe and prolonged disability.

• Severe: The mental or physical disability regularly stops the contributor from doing any type of substantially gainful work, and
• Prolonged: The disability is long-term and of indefinite duration or is likely to result in death

In addition, the contributor must be under the age of 65 and meet the CPP contributions requirements.

The amount of a disability benefit is based on contributions made over an individual’s contributory period, plus a flat rate, and is indexed annually. The maximum monthly rate for 2021 is $1,413.66. In addition, a monthly children’s benefit of $257.58 for 2021 is payable for each child up to age 18, or age 25 if the child is attending school full time.

In 2019 to 2020, CPPD paid approximately $4.6 billion in benefits to 336,000 disabled beneficiaries and to 85,000 children of disabled beneficiaries. Approximately 67,000 CPPD applications are processed per year.

If an applicant feels their application has been wrongfully denied, they have the right to request reconsideration. If they are denied a second time, the applicant may choose to appeal this decision to the Social Security Tribunal.

CPPD benefits are not meant to replace all of a person’s income; rather, they are meant to be 1 component of a person’s income replacement. They are supplementary to other forms of assistance, such as private disability insurance plans, provincial social assistance benefits, and workers’ compensation programs.

Most beneficiaries will never return to work after being granted benefits. However, for the approximate 1% who are able to return to work (due to improvements or adaptations to their medical conditions), various return-to-work supports are available. They include a 3-month work trial, which allows beneficiaries to test their ability to work regularly, automatic reinstatement of benefits within 2 years and fast track reapplication within 5 years for those beneficiaries who experience a recurrence of the same or related disability.

The CPPD benefit is governed by the CPP legislation and the CPP Regulations. As joint stewards of the CPP, the Minister of Finance and their provincial counterparts review the financial viability of the CPP every 3 years through the Triennial Review process and make recommendations as to whether the amount of benefits or the contribution rate should be changed. Major amendments to the CPP require the agreement of at least 2 thirds of the provinces, representing at least 2 thirds of the population.

The CPPD Program is currently undergoing a multi-year comprehensive renewal further to recent reviews, including a 2015 Report of the Office of the Auditor General (OAG). While the 6 commitments to the OAG have been met, the CPPD Renewal work plan (a cross-branch responsibility under the governance of an ADM steering committee) goes beyond those recommendations, with a number of on-going initiatives in support of 3 target areas of improvements:

• Improving the Appropriateness of decision making, to achieve consistent and sustainable decisions on individual cases at the earliest possible opportunity in the adjudication process
• Improving the Timeliness of the application process and adjudication process in order to address the need for quick decision making, while also ensuring the quality of decisions, and
• Enhancing the Openness of the program through better communication with clients and other stakeholders

The Income Security and Social Development Branch of ESDC develops CPPD policy, provides policy and program direction, manages legislative and regulatory interpretation and changes and provides advice and support on complex medical files through medical advisors.

Service Canada and its network of 8 regional processing centers (Atlantic, Ontario and Western Canada and Territories) deliver CPPD benefits, process applications, determine eligibility, issue payments, provide operational policy direction and respond to program inquiries from the public.

Policy lead: Income Security and Social Development Branch

Service delivered by: Benefits and Integrated Services Branch and Transformation Management Branch

List of key stakeholders

Key stakeholders for the CPPD Program include advocacy groups, members of the medical and legal communities, long-term disability insurers, federal and provincial/territorial partners (including disability programs) and international income support programs for persons with disabilities.

In particular, the CPPD Client and Stakeholder Roundtable (originally formed in 2001) provides feedback to ESDC on the program. The Roundtable was renewed in 2016 following the OAG report and continues to play an essential role in providing client and stakeholder perspectives on the design and implementation of the CPPD program, including renewal efforts.

Description

The Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities is a pillar of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan. It is a horizontal Government of Canada initiative currently under development by ESDC. The Strategy will examine both the challenges faced by persons with disabilities resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as long-standing barriers to labour market participation and offer various policy responses.

The Employment Strategy is founded on the principle of “Nothing Without Us,” and will include broad engagement with the disability community, including people with lived experience, and employers. Input from the community will enable the Government of Canada to better address barriers to labour market participation and the needs of workers with disabilities.

More information will be shared as the Strategy progresses and matures.

The Strategy has no specific program funding allocated to it at this time. Instead, initiatives that will be included under the Strategy administer their funding envelopes according to the Terms and Conditions of their individual programs.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Services under the strategy will be delivered by the delivery partners used by the individual programs implicated in the Strategy.

List of key stakeholders

The Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities has a wide range of stakeholders across the programs taking part, including:

• Persons with disabilities
• Organizations that focus on supporting persons with disabilities
• Federal departments
• Provinces and territories
• Indigenous organizations
• Secondary and post-secondary education institutions
• Unions
• Employers, and
• Other service delivery organizations

Description

The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program allows Canadian employers access to foreign workers on a temporary basis when qualified Canadian or permanent resident workers are not available and ensures that foreign workers are protected.

The TFW Program is legislated through the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and is jointly administered by:

• ESDC
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC); and
• the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)

ESDC assesses applications from employers requesting to hire foreign workers and issues an assessment on the likely impact these workers would have on the Canadian labour market. IRCC then reviews applications from foreign workers and issues visas and authorizes work permits. The CBSA determines admissibility at the port of entry when the workers arrive in Canada and issues the work permit on behalf of IRCC.

The TFW Program is composed of the following 4 streams:

• High-wage, in which the wage offered is at or above the provincial/territorial median wage
• Low-wage, in which the wage offered is below provincial/territorial median wage
• Primary  Agriculture which includes the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, and
• Global Talent Stream (GTS) for in-demand Information and Communications Technology / Science Technology Engineering Mathematics occupations and unique and specialized talent

Employers who wish to use the TFW Program must comply with strict program criteria designed to protect foreign workers and ensure that the entry of a foreign worker will not have an adverse impact on the Canadian labour market. Employers must submit a completed Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application to ESDC.

An LMIA fee of $1,000 is paid by the employer to access the Program. There is a fee exemption for employers hiring through the Primary Agriculture Stream.

To ensure that both the foreign workers and the Canadian labour market are protected, the Program is supported by a comprehensive employer compliance regime that includes the authority to conduct employer inspections, including visiting worksites (announced and unannounced inspections), to verify whether employers meet program conditions.

Non-compliant employers can face a range of consequences, such as:

• administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) ranging from $500 to $100,000 (up to $1 million in a 12-month period per employer)
• bans from accessing the Program (of 1, 2, 5 or 10 years, as well as permanent bans for the most serious violations), and/or
• revocation of LMIAs

Budget 2021 included funding to increase inspections of employers and ensure temporary foreign workers have appropriate working conditions and wages.

In 2018, the Department introduced the 2-year Migrant Worker Support Network pilot in British Columbia (BC). The goals of the pilot are to support foreign workers in understanding and exercising their rights, and to better support employers' capacity to comply with TFW Program conditions. The Network has since been extended so that workers in BC impacted by COVID-19 would continue to be supported; while funding was also announced for direct outreach by migrant worker support organizations to workers outside of BC. Three support organizations received this additional funding, collectively benefitting:

• Alberta
• Saskatchewan
• Manitoba
• Ontario
• Québec, and
• the Maritimes

Building on these efforts, Budget 2021 announced the new Migrant Worker Support Program to provide TFWs expanded access to information and orientation supports upon arrival at major Canadian airports and community supports and services (for example: educational resources, emergency assistance, language-specific services) while in Canada.

Key Program Statistics

In 2020, roughly 90,000 work permits were issued by the program, 59% of which (53,000) were in the Primary Agriculture stream. The low-wage and high-wage streams accounted for 22% (20,000) and 16% (14,000) of the work permits issued respectively. Global Talent Stream only accounted for 3% (3,000) of the total work permits issued by the program.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

The TFW Program has an extensive list of stakeholders that can vary depending on program stream or sector of activity. While the program serves all sectors of the economy, the bulk of stakeholders are concentrated in sectors that make more extensive use of the program, notably:

• Agriculture and agri-food
• Trucking
• Construction
• Tourism and hospitality
• Information technology
• Film and video production, and
• Technology focused incubators

Key stakeholder groups primarily include:

• Employer associations and related third-party representatives such as immigration consultants and lawyers
• Labour unions
• Migrant workers and migrant worker support organizations with interest in worker protections;
• Foreign governments, notably Mexico and 11 Caribbean countries which, through bilateral agreements with Canada, supply workers to Canadian farms under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, and
• Provinces and territories who are responsible for immigration, labour market and workplace health and safety regulations and the regulation of recruitment agencies

Description

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program’s (TFWP) Global Talent Stream (GTS) offers timely, responsive and predictable access to skilled labour in high-wage occupations found to be in high demand and short supply domestically. Access to highly-skilled global talent helps employers expand their workforce in Canada and to be competitive on a global scale. The GTS originally launched as a pilot project in 2017 as part of the Global Skills Strategy, and transitioned to be a permanent stream in 2019.

The GTS is co-delivered by Service Canada in the Ontario and Quebec regions (intake, payment, initial assessment), and the GST Division (final assessment, Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP)) within the Program Operations Branch. For positions based in Quebec, the GTS is delivered jointly with the Quebec provincial government’s Ministry of Immigration, Francisation, and Integration. Additionally, the Skills and Employment Branch is responsible for TFWP and GTS policy development.

The GTS is divided into 2 Categories:

• Category A for firms that have been referred by a GTS designated referral partner, and
• Category B for firms that are seeking to fill specific in-demand highly-skilled positions primarily in the  Information and Communications Technology and the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics sectors (here is the complete list of designated referral partners and eligible occupations)

In both categories, GTS applications are processed with an enhanced client-centric service delivery model, and firms can obtain a decision on their Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) in 10 business days or less, (which is expected to be met in 80% of cases). Additionally, each requested position in the GTS has a fee of $1,000 as part of the application process.

All firms applying to the GTS are required to develop a company-specific LMBP that demonstrates the employer’s commitment to activities that will have a lasting, positive impact on the Canadian labour market.  For example, firms could establish commitments related to hiring co-op students, hiring Canadians and/or permanent residents, and/or undertaking initiatives related to diversity. The commitments within LMBPs are expected to be commensurate with the firm’s usage of the GTS; as such, if a firm returns to the stream, their LMBP commitments may be renegotiated to support the additional position(s). After their LMBP has been developed, each firm is responsible for conducting an LMBP Review on an annual basis, to provide the GTS with an update of the progress they have made against the established commitments.

Like other streams of the TFWP, the GTS is administered based on the Immigration Refugee Protection Regulations authorities, with Officers ensuring that firms, and the position(s) they are requesting, are compliant with the applicable regulations as part of the LMIA process.

Policy Lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch / Service Canada (Ontario and Quebec)

List of key stakeholders

• Ministère de l’immigration de la francisation et de l’intégration
• Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship Canada, and
• A complete List of 48 Designated Referral Partner organizations

Description

The Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) Program supports skilled newcomers (for example, with post-secondary education) by helping to reduce barriers that keep them from fully participating in the Canadian labour market. The FCR Program focuses on 3 areas of activities:

• Enhancing foreign credential recognition processes
• Providing loans and support services to help navigate FCR processes, and
• Helping skilled newcomers gain their first Canadian work experience in their profession/field of study

More specifically, through contribution funds, the FCR Program funds:

• provinces, territories and regulatory bodies to enhance FCR processes in regulated occupations and skilled trades; for example:
  • standardized national exams
  • centralized information portals, and
  • alternative assessment processes
• third-party organizations to guarantee loans offered by private-sector lenders to skilled newcomers to help manage costs associated with FCR (for example exam fees, travel). The FCR loans project is expected to help about 2,000 individuals per year with an average loan amount of $8,000 (maximum loan of $15,000)
• third-party organizations that provide interventions (for example, career guidance, training plan) to skilled newcomers to facilitate and accelerate their credential recognition, and
• third-party organizations that provide employment assistance measures (for example, mentoring programs, wage subsidies) to help skilled newcomers acquire Canadian professional work experience in their profession/field of study

The FCR Program is discretionary and does not have a governing legislation.

Key program statistics

In 2020 to 2021, the Program had 56 active projects:

• 11 loans projects assisting up to 2,000 newcomers annually to manage costs of credential recognition, and
• 45 projects providing systems and/or employment supports

Since 2003, the FCRP has invested $202 million in 285 projects to support the labour market integration of skilled newcomers.

Policy lead: Skills and Employment Branch

Service delivered by: Program Operations Branch

List of key stakeholders

The Program’s key stakeholders are:

• Provinces and territories
• Regulatory bodies
• Immigrant-serving agencies; and
• National professional associations