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Evaluation of the Canada – Nunavut Labour Market Development Agreement

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

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List of abbreviations
ALTS
Adult Learning and Training Supports
EAS
Employment Assistance Services
EBSM
Employment Benefits and Support Measures
EI
Employment Insurance
ESDC
Employment and Social Development Canada
LMDA
Labour Market Development Agreements
SA
Social assistance

List of figures

List of tables

Executive summary

The Canada-Nunavut Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA) is a bilateral agreement between Canada and Nunavut for the design and delivery of Employment Benefits and Support Measures (EBSMs).

The objective of EBSMs is to assist individuals to obtain or keep employment through various active employment programs, including training or employment assistance services. Successful delivery of EBSMs is expected to result in participants receiving needed services, a quick return to work, and savings to the Employment Insurance (EI) account.

Programs and services delivered by Nunavut have to correspond to the EBSM categories defined under the EI Act. The following is a short description of the EBSMs examined in the evaluation of the Canada-Nunavut LMDA:

Adult Learning and Training Supports (ALTS) help participants obtain employment skills by giving them financial assistance to attend classroom training.

Employment Assistance Services (EAS) support individuals as they prepare to enter or re-enter the workforce or assist them to find a better job. Services can include counselling, action planning, job search skills, job-finding clubs, job placement services, case management and follow-up, and the provision of labour market information.

Targeted Training Initiatives assist employers, communities or economic sectors and regions to address their labour force adjustments and human resource needs.

The LMDA investment

In fiscal year 2020 to 2021, Canada transferred approximately $4 million (including nearly $787,000 in administration funds) to Nunavut.

Evaluation objectives

Building on the success of previous LMDA evaluation cycles, the aim of this evaluation is to fill in knowledge gaps about the effectiveness, efficiency, as well as design and delivery of EBSMs in Nunavut.

Evaluation methodology

The findings in this report are drawn from 2 separate evaluation studies carried out in Nunavut. These studies examine issues related to program effectiveness, efficiency, and design and delivery. A mix of qualitative and quantitative methods are used, including:

The labour market outcomes are produced for 2 types of EI claimants:

Key findings

Nearly 730 active and former EI claimants began participating in Canada-Nunavut LMDA programs and services between 2009 and 2012.

Effectiveness and efficiency of EBSMs

Main findings

Overall, the outcome analysis shows that following program participation active and former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS had:

A subgroup analysis shows that post-participation labour market outcomes for female, male, youth, and Indigenous participants were largely consistent with those for all participants.

Outcomes are produced for 10 to 11 years including:

Figure i presents the change in average annual employment earnings from the 5 years pre-participation period to the post-participation period ending 4 years after the end of participation. For example, the annual average earnings of active claimant participants in ALTS was $10,170 higher than in the pre-participation period.

Figure i. Pre and post-participation change in the average annual earnings of active and former EI claimant participants

Pre and post-participation change in the average annual earnings of active and former EI claimant participants
Text description – Figure i
Program name Pre and post-participation change in employment earnings of active claimants Pre and post-participation change in employment earnings of former claimants
Adult Learning and Training Supports $10,170 $13,311
Employment Assistance Services $3,643 $6,144

Figure ii presents the change in the average proportion of active and former EI claimant participants on EI and SA from the pre-participation period to the post-participation period. For example, former EI claimants who participated in ALTS decreased their use of EI and SA benefits by 21 and 4 percentage points respectively.

Figure ii. Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of active and former EI claimant participants on EI and SA

Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of active and former EI claimant participants on EI and SA Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of active and former EI claimant participants on EI and SA
Text description – Figure ii EI use and SA use
Program name Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of active claimant participants on EI (percentage points) Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of former claimant participants on EI (percentage points)
Adult Learning and Training Supports -6 -21
Employment Assistance Services -5 -20
Program name Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of active claimant participants on SA (percentage points) Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of former claimant participants on SA (percentage points)
Adult Learning and Training Supports -9 -4
Employment Assistance Services -4 -1

Figure iii presents the change in incidence of employment of active and former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS from the pre-participation period to the post-participation period. For both active and former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS, a smaller proportion were employed post-participation.

Figure iii. Pre and post-participation change in incidence of employment for active and former EI claimant participants

Pre and post-participation change in incidence of employment for active and former EI claimant participants
Text description – Figure iii
Program name Pre and post-participation change in the incidence of employment for active claimant participants (percentage points) Pre and post-participation change in the incidence of employment for former claimant participants (percentage points)
Adult Learning and Training Supports -3 -5
Employment Assistance Services -5 -5

Targeted Training Initiatives

The Targeted Training Initiatives program aims to support the development and delivery of training and employment programs for unemployed Nunavut residents who experience multiple barriers to employment. Generally, funded projects target labour market issues associated with:

Program officials in Nunavut carried out activities to support the formation and maintenance of partnerships. Partners’ contributed expertise and staff time to support project delivery and to support participants during and after participation.

Recommendations

Since 2012, 7 qualitative and quantitative studies addressed issues and questions related to EBSM design, delivery and effectiveness in Nunavut. The quantitative studies provided insight into participants’ post-participation labour market outcomes. The qualitative studies identified specific challenges, lessons learned and best practices associated with the design and delivery of EBSMs. Each study included key considerations for program and policy development or recommendations.

The recently completed evaluation of the Workforce Development Agreements complements the LMDA qualitative studies. This evaluation was also supported by literature reviews and provided unique insights into challenges and lessons learned to assist persons with disabilities, immigrants and those further removed from the labour market.

Most results from this evaluation stem from the conduct of medium-term outcome analysis predicated on having access to high quality administrative records, thereby confirming the importance of the capacity to leverage and integrate relevant administrative data.

From these main findings, 2 key recommendations emerge.

Recommendation #1: Nunavut is encouraged to share and discuss lessons learned, best practices and challenges associated with the design and delivery of programs and services. Discussions are encouraged with Employment and Social Development (ESDC), at the bilateral and/or multilateral levels.

Recommendation #2: Nunavut is encouraged to pursue efforts to maintain and strengthen data collection provisions in support of reporting, performance measurement and data-driven evaluations at the national and territorial levels.

Management response

Nunavut appreciates the ongoing cooperation with ESDC, and specifically the Evaluation Directorate, in measuring the effectiveness of the benefits and measures the Government of Nunavut provides through the Labour Market Development Agreement.

Nunavut’s labour market is unique in Canada in that:

These labour market characteristics mean that although comparisons with other jurisdictions may be useful, the success of labour market interventions in Nunavut must be measured relative to Nunavut baselines.

In response to Recommendation #1, Nunavut takes the opportunities afforded by Federal / Provincial / Territorial meetings and meetings of the Forum of Labour Market Ministers and its working groups to share information about its programs and services and to learn about the work of other jurisdictions. Any additional efforts in this respect are constrained by insufficient staff resources.

In response to Recommendation #2, Nunavut appreciates the value of robust and consistent data to support reporting, performance measurement and data-driven evaluations of our labour market benefits and measures. At present, Nunavut lacks the necessary information systems and other resources to make significant improvements in data collection and analysis. Until such time that the necessary resources are made available, any improvements will be incremental.

Introduction

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) worked jointly with Nunavut and 11 other provinces and territories to complete the third evaluation cycle (2018 to 2023) of the Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA).

The first evaluation cycle of the LMDA was carried out from 1998 to 2012. It involved the conduct of separate formative and summative evaluations under the guidance of a bilateral Joint Evaluation Committee.

Building on lessons learned and best practices from the first cycle, the second evaluation cycle of the LMDA was undertaken between 2012 and 2017. The second cycle was designed and implemented under the guidance of a federal-provincial/territorial LMDA Evaluation Steering Committee. The work was supported by bilateral discussions at the Joint Evaluation Committee.

The third LMDA evaluation cycle builds on the success of the second cycle. The aim is to fill in knowledge gaps about the effectiveness, efficiency, and design and delivery of LMDA-funded Employment Benefits and Support Measures (EBSMs). The evaluation cycle was designed and implemented under the guidance of a federal-provincial/territorial LMDA Evaluation Steering Committee composed of ESDC and 12 participating provinces and territories.

For Nunavut, this report presents a summary of findings from 2 separate studies.

Canada-Nunavut Labour Market Development Agreement

The LMDAs are bilateral agreements between Canada and each province and territory for the design and delivery of EBSM programs and services. They were established under Part II of the 1996 Employment Insurance (EI) Act.

In fiscal yearFootnote 2 2020 to 2021, Canada transferred approximately $4 million to Nunavut. Under the agreement, Nunavut is responsible for the design and delivery of LMDA-funded programs and services aimed at assisting individuals to prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment.

LMDA programs and services are classified under 2 categories:

Nunavut has the flexibility to adapt EBSMs to its territorial context as long as they are consistent with Part II of the
EI Act.Footnote 5

The objective of EBSMs is to assist individuals to obtain or keep employment through various active employment programs, including training or EAS. Successful delivery of EBSMs is expected to result in participants receiving needed services, a quick return to work, and savings to the EI account.

Programs and services examined in this study include ALTS, EAS and Targeted Training Initiatives.

Employment benefits

The evaluation presents medium-term outcomes for ALTS. The program helps participants, including apprentices, obtain employment skills by giving them financial assistance that enables them to select, arrange and pay for classroom training.

Support measures

Support measures examined in this evaluation include:

Employment Assistance Services (EAS)include a variety of services that support individuals as they prepare to enter or re-enter the workforce or assist them to find a better job. Examples include job search services, career counselling, and résumé writing assistance. These services are referred to as light touch intervention due to their very short duration. They can be provided on a one-on-one basis, or in a group setting. A typical intervention lasts less than one day, but a participant may receive multiple short interventions over a few weeks. These services are generally provided in combination with more intensive interventions.

Targeted Training Initiatives aim to support the development and delivery of training and employment programs for unemployed Nunavut residents who experience multiple barriers to employment. The support measure includes a wide range of funded training activities, such as:

Eligible participants covered in this study

The labour market outcomes are produced for active and former EI claimants:

Methodology

The findings in this report are drawn from 2 separate studies:

Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, these studies examine issues related to program effectiveness, efficiency, and design/delivery. Appendix A presents an overview of each study.

Examination of the medium-term outcomes from 2009 to 2017

The study reports on the labour market outcomes for active and former EI claimants in ALTS and EAS. When the number of participants was sufficient, outcomes were examined for active and former EI claimants who were female, male, youth (30 years old and under), and Indigenous.

The study includes up to 100% of participants who began their EBSM participation between April 1, 2009, and December 31, 2012. The timeframe was selected in order to assess the outcomes of EBSMs in the years following participation.

The analysis of outcomes provides descriptive statistics on the labour market experience of participants before, during and after participation. For example, it shows the average annual earnings of active claimants before, during and after participation, and presents what changes were observed from before to after participation. Overall, the analyses were conducted over 10 to 11 years:

It is important to note that the labour market outcomes regarding employment earnings, EI and SA benefits are presented in constant 2010 dollars.

Design and delivery of Targeted Training Initiatives in Nunavut

The study explores the program’s design and delivery, provides insight on its strengths, and identifies several challenges associated with the program’s administration and delivery. It is based on a document review, a questionnaire completed by the Department of Family Services, and key informant interviews conducted with program officials and project holders.

Strengths and limitations of the studies

One of the key strengths of the study on medium-term participant outcomes is that it is based on administrative data rather than survey responses. Compared to survey data, administrative data are not subject to recall errors or response bias.

The outcome analysis provides an assessment of how the labour market situation of participants evolved over time but does not permit inference regarding the extent to which those changes were due to EBSM participation. For example, increases in employment earnings over the period examined could be partly due to an increase in wages.

With respect to the study on the design and delivery of Targeted Training Initiatives, the number of key informants interviewed is relatively small. Responses provided by key informants reflect their own experience and their own region and may not be fully representative of the entire territory.

Evaluation findings

Profile of participants

Between 2009 and 2012, nearly 730 EI active and former claimants participated in LMDA-funded programs and services in Nunavut. The profile of participants is presented in Table 1 by gender, age, sociodemographic groups, and marital status, educational attainment, occupation and industry. Information about their educational attainment, occupation and industry are based on the latest job they held prior to applying for EI benefits. Information about sociodemographic groups is self-reported.

Table 1. Profile of active and former EI claimant participants in 2009 to 2012 in Nunavut
Categories Active claimants Former claimants
Number of participants 233 495
Gender: Female 26% 33%
Gender: Male 74% 67%
Age: 30 and under 38% 37%
Age: 31 to 54 59% 59%
Age: 55 and over 3% 4%
Sociodemographic group: Indigenous people 91% 96%
Marital status: Married or common-law 51% 52%
Marital status: Single 41% 39%
Marital status: Widow / divorced / separated 6% 6%
Education or skills level: High school or occupational training 27% 27%
Education or skills level: On-the-job training 40% 40%
Education or skills level: College, vocational education or apprenticeship training 24% 26%
Education or skills level: University degree 6% 5%

Note: Values may not equal 100% due to rounding or missing information.

Top 3 occupational groups for active claimants:Footnote 6

Top 3 occupational groups for former claimants:

Top 3 industries for active claimants:

Top 3 industries for former claimants:

As presented in Table 2, in the year before program participation, former claimants had lower levels of employment and annual earnings than active claimants.

Table 2. Employment and earning levels, and use of SA in the year before participation in EBSMs
Pre-EBSM participation employment characteristics Active claimants Former claimants
Average employment earnings $32,673 $19,253
Percentage employed 99% 91%
Percentage on SA 37% 38%

Outcomes for active and former EI claimants

Main findings

Following program participation, active and former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS:

Medium-term outcomes were estimated for active and former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS. The outcomes describe the changes in participants’ earnings, use of EI and SA benefits, and incidence of employment that occur from before to after program participation.

The labour market outcomes are based on individuals who began their participation during the 2009 to 2012 period. Statistics focus on 5 years before and 5 years after the program start year.

Between 2009 and 2012:

The outcomes for active claimants who received EAS should be interpreted with caution given the small number of participants (n=94).

Employment earnings

As shown in Figure 1, active and former claimants who participated in ALTS and EAS had higher average annual employment earnings during the post-participation period when compared to the 5 years before participation. For example, the average annual earnings of active claimants who participated in ALTS were $10,170 higher in the post-participation period than in the pre-participation period.

Figure 1. Pre and post-participation change in the average annual earnings of active and former EI claimant participants

Pre and post-participation change in the average annual earnings of active and former EI claimant participants
Text description – Figure 1
Program name Pre and post-participation change in employment earnings of active claimants Pre and post-participation change in employment earnings of former claimants
Adult Learning and Training Supports $10,170 $13,311
Employment Assistance Services $3,643 $6,144

Use of EI and SA benefits

As shown in Figure 2, compared to the 5 years before participation, the average proportion of participants who use income supports is lower in the post-participation period for active and former EI claimants who participated in ALTS and EAS. For example, former EI claimants who participated in ALTS decreased their use of EI and SA benefits by 21 and 4 percentage points respectively.

Figure 2. Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of active and former EI claimant participants on EI and SA

Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of active and former EI claimant participants on EI and SA Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of active and former EI claimant participants on EI and SA
Text description – Figure 2 EI use and SA use
Program name Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of active claimant participants on EI (percentage points) Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of former claimant participants on EI (percentage points)
Adult Learning and Training Supports -6 -21
Employment Assistance Services -5 -20
Program name Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of active claimant participants on SA (percentage points) Pre and post-participation change in the average proportion of former claimant participants on SA (percentage points)
Adult Learning and Training Supports -9 -4
Employment Assistance Services -4 -1

Incidence of employment

As shown in Figure 3, for both ALTS and EAS, the proportion of active and former EI claimant participants who were employed was lower during the post-participation period when compared to the pre-participation period.

The decline in incidence of employment can be attributed, in part, to participants’ retirement decisions. This conclusion is based on the fact that the percentage of participants receiving Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security benefits increased from the pre-participation period to the post-participation period. For example, while the percentage of employed active claimant participants in ALTS decreased by 3 percentage points, the percentage of participants receiving Canada Pension Plan increased by 2 percentage points.

Figure 3. Pre and post-participation change in incidence of employment for active and former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS

Pre and post-participation change in incidence of employment for active and former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS
Text description – Figure 3
Program name Pre and post-participation change in the incidence of employment for active claimant participants (percentage points) Pre and post-participation change in the incidence of employment for former claimant participants (percentage points)
Adult Learning and Training Supports -3 -5
Employment Assistance Services -5 -5

Population subgroup participant profiles and labour market outcomes

Female participants

Main findings

Following program participation, female former EI claimant participants in ALTS:

Between 2009 and 2012, 225 of the participants in Nunavut programs and services were female, representing nearly 31% of participants.

The profile of female participants is presented in Table 3. It includes their age, sociodemographic group, marital status, educational attainment, occupation and industry. Information about their educational attainment, their occupation and industry are based on the last job they held prior to applying for EI benefits. Information about sociodemographic groups is self-reported.

Table 3. Profile of female participants in Nunavut in 2009 to 2012
Categories Active claimants Former claimants
Number of participants 60 165
Age: 30 and under 43% 36%
Age: 31 to 54 53% 60%
Sociodemographic group: Indigenous people 85% 93%
Marital status: Married or common-law 45% 54%
Marital status: Single 45% 36%
Marital status: Widow / divorced / separated <10* 10%
Education or skills level: High school or occupational training 38% 32%
Education or skills level: On-the-job training 27% 23%
Education or skills level: College, vocational education or apprenticeship training <10 30%
Education or skills level: University degree <10 12%

Note: Values may not equal 100% due to rounding or missing information.

* <10 = fewer than 10 participants

Top 3 occupational groups for active claimants:

Top 3 occupational groups for former claimants:Footnote 8

Top 3 industries for active claimants:

Top 3 industries for former claimants:

As shown in Table 4, female former EI claimant participants in ALTS:

Table 4. Outcomes for female participants (annual average)
Indicator ALTS former claimants
Employment earnings ($) 6,835
EI benefits (percentage points) -20
SA benefits (percentage points) 1
Incidence of employment (percentage points) -7
n= 70

Note: The outcomes for female former claimants who participated in ALTS should be interpreted with caution given the small number of participants (70).

Male participants

Main findings

Following program participation, male active and former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS:

Between 2009 and 2012, 503 participants in Nunavut were male, representing nearly 69% of participants.

The profile of male participants is presented in Table 5. It includes their age, sociodemographic group, marital status, educational attainment, occupation and industry. Information about their educational attainment, their occupation and industry are based on the last job they held prior to applying for EI benefits. Information about sociodemographic groups is self-reported.

Table 5. Profile of male participants in Nunavut in 2009 to 2012
Categories Active claimants Former claimants
Number of participants 173 330
Age: 30 and under 36% 37%
Age: 31 to 54 61% 58%
Age: 55 and over <10* 5%
Sociodemographic group: Indigenous people 94% 98%
Marital status: Married or common-law 53% 50%
Marital status: Single 40% 41%
Marital status: Widow / divorced / separated <10 5%
Education or skills level: High school or occupational training 23% 24%
Education or skills level: On-the-job training 45% 48%
Education or skills level: College, vocational education or apprenticeship training 27% 24%
Education or skills level: University degree <10 <10

Note: Values may not equal 100% due to rounding or missing information.

* <10 = fewer than 10 participants

Top 3 occupational groups for active claimants:

Top 3 occupational groups for former claimants:Footnote 9

Top 3 industries for active claimants:

Top 3 industries for former claimants:

Table 6 presents detailed outcomes for male participants. For example, the results reveal that:

Table 6 . Outcomes for male participants (annual average)
Indicator ALTS active claimants ALTS former claimants EAS active claimants EAS former claimants
Employment earnings ($) 10,868 16,646 4,920 6,505
EI benefits (percentage points) -6 -22 -8 -23
SA benefits (percentage points) -8 -7 -5 -4
Incidence of employment (percentage points) -3 -4 1 -5
n= 95 142 50 132

Note: Given the small number of participants, outcomes for male EI active claimant participants in ALTS (95) and EAS (50) should be interpreted with caution.

Youth participants

Main findings

Following program participation, youth (30 years of age or less) former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS:

Between 2009 and 2012, 270 participants in Nunavut were youth, representing nearly 37% of participants.

The profile of youth participants is presented in Table 7. It includes their gender, sociodemographic group, marital status, educational attainment, occupation and industry. Information about their educational attainment, their occupation and industry are based on the last job they held prior to applying for EI benefits. Information about sociodemographic groups is self-reported.

Table 7. Profile of youth participants in Nunavut in 2009 to 2012
Categories Active claimants Former claimants
Number of participants 88 182
Gender: Female 30% 33%
Gender: Male 70% 67%
Sociodemographic group: Indigenous people 91% 97%
Marital status: Married or common-law 45% 43%
Marital status: Single 53% 53%
Education or skills level: High school or occupational training 30% 26%
Education or skills level: On-the-job training 41% 41%
Education or skills level: College, vocational education or apprenticeship training 22% 26%
Education or skills level: University degree <10* 7%

Note: Values may not equal 100% due to rounding or missing information.

* <10 = fewer than 10 participants.

Top 3 occupational groups for active claimants:

Top 3 occupational groups for former claimants:

Top 3 industries for active claimants:

Top 3 industries for former claimants:Footnote 10

Table 8 presents detailed outcomes for younger (30 years of age or less) former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS. The results reveal that:

Table 8. Outcomes for youth participants (annual average)
Indicator ALTS former claimants EAS former claimants
Employment earnings ($) 15,231 7,455
EI benefits (percentage points) -10 -13
SA benefits (percentage points) -1 -5
Incidence of employment (percentage points) -3 -3
n= 80 59

Note: Given the small number of participants, outcomes for youth EI former claimant participants in ALTS (80) and EAS (59) should be interpreted with caution.

Indigenous participants

Main findings

Following program participation, Indigenous active and former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS:

Between 2009 and 2012, 690 of participants in Nunavut were Indigenous, representing nearly 95% of participants.

The profile of Indigenous participants is presented in Table 9. It includes their gender, age, marital status, educational attainment, occupation and industry. Information about their educational attainment, their occupation and industry are based on the last job they held prior to applying for EI benefits.

Table 9. Profile of Indigenous participants in Nunavut in 2009 to 2012
Categories Active claimants Former claimants
Number of participants 213 477
Gender: Female 24% 32%
Gender: Male 76% 68%
Age: 30 and under 38% 37%
Age: 31 to 54 59% 59%
Age: 55 and over <10* 4%
Marital status: Married or common-law 52% 51%
Marital status: Single 40% 40%
Marital status: Widow / divorced / separated 6% 6%
Education or skills level: High school or occupational training 27% 26%
Education or skills level: On-the-job training 43% 40%
Education or skills level: College, vocational education or apprenticeship training 23% 26%
Education or skills level: University degree 5% 5%

Note: Values may not equal 100% due to rounding or missing information.

* <10 = fewer than 10 participants.

Top 3 occupational groups for active claimants:

Top 3 occupational groups for former claimants:Footnote 11

Top 3 industries for active claimants:

Top 3 industries for former claimants:

Table 10 presents detailed outcomes for Indigenous participants. For example, the results reveal that:

Table 10. Outcomes for Indigenous participants (annual average)
Indicator ALTS active claimants ALTS former claimants EAS active claimants EAS former claimants
Employment earnings ($) 11,657 13,303 4,594 5,544
EI benefits (percentage points) -6 -21 -7 -22
SA benefits (percentage points) -11 -4 -4 -2
Incidence of employment (percentage points) -2 -5 -1 -5
n= 118 207 63 172

Note: The outcomes for Indigenous active claimants who participated in EAS should be interpreted with caution given the small number of participants (63).

Targeted Training InitiativesFootnote 12

The Targeted Training Initiatives program aims to support the development and delivery of training and employment programs for unemployed Nunavut residents who experience multiple barriers to employment.

It includes a wide range of funded training activities, such as:

With $848,000 in spending in the 2020 to 2021 fiscal year, Targeted Training Initiatives represents nearly 27% of total expenditure under the Canada-Nunavut Labour Market Development Agreement.

Funded organizations

Funded organizations include:

Targeted labour market issues

Targeted Training Initiatives projects focused on addressing current skills and labour shortages. These projects also target specific unemployed populations, such as youth, persons with disabilities, individuals suffering from addictions, and persons experiencing homelessness.

Generally, funded projects target labour market issues associated with:

The majority of projects reviewed were aligned with program objectives and eligible activities.

Partnerships

The Department of Family Services confirmed that program officials carried out activities to support the formation and maintenance of partnerships as a part of Targeted Training Initiatives. According to project holders, the level of involvement by program officials in establishing and maintaining partnerships varied across projects.

The document review of 7 projects confirmed that:

Challenges and lessons learned

A questionnaire completed by the Department of Family Services, and key informant interviews conducted with program officials and project holders revealed challenges related to:

Questionnaire respondents and key informants identified several factors that support program success. These included:

Key considerations for Targeted Training Initiatives program and policy development

Key consideration #1: Considering that the current performance indicators do not reflect the diversity of activities funded under Targeted Training Initiatives, it is important for ESDC and Nunavut to discuss current funded activities in order to make recommendations on how to best report on results.

Key consideration #2: It is essential to share lessons learned about successful Targeted Training Initiatives projects. Particularly, for projects targeted to employers (such as workplace or employer-sponsored training), and those assisting communities and economic sectors dealing with labour market adjustment issues (contraction or expansion).

Conclusion and recommendations

Summary of findings

The medium-term outcome analysis completed as part of the evaluation provides an assessment of how the labour market situation of participants evolved over time.Footnote 13 Overall, the outcome analysis shows that following program participation active and former EI claimant participants in ALTS and EAS had:

Where the number of participants was sufficient, a sub-group analysis was conducted for female, male, youth and Indigenous participants. Most outcomes were consistent with those for all participants. The only exception was that male active EI claimant participants in EAS had a higher incidence of employment following participation.

A supplemental study addresses information gaps previously identified in LMDA evaluations for Targeted Training Initiatives. The study identified a number of challenges and promising practices, and found that Nunavut uses the program to:

Recommendations

Since 2012, several qualitative and quantitative studies addressed issues and questions related to EBSM design, delivery and effectiveness. The quantitative studies provided insight into participants’ post-participation labour market outcomes. The qualitative studies identified specific challenges, lessons learned and best practices associated with the design and delivery of EBSMs. Each study included key considerations for program and policy development or recommendations.

The recently completed evaluation of the Workforce Development Agreements complements the LMDA qualitative studies. This evaluation was also supported by literature reviews and provided unique insights into challenges and lessons learned to assist persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, immigrants and those further removed from the labour market.

Most results from this evaluation stem from the conduct of medium-term outcome analysis predicated on having access to high quality administrative records, thereby confirming the importance of the capacity to leverage and integrate relevant administrative data.

From these main findings, 2 key recommendations emerge:

Recommendation #1: Nunavut is encouraged to share and discuss lessons learned, best practices and challenges associated with the design and delivery of programs and services. Discussions are encouraged with ESDC, at the bilateral and/or multilateral levels.

Recommendation #2: Nunavut is encouraged to pursue efforts to maintain and strengthen data collection provisions in support of reporting, performance measurement and data-driven evaluations at the national and territorial levels.

References

Employment and Social Development Canada. Employment Insurance Monitoring and Assessment Reports. 2011 to 2022.

Employment and Social Development Canada. Horizontal evaluation of the Labour Market Development Agreements: Design and delivery of the Targeted Training Initiatives program in Nunavut. Internal document, 2021.

Employment and Social Development Canada. Labour Market Development Agreements Process for Determination of Similarity. Internal document, 2012. Available upon request.

Employment and Social Development Canada. Evaluation of the Canada-Nunavut Labour Market Development Agreement – Cycle III: Examination of the medium-term outcomes from 2009 to 2017. Internal document, 2021.

Appendix A. List of 7 studies included in this synthesis report

Overview of studies included in this synthesis report

Study 1: Examination of medium-term outcomes from 2009 to 2017
Evidence generated: profile of active and former EI claimants in Nunavut; outcomes by claimant type and by subgroup
Methods: before and after results of program participation
Reference period: 2010 to 2012 participants
Observation period: up to 12 years (5 years before participation, 1 to 2 years of participation, and 4 to 5 years after participation)

Study 2: Design and delivery of the Targeted Training Initiatives program in Nunavut
Evidence generated: program design and delivery; challenges and lessons learned
Methods: document review; questionnaire completed by the Department of Family services; 5 interviews with 5 key informants (1 with program officials and 4 with project holders)
Reference period: 2018 to 2020
Observation period: design and delivery at the time of the data collection

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