Digest of Benefit Entitlement Principles  Chapter 19 - Section 1

19.1.0 A key factor in claimant reemployment

There are seven basic guidelines in the establishment of employment benefits and support measures under Part II of the Employment Insurance Act ^{Footnote 1} :

1. harmony with provincial employment initiatives;
2. reduction of dependency on unemployment benefits by helping individuals obtain or keep employment;
3. co-operation and partnership with other governments, employers, community-based organizations and other interested organizations;
4. local level flexibility;
5. availability of assistance in either official language, where there is significant demand for that assistance in that language;
6. client commitment; and
7. implementation within a framework for evaluating success.

The federal government works in concert with the provinces to design the employment benefits and support measures, and to implement and evaluate them and invites the provinces to enter into agreements to carry out these activities.

The Commission may establish employment benefits to enable insured participants to obtain employment, including benefits ^{Footnote 2} to:

1. encourage employers to hire them (Targeted Wage Subsidies);
2. encourage them to accept employment by offering incentives such as temporary earnings supplements (Targeted Earnings Supplements);
3. help them start businesses or become self-employed (Self-Employment);
4. provide them with employment opportunities through which they can gain work experience to improve their long-term employment prospects (Job Creation Partnerships); and
5. help them obtain skills for employment, ranging from basic to advanced skills (Skills Loans and Grants/Training Purchases).

A claimant referred pursuant to an authority delegated by the Commission ^{Footnote 3} is considered unemployed and capable of and available for work during a period when he or she is attending a course or program of instruction ^{Footnote 4} or participating in any other employment activity ^{Footnote 5} .

19.1.1 Designation of persons authorized to refer claimants

The Commission has delegated its authority to refer claimants to attend courses or programs of instruction or to participate in any other employment activity designed to facilitate the re-entry of a claimant into the employed labour force to various levels of Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) employees ^{Footnote 6} .

Furthermore, the Commission, with the approval of the Minister, has the authority to enter into agreements with other levels of government or with any public or private organization for the implementation of programs which are similar to HRSDC's employment programs.

The Commission has entered into such agreements with a number of provinces and aboriginal organizations that provide benefits and measures that are similar to employment benefits and support measures established under our Act.

To facilitate the coordination of the provision of assistance to active claimants by the provinces and organizations under their similar benefits, with the payment by HRSDC of insurance benefits to those claimants, the Commission has delegated, to those provinces and organizations, its power to designate authorities (hereby referred as authorized officials) ^{Footnote 7} who may refer active EI claimants to:

1. attend courses or programs of instruction or training at the claimant's own expense, or under benefits that are similar to employment benefits that are the subject of an agreement ^{Footnote 8} ; or
2. participate in any other employment activity for which assistance has been provided for the claimant under benefits that are similar to the prescribed employment benefits that are subject of an agreement ^{Footnote 9} .

[ September 2006 ]