Labour Market Development Agreement
On November 23, 2005, the governments
of Canada and Ontario signed two important agreements for the future
of training in this province: the Labour Market Development Agreement
(LMDA) and the Labour Market Partnership Agreement (LMPA). Ontario is
the last province to sign such agreements. Essentially, these agreements
transfer the design and delivery of federal labour force programming for
EI eligible
clients over to Ontario effective January 1, 2007.
The Honourable Chris Bentley, Minister, Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities notes in his letter of November 25, 2005: "Through the LMPA, the federal government is increasing its investment in Ontario by $314 million in agreed priority areas. Half of this new money will be spent by Ontario and half by the federal government. The agreed labour market priorities are apprenticeship, labour market integration of new immigrants, literacy and essential skills, workplace skills development, and programs for Aboriginal people and others facing labour market barriers such as older workers and persons with disabilities".
MTCU also circulated "Questions and Answers" about the LMDA and LMPA. Two questions were specific to literacy and are summarized below.
- Question 7: What does this mean for the reform in Literacy and Basic
Skills currently underway such as the networking review?
Answer: The goals and objectives of the current reforms are consistent with both One-Stop and the agreements with the federal government, so work will continue. - Question 8: The latest results from IALSS shows that
Ontario rates of literacy are not improving. What will the investment
be in literacy services?
Answer: The LMPA identifies literacy and essential skills as key priorities for Canada and Ontario. Canada has agreed to increase investment in literacy and essential skills in Ontario and some of that investment will flow to the province over the term of the LMPA. The total investment may support such things as developing new tools to address adult literacy and essential skills, developing innovative ways to expand academic upgrading and trade-specific literacy and numeracy and facilitating partnerships between governments, local businesses, unions, community organizations and other stakeholders to address the needs of adult learners with low literacy and essential skills. Stakeholders will be kept informed as plans evolve.
For more information on these agreements, please visit: www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/training/labourmarket.html. You can access Minister Bentley's letter and the "Questions and Answers" on AlphaCom's "Info-LBS".