Ontario faces a long-term demographic challenge from slowing working-age population growth. This will result in a slower pace of labour force growth, lessening the province’s economic prospects. As a result, it is important that Ontario continue to improve labour force participation of all segments of society, to increase the supply of available workers and enhance the Province’s long-term economic potential.
A number of vulnerable groups, including recent immigrants, Aboriginals and people with disabilities, have relatively low labour force participation rates.
These groups account for nearly 38 per cent of Ontario’s adult population, which is a significant pool of underutilized talent.
The government is taking measures that strengthen the job market participation of social assistance recipients (see Section B: A Fair Society in this chapter for details). Ontario continues to take steps to remove barriers for people with disabilities and facilitate the integration of immigrants into the workplace.
Removing Barriers to Participation for People with Disabilities About two million people in this province have a physical, mental, sensory or learning disability, and that number will grow as Ontario’s population ages.
It is a social and economic imperative to tear down the physical, technological, information, bureaucratic and attitudinal barriers that prevent people with disabilities from living life to the fullest potential.
Working with Ontario’s businesses, organizations and communities, the government is taking additional steps to facilitate the workplace participation of people with disabilities. To combat current high unemployment and poverty rates, which result in high costs to individuals, businesses and the economy, the government is:
► announcing a new Partnership Council on Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities, composed of government and corporate leaders,
► providing $3.2 million in 2013–14 to support accessible public library services through the CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind). Access to reading material in alternative formats increases literacy, encourages lifelong learning, and improves opportunities for employment and community engagement for people who are print-disabled.
Immigration
Ontario recognizes the importance of successfully integrating immigrants into its workforce. The Province offers a variety of programs, including Bridge Training Programs, which help immigrants settle and prepare to enter the labour market.
Since 2003, Ontario has invested in more than 300 Bridge Training Programs that have helped nearly 50,000 highly skilled newcomers get the training and experience they need to get licensed and find work in their fields. With Bridge Training Programs demonstrating strong outcomes and continued success, demand for them has continued to increase. In response, the government will provide an additional $15 million over three years, beginning in 2013–14.
Ontario also launched its immigration strategy in November 2012 to ensure the success of the province’s newcomers, and to keep Ontario strong and prosperous.
The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration will convene an Employers’ Table in the spring of 2013. Through this, the government and employer community will work together to better support employer immigration needs and explore ways to improve labour market outcomes for Ontario’s immigrants.
Integrating Employment and Training Services
The government is making progress on its plan to integrate employment and training services across government with Employment Ontario, to deliver results where need is greatest. This will give individuals and employers easier and better access to the services that meet their needs — whether it is training to improve skills, opportunities to gain work experience, or strategies and tools to recruit local talent.
The Ontario government has successfully integrated employment services transferred from the federal government with its employment and skills training programs and services as part of Employment Ontario’s transformation. The new system will build on the solid foundation of Employment Ontario and will consist of flexible and effective programs with the following key components:
► an improved and more consistent approach to assessing the needs of clients, to better match clients to services based on individuals’ needs and readiness to work;
► a renewed focus on engaging employers to ensure their workforce development needs are met; and
► enhanced referral pathways within Employment Ontario and across government programs to better connect clients to a range of services and supports and improve outcomes.
Key Achievements
Employment Ontario serves approximately one million people each year, including over 90,000 employers.
Second Career has helped over 65,000 laid-off workers retrain since June 2008.
Over 100,000 students accessed jobs and services in the summer of 2012.
With more than 150 trades and occupations, Ontario supports the largest apprenticeship system in Canada. Over 120,000 apprentices are learning a trade today — more than double the number in 2002–03.
Apprenticeship
An adequate supply of skilled tradespeople is critical to Ontario’s continued economic growth and prosperity. Over the past nine years, the government has significantly expanded the apprenticeship system, more than doubling the number of apprentices in the province to over 120,000. New annual apprenticeship
registrations have grown from 17,000 in 2002–03 to over 30,000 in 2011–12.
The Ontario College of Trades, an industry-driven governing body, which is now operational, will help modernize the province’s apprenticeship and skilled trades system. In addition, the government will review Infrastructure Ontario’s procurement policies to ensure that they are consistent with the broader objectives of supporting apprentices and strengthening the apprenticeship system.