Human Resources Partnerships - Canada

Source: Human Resources Development Canada

• Sectoral Partnerships Initiative
• Sector Councils
• National Occupational Analyses and Standards
• The Red Seal and Apprenticeship Programs
• Youth Initiatives
• Sectoral and Occupational Studies
• National Sectoral Adjustment Service (NSAS)
• Skills Enabling
• Essential Skills
• Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
• Occupational Information
• Career Information Delivery
• Achievements

Sectoral Partnerships Initiative

At the core of Human Resources Partnerships (HRP) is the Sectoral Partnerships Initiatives (SPI) – the catalyst that brings together employers, workers, educators, governments and other stakeholders to define and address the human resource challenges facing their industry.

The key objectives of SPI are to:

• develop effective partnerships in and with the private sector;
• improve the relevance of the learning system;
• foster a lifelong learning culture within industry;
• support the mobility of labour across Canada; and
• contribute to Canada’s labour market information.

By bringing sectoral partners to the same table, SPI provides them with the tools they need to develop and implement the human resource strategies vital to their success in the new economy.

The following is a brief explanation of the range of activities that these labour-management alliances often undertake to get there.

Sector Councils

A sector council is usually established as a result of a sector study. Sector councils are permanent, consensus-building organizations made up of business, labour, education and other key stakeholder groups. There are currently more than 20 sector councils in operation. Sector council objectives are to:

• study current and projected human resource challenges;
• identify solutions; and
• coordinate and oversee the implementation of strategies, from the development of occupational standards and certification programs to new career information products.

Core activities to meet these objectives include developing national occupational standards and certification programs, identifying and preparing new entrants to the labour market, and improving career and occupational information. Explanations of these activities follow.

National occupational analyses and standards help educators and industry work together to develop training that will meet the actual requirements of industry while identifying the skills employees need to succeed in today’s evolving job market. This contributes to Canadians’ competitiveness by directing training efforts – helping industries to assess the capabilities of their workforce, determine training and recruitment needs, and communicate with the educators who are designing the curricula of the future.

Sectoral partners often develop and implement national occupational standards. Employers and employees work together on a Standards Development Committee to develop an occupational analysis report. The report becomes an occupational standard when it is endorsed by industry nationwide.

The Red Seal program provides skilled workers with greater mobility across Canada by encouraging standardization of provincial and territorial apprenticeship training and certification programs. At present, Red Seal endorsement allows graduated apprentices and certified journey persons in 44 trades to work in any province or territory where their trade is designated, without having to write further examinations.

A Sectoral Youth Internship (SYI) is a private sector-led program that calls for the cooperation of industry, educational / training institutions and government to create school-to-work bridges for today’s youth. Based on real employer needs, SYIs address labour market entry issues and help youth gain meaningful jobs with a promising future. Other examples of HRP youth initiatives include career information products aimed at youth and Science and Technology Internships that provide wage subsidies to employers so that science and technology graduates can gain valuable job experience.

Sectoral and occupational studies use a multi-stakeholder approach to analyze the current and future human resource challenges facing the workforce in a particular industry, occupation or profession. The goal in all cases is to provide the foundation for the development of an effective long-term human resource strategy. Beginning with a consolidation of existing labour market information, each study relies upon a combination of research and consultative approaches to examine a range of human resource issues including: defining changing skills requirements, determining the impacts of technological change, identifying training needs, and assessing human resource practices and employment opportunities.

Sectoral and occupational studies result in:

• solid labour market information about the sector or occupation/profession;
• a forward-looking view of the human resource challenges from multiple perspectives;
• consensus on areas for action; and
• enduring labour market partnerships through which the implementation of a long-term human resource strategy is achievable.

The NSAS can help a sector focus on identifying and resolving a particular labour market issue when a temporary consultative mechanism is required. It covers such short-term challenges as:

• identifying trends related to human resource supply, demand, recruitment and training requirements;
• planning human resource development activities related to training, recruitment, employment equity or labour market adjustment; and
• implementing solutions such as training course development and a skill recognition process.

Particularly important to sectors facing technological change, skills-enabling initiatives help sectors build the structures and tools they need to adjust the skills of their labour forces to match their needs. SPI provides cost-shared support for these activities, which not only meet the immediate challenges of industries’ skills needs of the employed workforce, but promote a lifelong learning culture to anticipate and meet future knowledge and skill gaps.

Reading, writing, using computers and working with others are examples of essential skills that are found in virtually all occupational areas. HRP will continue to collect and analyze information on these skills, which are then incorporated into a series of occupational Essential Skills Profiles. These profiles will help educators and trainers to address deficiencies in essential skills and to maximize the value of more specific occupational training. Training programs that support the maintenance and development of essential skills are pivotal to developing the competency, potential and flexibility of the Canadian workforce.

What a person knows and can do is more important than when, where, or how a person acquired the learning. This is the premise behind PLAR, which identifies competencies acquired through formal or informal learning such as independent study, travel or volunteer activity. The benefit of PLAR is that it decreases both the cost and duration of training by reducing unnecessary duplication. HRP supports PLAR by providing expertise to sectoral partners and by supporting initiatives such as the Canadian Labour Force Development Board’s National Forum on PLAR.

Occupational information is labour market information that describes and classifies the occupations that make up the Canadian labour market. With this information, human resource professionals, industry and individuals can make better decisions regarding the supply and demand for occupational skills. HRP shares occupational information through a variety of formats, including the National Occupation Classification (NOC) and the complementary Career Handbook for career counselors, and the Internet-based Electronic Labour Exchange.

HRP has developed a wide range of user-friendly career information products including brochures, games, software and videos. These products are designed to help people to:

• explore their interests and abilities, and relevant career options available;
• decide what priorities to set and opportunities to pursue;
• plan for attaining the required education, training and experience; and
• act on these strategic plans.

Other HRP activities on the career development front include specific projects examining the needs of individual sectors, in collaboration with sector councils, and the establishment of the Canada Career Consortium to develop general career information.

Achievements

Listed below are the specific industries in which studies have been or are being completed; operational and developmental sector councils exist; occupational standards are being written; Skills Enabling Agreements have been reached; and Sectoral Youth Internships projects have been launched.

Published Sector Studies

Accommodation (part of Tourism)
Aircraft Repair and Service
Apparel
Audio-Visual and Live Performing Arts (part of Culture)
Automotive Manufacturing
Automotive Parts
Automotive Repair and Service
Biotechnology
Broadcasting
Child Care
Clothing and Apparel
Community Colleges
Consulting Engineering (part of Professional Services)
Culture (synthesis report)
Dairy Processing
Design
Electrical / Electronic Appliance Repair and Service
Electrical / Electronic Manufacturing
Environment
Food Services (part of Tourism)
Food Services (Wholesale and Retail)
Furniture
Horticulture (part of Agriculture)
Literary Arts and Publishing (part of Culture)
Logistics (IAS Study)
Marine Transport
Meat Processing
Mining
Motor Carrier Passenger
Motor Vehicle Transportation (Bus)
Music (part of Culture)
Oil and Gas (Upstream)
Plastics
Printing
Pulp and Paper
Red Meat
Seafood Processing (IC Study)
Signs (Advertising)
Software
Steel (CLMPC Study)
Telecommunications
Textiles
Truck Transport
Visual Arts and Crafts (part of Culture)
Western Grain Handling and Storage
Wood Products (B.C.)

Sector Studies Under Way

Auto Collision Repair
Automotive Retailing
Boilmaker
Carpenter
Commercial Air Pilots
Electrician
First Nations Police
Floor Coverer
Geomatics
Millwright
Plasterer and Cement Mason
Public Policing
Railway
Sheetmetal and Roofer
Social Workers
Translators

Completed Sectoral Updates

Aircraft Maintenance
Automotive Repair and Service
Community Colleges
Environment
Logistics
Seafood Processors
Software
Tourism (Travel)
Trucking

Ongoing or Planned Sectoral Updates

Culture

Sector Councils

Aboriginal Human Resources Development Council
Alliance for Canadian Design
Apparel Human Resource Council
Aquaculture Human Resource Council
Biotechnology Human Resources Council
Canadian Automotive Repair & Service (CARS)
Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council
Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters
Canadian Electronic and Appliance Service Industry (EASI)
Canadian Grocery Producers’ Council
Canadian Horticulture Council
Canadian Motor Carrier Passenger (Bus) Industry
Canadian Professional Logistics Institute
Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress (CSTEC)
Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC)
Canadian Trucking Human Resource Council
Cultural Human Resources Council
Environment Human Resource Council
Forum for International Trade Training (FITT)
Joint Human Resources Committee of the Textile Industry
Mining Industry Training and Adjustment Council (MITAC)
National Seafood Sector Council
Plastic Sector Council
Sectoral Skills Council of the Electrical & Electronic Manufacturing Industry
Software Human Resource Council
Women in Trades & Technology

Sectors with Skills Enabling Agreements Autoparts

Canadian Auto Repair & Service (CARS)
Canadian Auto Repair & Service (CARS) II
Canadian Electronic and Appliance Service Industry
Canadian Federation of Chefs de cuisine
Canadian Restaurant & Food Services Association
Canadian Steel Trades Employment Congress (CSTEC)
Construction
Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO)
CSTEC (II)
Forum for International Trade Training (FITT)
Microelectronics
Mining Industry Training and Adjustment Council
Professional Logistics Institute
Sector Skills Council in the Electric / Electronic Manufacturing Industry
Society of Plastics Industry
Software Human Resource Council
Trucking Industry

Sectors with Occupational Standards Agreements

Apparel
Bus
Canadian Automotive Repair and Service
Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council
Canadian Council of Technicians and Technologists (CCTT)
Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress
Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO)
Culture
EEMAC – Production Workers
Electronics and Appliance Service Industry (EASI)
Environment Industry
Equipment
Financial
First Harvesters
Geomatics
Health Sector (7 agreements)
Horticulture Human Resource Council
Logistics
Manufacturing
National Sales Certification Program
Seafood Processors
Signs
Textiles
Tourism
Trucking
Women in Trades and Technology

Youth Internship Program

Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council (CAMC)
CARS
Electrical & Electronic Manufacturing Industry
Environment
Horticulture
Logistics Institute
Software
Textile Human Resource Council
Tourism
Women in Trades and Technologies

Youth Science and Technology	Participants (98-99)
Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance Sector Council	84
Canadian Council for Human Resources in the Environment Industry	260
Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress (CSTEC)	184
Cultural Sector Human Resources Council	99
Electrical and Electronic Manufacturing Association of Canada (EEMAC)	29
Horticultural Human Resources Council	54
Mining Industry Training and Adjustment Council	182
National Seafood Sector Council	22
Software	94
Textile Human Resources Council	63

Youth Science and Technology (Additional Councils in 1999-2000)

Apparel
Biotechnology
Canadian Automotive Repair and Service (CARS)
Women in Trades and Technology (WITT)

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