Ontario Improving Employment Services in Peel

Dufferin-Caledon — Ontario’s government is putting people first by strengthening local employment services to connect more people with good, quality jobs. Peel is one of three regions to launch a new service system that will focus on the needs of local communities, workers and employers. This new system will help job seekers find and keep good jobs and assist employers in recruiting the skilled workers they need.

Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon, was joined by Prabmeet Sarkaria, MPP for Brampton South, to make this announcement at The Learning Place, an organization that provides literacy education and programming for Peel Region.

Beginning Fall 2019, the new employment services model will launch in three diverse urban and rural communities: The Region of Peel, Hamilton-Niagara and Muskoka-Kawarthas. Employment services across the rest of the province will move to the new system starting in 2022.

“The new localized delivery model offers great opportunities for Peel. It allows us to better help job seekers find and keep good jobs, and to help employers find and recruit the workers they need to grow their business,” said Sylvia Jones, MPP for Dufferin-Caledon.  “We’re improving a vital set of services to keep Peel and Ontario open for business and open for jobs.”

Ontario will modernize the employment services system starting in three prototype regions by:

• Creating an easy and efficient system to meet the employment needs of all businesses, communities and job seekers, including those on social assistance or with a disability.
• Delivering employment services in a way that better matches the needs of the local economy in each community.
• Selecting service system managers who will plan and deliver employment services at a local level and receive funding based on achieving results.

“We want to ensure current employment services are delivering results and providing job seekers with a clear path to employment,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, MPP for Brampton South. “That’s why our government is creating a stronger system that’s easy-to-use and localized to help all workers, small businesses and communities.”

The selection of service system managers for Peel and the other two regions will be determined through a competitive process later this summer and will be open to any public, not-for-profit or private sector organization. Learn more at https://ontariotenders.app.jaggaer.com/esop/nac-host/public/web/login.html.

As the new system is implemented in the prototype regions, the government will continue to work with service delivery partners across the province to plan and deliver stronger, locally-focused employment and social assistance services that help more people find and keep jobs.

“We want all Ontarians to have the skills they need to get a good job. That is why our government is creating a stronger employment services system for Ontarians, including those on social assistance,” said Ross Romano, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. “By helping people find jobs and making Ontario Open for Business, we are making life easier for hard-working families and individuals and returning Ontario to its rightful place as the economic engine of Canada.”

QUICK FACTS

• Employment Ontario is the province’s network of employment and training programs that supports job seekers and employers. About one million people are served by Employment Ontario annually.
• Established in 1981, The Learning Place provides high quality education and programming to have a positive and lasting impact on the lives of learners.
• On February 12, 2019, the government announced its plan to modernize Ontario’s employment services.
• The government recently engaged with nearly 200 stakeholders to get their feedback on the new employment services system to make sure it truly meets the needs of job seekers and employers.
• The Ontario government has a labour market information website that includes 500 job profiles to help learners, job seekers and explorers make more informed decisions about their education and career goals.
• Job seekers and employers can also visit ca/jobs as a one-stop resource for their employment needs and connect to the Ontario Job Bank to both find and post job opportunities.
• Over the next five years, one in five new jobs in Ontario is expected to be in trades-related occupations. Learn how the government is taking steps to improve Ontario’s skilled trades and apprenticeship system.
• Last month, the Toronto Region Board of Trade, the Metcalf Foundation and United Way Greater Toronto released a report addressing the province’s ongoing work to address the skills mismatch between available jobs and job seekers

SUPPORTIVE QUOTES:

“For the past 30 years, the Learning Place has provided education and programming with a vision to empower our community to achieve a better quality of life. Today’s announcement by the Government of Ontario shares that same vision, to access fundamental skills for good quality jobs.”

• Sandy Sadsad, Executive Director, The Learning Place

“We are creating a stronger employment system that’s easy to use, more locally-responsive and will create better outcomes for workers and communities in Mississauga and Peel. Our goal is to have one, easy and efficient system that will meet the needs of all those looking for work, including those from vulnerable communities.”

• Rudy Cuzzetto, MPP for Mississauga–Lakeshore

“I was pleased to hear that the Peel Region will be one of the first to pilot this new, modernized approach to employment services. Services like the Learning Place in Brampton are vital to ensuring our community has access to learn the skills necessary for good jobs.”

• Amarjot Sandhu, MPP for Brampton West

LEARN MORE

• Ontario’s Plan to Modernize Employment Services
• Employment Ontario

MEDIA CONTACTS

Lavinia Trask

Office of MPP Sylvia Jones

519-941-7751 sylvia.jonesco@pc.ola.org