Wednesday, January 31, 2007
EI Eligibility And Labour Market Development Agreements
We've seen how EI eligibility criteria have disproportionately affected women. How does this tie into the Canada-Ontario Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA)?
The programs and services being transferred from the Government of Canada to the Government of Ontario in the LMDA are funded through the Employment Insurance fund. Legislation requires clients to be eligible for Employment Insurance Benefits to access almost all transferred programs and services. In short, workers who don't qualify for EI can't access any of the programs and services funded through the EI account and transferred through the LMDA.
Tighter restrictions on EI means that fewer clients qualify for EI, and fewer clients can access employment supports and programs. Ontario's situation appears to be particularly bleak, with recent reports (see "Time for a Fair Deal") finding that only 30% of Ontarians actually qualify for EI.
Not only have tighter restrictions excluded more marginalized workers from accessing much-needed employment supports and programs, there has been a sharp reduction in more flexible funding to fill in the gaps left by EI-funded supports and measures.
The former National Women's Reference Group on Labour Market Issues released a report in 2002 finding that when the Government of Canada started signing LMDAs with provinces, they did not continue programs or funding through the Consolidated Revenue Funding (CRF). CRF funds offered more flexible funding not tied to EI requirements and therefore able to serve more marginalized clients such as contingent workers or workers returning to the workforce after a long period of absence, many of whom are women.
The Labour Market Partnership Agreement (LMPA) signed between provincial and federal governments represents a partial re-instatement of the CRF funds lost in the mid-1990s, and was designed to fill in the gaps that the LMDA leaves behind. So far, the government of Canada has not transferred any money within the LMPA.
The programs and services being transferred from the Government of Canada to the Government of Ontario in the LMDA are funded through the Employment Insurance fund. Legislation requires clients to be eligible for Employment Insurance Benefits to access almost all transferred programs and services. In short, workers who don't qualify for EI can't access any of the programs and services funded through the EI account and transferred through the LMDA.
Tighter restrictions on EI means that fewer clients qualify for EI, and fewer clients can access employment supports and programs. Ontario's situation appears to be particularly bleak, with recent reports (see "Time for a Fair Deal") finding that only 30% of Ontarians actually qualify for EI.
Not only have tighter restrictions excluded more marginalized workers from accessing much-needed employment supports and programs, there has been a sharp reduction in more flexible funding to fill in the gaps left by EI-funded supports and measures.
The former National Women's Reference Group on Labour Market Issues released a report in 2002 finding that when the Government of Canada started signing LMDAs with provinces, they did not continue programs or funding through the Consolidated Revenue Funding (CRF). CRF funds offered more flexible funding not tied to EI requirements and therefore able to serve more marginalized clients such as contingent workers or workers returning to the workforce after a long period of absence, many of whom are women.
The Labour Market Partnership Agreement (LMPA) signed between provincial and federal governments represents a partial re-instatement of the CRF funds lost in the mid-1990s, and was designed to fill in the gaps that the LMDA leaves behind. So far, the government of Canada has not transferred any money within the LMPA.
Labels: Issues_and_Trends
Friday, January 26, 2007
How EI Eligibility Affects Ontario Women
The EI Act was introduced in 1996, and it tightened access to insurance benefits by increasing the number of part-time hours and the number of weeks needed to qualify for EI. The tighter restrictions disproportionately disqualifies contingent workers and women are more likely to be contingent workers.
Ursule Critoph in her 2003 article, Who Wins, Who Loses: The Real Story of the Transfer of Training to the Provinces and Its Impact on Women, found that these new restrictions disproportionately excluded women. Five years after the new EI criteria, the percentage of women receiving EI dropped by 6%, whereas the percentage of men receiving EI benefits dropped only by 1%.
This trend has continued. In the 2005 EI Monitoring and Assessment Report, HRSDC reported a 8.3% access rate difference between the genders, with 89.6% of unemployed men and 82.3% of unemployed women eligible for EI. In the same report, HRSDC also stated that only 42.8% of unemployed part-timers were eligible for EI. Women account for about 7 in 10 of all Canadian part-time employees.
Women are also more likely to be "NEREs", that is New Entrants or Re-Entrants to the workforce. According to a 2000 HRSDC study, NEREs make up one-quarter of all workers with job separation and slightly more than half of all NEREs are women. And a large of portion of women who are NEREs were also single mothers. NEREs must acquire 910 hours of work before they are eligible for EI, and as such have great difficulty accessing training that would improve their employability. HRSDC's most recent EI monitoring report analyses NEREs' access to EI benefits by immigration and generational differences, but not by gender.
Ursule Critoph in her 2003 article, Who Wins, Who Loses: The Real Story of the Transfer of Training to the Provinces and Its Impact on Women, found that these new restrictions disproportionately excluded women. Five years after the new EI criteria, the percentage of women receiving EI dropped by 6%, whereas the percentage of men receiving EI benefits dropped only by 1%.
This trend has continued. In the 2005 EI Monitoring and Assessment Report, HRSDC reported a 8.3% access rate difference between the genders, with 89.6% of unemployed men and 82.3% of unemployed women eligible for EI. In the same report, HRSDC also stated that only 42.8% of unemployed part-timers were eligible for EI. Women account for about 7 in 10 of all Canadian part-time employees.
Women are also more likely to be "NEREs", that is New Entrants or Re-Entrants to the workforce. According to a 2000 HRSDC study, NEREs make up one-quarter of all workers with job separation and slightly more than half of all NEREs are women. And a large of portion of women who are NEREs were also single mothers. NEREs must acquire 910 hours of work before they are eligible for EI, and as such have great difficulty accessing training that would improve their employability. HRSDC's most recent EI monitoring report analyses NEREs' access to EI benefits by immigration and generational differences, but not by gender.
Labels: Issues_and_Trends, Resources_and_Research
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Barriers Women Face: Survey Results
Three quarters of the Pre-LMDA Survey respondents offer program supports – predominantly transportation (89%) and childcare (53%) - in an effort to help women overcome barriers to employment. Seventy percent not offering supports also do not offer any women-specific programs or services.
Of those offering supports, more than half report that government funding is not adequate for the supports their clients require. These organizations cobble together supports through fundraising, volunteers and donations. If they could offer more to clients, it would be for training dollars for short-term courses, funds for employment supports (workboots, haircuts), childcare, and emergency funds.
Access to childcare, lack of transportation, poverty, and immigration-related issues, such as recognition of accreditation, ESL and discrimination, are reported as the most common challenges women face. Other barriers included eligibility for government-funded programs and services, violence against women and related trauma and family disruption, health issues, lack of training opportunities, and underemployment.
Half of all respondents report that government-imposed eligibility criteria limit women’s access to services, while one third feel eligibility is not a problem in their community. However, eligibility is seen as a greater issue for organizations serving women only: 60% agree that it is a problem (more than two thirds of these agree strongly), compared to 22% who did not.
Of those offering supports, more than half report that government funding is not adequate for the supports their clients require. These organizations cobble together supports through fundraising, volunteers and donations. If they could offer more to clients, it would be for training dollars for short-term courses, funds for employment supports (workboots, haircuts), childcare, and emergency funds.
Access to childcare, lack of transportation, poverty, and immigration-related issues, such as recognition of accreditation, ESL and discrimination, are reported as the most common challenges women face. Other barriers included eligibility for government-funded programs and services, violence against women and related trauma and family disruption, health issues, lack of training opportunities, and underemployment.
Half of all respondents report that government-imposed eligibility criteria limit women’s access to services, while one third feel eligibility is not a problem in their community. However, eligibility is seen as a greater issue for organizations serving women only: 60% agree that it is a problem (more than two thirds of these agree strongly), compared to 22% who did not.
Labels: Issues_and_Trends, Resources_and_Research
Monday, January 15, 2007
Almost 80 Responses to the Pre-LMDA Survey
Seventy-seven organizations responded to ACTEW’s Pre-LMDA Survey. Slightly more than one third are organizations serving women predominantly.
The Pre-LMDA Survey asked what employment and training opportunities are available in Ontario for women before the implementation of the LMDA. The survey was open the month of December 2006 to all organizations providing employment and training services.
We are now analyzing the data and will release a detailed report, but we are already seeing a few trends that I can unofficially share with you:
We’ve also drawn the names of the two organizations that won $50 gift certificates from Chapters for their organization’s resource library. The winners are:
Thank you to everyone for taking time and care to fill out the survey. Your participation makes this research stronger and we look forward to sharing the research with agencies, government, and the public.
The Pre-LMDA Survey asked what employment and training opportunities are available in Ontario for women before the implementation of the LMDA. The survey was open the month of December 2006 to all organizations providing employment and training services.
We are now analyzing the data and will release a detailed report, but we are already seeing a few trends that I can unofficially share with you:
- The majority (69%) of all respondents say there is a high demand for their services for women in their community. This is especially true of organizations serving mainly women clients: 84% report a high demand while only 4% do not.
- There is an even split between those reporting adequate government funding for programs and services and those who do not. However, agencies serving women predominantly are more likely to report adequate funding and are also are more likely to report that diverse employment services are available for women in their communities.
- Two thirds of respondents say that there is good collaboration and cross-referring in their communities, with only 14% disagreeing. Women-focussed organizations were slightly more likely than other organization to report positive relationships with other services in their communities.
We’ve also drawn the names of the two organizations that won $50 gift certificates from Chapters for their organization’s resource library. The winners are:
Scarborough Women’s Centre (Scarborough)
Working Skills Centre (Toronto)
Thank you to everyone for taking time and care to fill out the survey. Your participation makes this research stronger and we look forward to sharing the research with agencies, government, and the public.
Labels: ACTEW_Activities, Issues_and_Trends, Resources_and_Research
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
MTCU Consultations on Labour Market Planning
Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities has embarked on a consultation process to get stakeholder feedback on labour market planning processes. MTCU is looking to consolidate the best practices of many diverse planning processes to create an integrated, consultative framework to identify more opportunities for collaboration in program design and service delivery.
MTCU held a series of focus groups with stakeholders in early December in Toronto, Sudbury, London, Belleville, Thunder Bay, Hamilton and Ottawa. Each focus group provided background information on the LMDA, Employment Ontario, and sought input on the development of the integrated labour market planning framework for MTCU to pilot in 2007, and to help inform fiscal year 2008/09 program and allocation decisions.
A consultation package is also available to get input from stakeholders who were unable to participate in the focus groups. Packages are being distributed by MTCU Regional Offices, but you can also get copies of the consultation letter, questionnaire, and background materials on the ACTEW site at:
http://www.actew.org/projects/pwp/mtcu_consultations.html
Please note that the January 15th deadline provided in the invitation letter has been extended until Monday, January 22nd.
MTCU held a series of focus groups with stakeholders in early December in Toronto, Sudbury, London, Belleville, Thunder Bay, Hamilton and Ottawa. Each focus group provided background information on the LMDA, Employment Ontario, and sought input on the development of the integrated labour market planning framework for MTCU to pilot in 2007, and to help inform fiscal year 2008/09 program and allocation decisions.
A consultation package is also available to get input from stakeholders who were unable to participate in the focus groups. Packages are being distributed by MTCU Regional Offices, but you can also get copies of the consultation letter, questionnaire, and background materials on the ACTEW site at:
http://www.actew.org/projects/pwp/mtcu_consultations.html
Please note that the January 15th deadline provided in the invitation letter has been extended until Monday, January 22nd.
Labels: MTCU_Updates
Report from Service Delivery Advisory Group Meeting
ACTEW’s Jen Liptrot attended the most recent Service Delivery Advisory Group (SDAG) meeting on December 15, 2006. The following items were reported:
Through late November and early December MTCU held several regional consultation sessions with stakeholders to walk through “the plan for the plan” with respect to local labour market planning in a post-LMDA Ontario.
Considerable work has also been taking place behind the scenes to support MTCU’s reorganization of their Labour Market and Training Division in anticipation of the LMDA.
One major change is a move towards a “functional model” in their organizational design. According to MTCU, this new model will provide better information channels, clear pathways and easier navigation among the full range of training and employment services. Read the short MTCU presentation on this new functional model here:
http://www.actew.org/projects/pwpsite/functionalmodel.pdf
If you’re interested, you can also see the new management org chart at
http://www.actew.org/projects/pwpsite/LMTD_MGMT_DEC21.pdf
All this planning seems to be looking good and MTCU is hoping for a reasonably smooth transition.
The most important piece of information to pass along to agencies is that the Employment Ontario web site should be updated as January 2007 to include descriptions and info on all the federally-funded programs that are being devolved. Agencies can check this web site for updates on LMDA transition.
Agencies should also be receiving letters from MTCU and/or Service Canada about the changes. Information will also be provided to support branding and referrals.
Once again, business continuity is being emphasized, which means that MTCU and Service Canada are striving for little noticable change come January 1.
We’d be interested in hearing from you over the next few weeks—did your agency experience any changes? If so, what were they? We’ll take the information back to the next SDAG meeting.
Through late November and early December MTCU held several regional consultation sessions with stakeholders to walk through “the plan for the plan” with respect to local labour market planning in a post-LMDA Ontario.
Considerable work has also been taking place behind the scenes to support MTCU’s reorganization of their Labour Market and Training Division in anticipation of the LMDA.
One major change is a move towards a “functional model” in their organizational design. According to MTCU, this new model will provide better information channels, clear pathways and easier navigation among the full range of training and employment services. Read the short MTCU presentation on this new functional model here:
http://www.actew.org/projects/pwpsite/functionalmodel.pdf
If you’re interested, you can also see the new management org chart at
http://www.actew.org/projects/pwpsite/LMTD_MGMT_DEC21.pdf
All this planning seems to be looking good and MTCU is hoping for a reasonably smooth transition.
The most important piece of information to pass along to agencies is that the Employment Ontario web site should be updated as January 2007 to include descriptions and info on all the federally-funded programs that are being devolved. Agencies can check this web site for updates on LMDA transition.
Agencies should also be receiving letters from MTCU and/or Service Canada about the changes. Information will also be provided to support branding and referrals.
Once again, business continuity is being emphasized, which means that MTCU and Service Canada are striving for little noticable change come January 1.
We’d be interested in hearing from you over the next few weeks—did your agency experience any changes? If so, what were they? We’ll take the information back to the next SDAG meeting.
Labels: ACTEW_Activities, MTCU_Updates
