Monday, May 28, 2007
MTCU Update
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) is reorganizing itself into three divisions.
The announcement, released Deputy Minister, Philip Steenkamp, on May 24th to various stakeholders and service delivery networks, explains that the reorganization comes out of substantial investments in labour market training and education, in part because of the LMDA. The new divisions are to help the Ministry deliver expanded services in a comprehensive manner, and include formal linkages to the Ministry of Education through the Aboriginal Education Office and a newly created French-Language Continued Learning Unit.
The divisions are:
MTCU is also formalizing the Service Delivery Advisory, which will provide a bridge between the Employment and Training Division and the Strategic Policy and Programs Division from the community perspective. ACTEW continues to represent our network at these meetings, and we’ll continue to bring your issues, ideas and feedback to the Ministry. When the terms of reference are finalized for the Service Delivery Advisory, we will provide a full update.
The announcement, released Deputy Minister, Philip Steenkamp, on May 24th to various stakeholders and service delivery networks, explains that the reorganization comes out of substantial investments in labour market training and education, in part because of the LMDA. The new divisions are to help the Ministry deliver expanded services in a comprehensive manner, and include formal linkages to the Ministry of Education through the Aboriginal Education Office and a newly created French-Language Continued Learning Unit.
The divisions are:
Employment and Training Division: Formerly the Labour Market and Training Division, this division will continue to be responsible for direct and third-party delivery of the Province’s 17 employment and training programs.
Postsecondary Education Division: This division will manage student financial assistance and transfer payments to postsecondary institutions.
Strategic Policy and Programs Division: This new division will provide strategic policy and planning, with a focus on integrated program development.
MTCU is also formalizing the Service Delivery Advisory, which will provide a bridge between the Employment and Training Division and the Strategic Policy and Programs Division from the community perspective. ACTEW continues to represent our network at these meetings, and we’ll continue to bring your issues, ideas and feedback to the Ministry. When the terms of reference are finalized for the Service Delivery Advisory, we will provide a full update.
Labels: MTCU_Updates
The Pre-LMDA Picture: Client Barriers and the Importance of Program Supports
Poverty, lack of child care, and lack of transportation are critical problems for women seeking employment, according to all agencies responding to our Pre-LMDA Survey. Specific groups, such as rural women and newcomers, have other needs as well.
Agencies help clients overcome these barriers by providing program supports. Eighty-nine percent of respondents offer transportation supports and 53% provide child care. These are pre-employment supports that help people with multiple barriers get in the door.
All agencies want more training dollars for short-term courses (e.g. fork lift, CPR/first aid, Smart Serve). Women-only agencies also want to offer much more in the way of employment-specific supports; presently this is a weak area of support for these agencies.
Current funding is not adequate for the program supports clients require and agencies patch together supports with volunteers and funding from a wide variety of sources. This is an even greater challenge for organizations that serve women predominantly, possibly because of the kinds of clients these agencies tend to serve: many more report higher numbers of multi-barriered clients. It is unclear whether women-only agencies are more aware of the barriers clients may face, or if these agencies are more likely to attract clients with many needs.
Read the full survey report.
Our next entry on the Pre-LMDA Picture: Government Eligibility Restricts Access
Agencies help clients overcome these barriers by providing program supports. Eighty-nine percent of respondents offer transportation supports and 53% provide child care. These are pre-employment supports that help people with multiple barriers get in the door.
All agencies want more training dollars for short-term courses (e.g. fork lift, CPR/first aid, Smart Serve). Women-only agencies also want to offer much more in the way of employment-specific supports; presently this is a weak area of support for these agencies.
Current funding is not adequate for the program supports clients require and agencies patch together supports with volunteers and funding from a wide variety of sources. This is an even greater challenge for organizations that serve women predominantly, possibly because of the kinds of clients these agencies tend to serve: many more report higher numbers of multi-barriered clients. It is unclear whether women-only agencies are more aware of the barriers clients may face, or if these agencies are more likely to attract clients with many needs.
Read the full survey report.
Our next entry on the Pre-LMDA Picture: Government Eligibility Restricts Access
Labels: Pre-LMDA
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
The Pre-LMDA Picture: Funding from Government Sources
The Province of Ontario, excluding the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU), is the largest source of funding for all the agencies responding to ACTEW's Pre-LMDA Survey. The provincial government funds 83% of respondents' women's programs.
However, the provincial ministry most concerned with employment - MTCU - is also the least likely of all the funding options listed in our survey to support women's employment programming.
The federal government has been a common and significant funding source, as well, for agencies that focus on women; almost all of these survey respondents receive some federal money. For eleven agencies responding to our survey, the federal government is the largest funder and six of these serve women predominantly
It's unclear how this may change as the LMDA devolves many federal employment and training programs to the Province of Ontario.
And the LMDA transfers employment programming from the federal government to MTCU.
Read the full report: Patching It Together: Employment and Training Opportunities for Women in Ontario Pre-Ontario-Canada Labour Market Development Agreement.
Our next entry on the Pre-LMDA Picture: Barriers and Supports
However, the provincial ministry most concerned with employment - MTCU - is also the least likely of all the funding options listed in our survey to support women's employment programming.
The federal government has been a common and significant funding source, as well, for agencies that focus on women; almost all of these survey respondents receive some federal money. For eleven agencies responding to our survey, the federal government is the largest funder and six of these serve women predominantly
It's unclear how this may change as the LMDA devolves many federal employment and training programs to the Province of Ontario.
And the LMDA transfers employment programming from the federal government to MTCU.
Read the full report: Patching It Together: Employment and Training Opportunities for Women in Ontario Pre-Ontario-Canada Labour Market Development Agreement.
Our next entry on the Pre-LMDA Picture: Barriers and Supports
Labels: Pre-LMDA
Friday, May 18, 2007
The Pre-LMDA Picture: Patchwork Funding for Women's Services
With women's employment growth doubling that of men's in the past year, it's not surprising that respondents to ACTEW's Pre-LMDA Survey report high demand for their services for women, especially among agencies that focus predominantly on women. However, agencies are not seeing any increase in funding related to women-only programming, even as they report a slight increase in overall funding.
In order to meet client demand, agencies seek funding from numerous sources. Agencies that focus on women pull in bits of funding from many more sources than their peers, although this does not translate into more funding overall.
Women's organizations are also far more likely to tap into private donations from individuals and corporations. Seventy-nine percent of women-focused organizations receive support from individuals, while only 53% of all survey respondents have these donors. However, private funding is not a significant source of income in most cases.
While a diverse funding strategy avoids putting all the eggs in one basket, it also comes with challenges. As a respondent says:
Our next entry on the Pre-LMDA Picture: Government funding
In order to meet client demand, agencies seek funding from numerous sources. Agencies that focus on women pull in bits of funding from many more sources than their peers, although this does not translate into more funding overall.
Women's organizations are also far more likely to tap into private donations from individuals and corporations. Seventy-nine percent of women-focused organizations receive support from individuals, while only 53% of all survey respondents have these donors. However, private funding is not a significant source of income in most cases.
While a diverse funding strategy avoids putting all the eggs in one basket, it also comes with challenges. As a respondent says:
"Providing the service is the easy part. ...[H]ow difficult it is for a multi-service women-centred program to raise the needed project funding from various sources, develop and nurture the many needed partnerships..."Read the full report: Patching It Together: Employment and Training Opportunities for Women in Ontario Pre-Ontario-Canada Labour Market Development Agreement.
Our next entry on the Pre-LMDA Picture: Government funding
Labels: Pre-LMDA
Monday, May 14, 2007
The Pre-LMDA Picture: ACTEW's Survey Report
ACTEW has released the report Patching It Together: Employment and Training Opportunities for Women in Ontario Pre-Ontario-Canada Labour Market Development Agreement.
In December 2006, prior to the January implementation of the LMDA, ACTEW surveyed the employment and training sector on programs and services for women. The goal of this Pre-LMDA Survey was to get a picture of the sector before the LMDA.
In 2008, ACTEW will conduct a second survey. A comparison of the 2006 and 2008 survey results will point to ways the LMDA has changed the sector. While Ontario is the last province to sign an LMDA with Canada, ACTEW's research is the country's first effort to understand the effects of such an agreement on a vital and growing labour market: women.
Patching It Together reports that women-specific programming in particular, and community-based training in general, work well because agencies in Ontario are dedicated to delivering comprehensive, holistic services. However, agencies are serving diverse and multi-barriered clientele within the confines of fractured governmental policy and spotty funding. They patch together programs and funding in lieu of any comprehensive or integrated governmental framework.
Over the next few weeks, watch this blog for highlights from the survey analysis, in our series: The Pre-LMDA Picture.
Read the report
In December 2006, prior to the January implementation of the LMDA, ACTEW surveyed the employment and training sector on programs and services for women. The goal of this Pre-LMDA Survey was to get a picture of the sector before the LMDA.
In 2008, ACTEW will conduct a second survey. A comparison of the 2006 and 2008 survey results will point to ways the LMDA has changed the sector. While Ontario is the last province to sign an LMDA with Canada, ACTEW's research is the country's first effort to understand the effects of such an agreement on a vital and growing labour market: women.
Patching It Together reports that women-specific programming in particular, and community-based training in general, work well because agencies in Ontario are dedicated to delivering comprehensive, holistic services. However, agencies are serving diverse and multi-barriered clientele within the confines of fractured governmental policy and spotty funding. They patch together programs and funding in lieu of any comprehensive or integrated governmental framework.
Over the next few weeks, watch this blog for highlights from the survey analysis, in our series: The Pre-LMDA Picture.
Read the report
Labels: ACTEW_Activities, Pre-LMDA, Resources_and_Research
The Pre-LMDA Picture: Survey Respondent Profile
There were seventy-four respondents to the Pre-LMDA Survey, and almost two thirds completed most questions.
The vast majority of respondents are non-profit agencies. Most are located in a large urban centre, with slightly less than half in the GTA. However, 18 serve a mix of urban and rural clients, and four serve rural and remote communities. Sixteen percent are located in Northern Ontario; the remaining respondents are fairly evenly distributed throughout the rest of the province.
Forty-two of all survey respondents offer some form of women-only programming.
Twenty-one agencies report that 76 to 100% of their annual budget is devoted to women's programs. Of these, 14 agencies only serve women, or only women and their children.
The vast majority of respondents are non-profit agencies. Most are located in a large urban centre, with slightly less than half in the GTA. However, 18 serve a mix of urban and rural clients, and four serve rural and remote communities. Sixteen percent are located in Northern Ontario; the remaining respondents are fairly evenly distributed throughout the rest of the province.
Forty-two of all survey respondents offer some form of women-only programming.
Twenty-one agencies report that 76 to 100% of their annual budget is devoted to women's programs. Of these, 14 agencies only serve women, or only women and their children.
- Our next entry on the Pre-LMDA Picture: Patchwork funding
- Read the report, Patching It Together
Labels: Pre-LMDA
Monday, May 07, 2007
Break the Glass and Improve the Economy
The Women's Future Fund launched the BREAK THE GLASS video campaign (www.breaktheglass.ca) to rekindle debate about women's equality in Canada. Inspired in part by funding cuts to organizations working to improve women's opportunities in Canada, this campaign encourages Canadians to speak up for women's equality.
The Women's Future Fund is a coalition of national, charitable organizations tackling systemic barriers to women’s advancement. Its member groups (of which ACTEW is one) deliver programs to protect and promote the financial independence, legal rights, educational opportunities, safety, health and well-being of the next generation of women.
Women's inequality isn't just a women's issue. Most recently The Economist, in its April 21, 2007 issue, argues that both poor and rich countries lose out when women aren't strong force in the labour market. The article reports that affordable child care and fair taxation systems increase women's employment and that if American women's employment rates were raised to the same level as men's, America's GDP would be 9% higher. Women's employment also addresses labour market shortages being faced by an ageing society.
Labels: ACTEW_Activities, Issues_and_Trends, Resources_and_Research
