Training Programs in Canada – The current package of training programs lacks a coherent framework

Enhancing EI-funded training programs would improve their uptake and help workers who earn little or are vulnerable to job loss and pre-carious work.

The federal government spends almost $3 billion a year on training programs, and the 2023 budget set aside an additional $625 million for that in this fiscal year. Much of this money flows through the employment insurance program (under part two of the EI Act) and is used to fund training initiatives provided either directly by the federal government or through transfers to the provinces and territories. The money goes toward skills training, wage subsidies, career counselling and help with resumé preparation, among other things.

Despite a series of investments in recent federal budgets, the current package of training programs lacks a coherent framework (figure 1).

Uptake for many of these programs is low, funding is insufficient, and they don’t adequately target low-income workers and/or those most vulnerable to job loss and precarious work. Under current rules, it’s possible for EI claimants to enrol in a training program for which they pay while they collect EI, but they must be ready to work if they receive a job offer, which can mean abandoning training. Workers who quit their jobs cannot collect EI, even those in low-wage and precarious jobs who quit to enrol in a training course.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story @  High-quality training programs needed to weather labour market disruptions