Workplace training

Skills for Success Proficiency Levels Development

In addition to providing detailed definitions of all nine skills, the SRDC report supporting the 2021 launch of the Skills for Success framework also includes preliminary proficiency level statements for each skill. These statements are intended to provide initial guidance for skill assessment but need further refinement to reflect a range of occupational requirements and better meet the needs of learners, trainers, and employers. As outlined in the SRDC report, more detailed proficiency levels and descriptors should be developed through an iterative, evidence-based, and collaborative process. In accordance with these recommendations, this project assembles an expert panel with experience in working with diverse learners and developing foundational and transferable skills resources and training programs in a range of regions and sectors. The panel is assisting SRDC in analyzing a range of occupational profiles, with priority for those in high demand, to identify tasks that are common and unique across occupations along with underlying skill dimensions and complexity levels for each task. The project goal is to work in collaboration with the panel and ESDC to reach consensus on improved proficiency statements for each of the nine skills, with examples drawn from our occupational task analysis of in-demand sectors.

Start-end date: January 2023 - January 2024
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Strategic evaluation and learning support for the Future Skills Centre

Over the past four years, the Future Skills Centre (FSC) has supported the development, refinement, or expansion of approaches to developing skills for workers from a variety of backgrounds and in a variety of sectors. These innovation projects are required to mobilize knowledge and evidence among key stakeholders, institutions, and decision-makers for the purposes of improving policies and practices in Canada. SRDC is developing a mix of retrospective and prospective evaluation approaches for a subset of up to 18 of these projects, dependent on the timelines and stage of development of each project. These involve quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis using document and data review, interviews with project partners and their FSC liaisons, implementation evaluation, and theory of change or logic model development. SRDC’s learning and evaluation framework is designed to capture what has been learned from these projects for the future development of the skills ecosystem in Canada.

Start-end date: October 2022 - September 2023
Sponsor: Future Skills Centre

Women First: Building skills for success

Funded through Employment and Social Development Canada’s Women’s Employment Readiness Pilot, the WOMEN FIRST project is a multi-partner initiative aiming to leverage employment and skills training to address barriers faced by multiply-marginalized women. Led by PTP Adult Learning and Employment Programs (PTP) in collaboration with five service delivery providers across the country, the project aims to draw on partners’ collective expertise to develop, test, and evaluate pre-employment and skills development supports. Specifically, the project seeks to build knowledge about approaches to programming, curriculum, and wraparound supports that best serve women facing multiple structural barriers, including low-income women, Indigenous women, racialized women, 2SLGBTQ+ women, newcomer women, and women with disabilities. SRDC is working closely with partners to design and implement an evaluation of the project, including the program delivery across all six pilot sites and new Skill for Success curriculum developed by partner Alberta Workforce Essential Skills. In particular, SRDC is supporting an evaluation grounded in principles of intersectional feminism, anti-oppression, equity, and justice.

Start-end date: July 2022 - September 2023
Sponsor: PTP Adult Learning and Employment Programs

Enhancing employment services through development and assessment of Skills for Success training

With the involvement of several project partners, SRDC is developing assessment and training resources to support both transferable and sector-based Skills for Success (SFS) programming; designing and implementing targeted and intensive SFS training to address individuals and employer needs; and customizing assessment and training resources for underrepresented groups. This is being done through a two‑model system ranging from “lighter touch” general training and capacity building to more intensive development, customization, and pilot testing of new training resources. More specifically, the project broadens and deepens existing capacity-building efforts in the skills and employment training sector by scaling up the use of our SFS-aligned online measurement platform; testing new SFS measurement options, including self-report and objective assessment methodologies; developing, delivering, and evaluating new SFS curricula, training resources, and assessment tools; and disseminating findings, best practices, and lessons learned to continue building sectoral knowledge and capacity.

Start-end date: June 2022 - March 2024
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

EMC Skills Evolution

EMC Skills Evolution is a national, industry-driven initiative that will provide new insights for scaling up sectoral micro-credentials, through the identification, validation, prioritization, and building of occupational competency frameworks for the manufacturing and other sectors, providing a sharable roadmap for developing and deploying workforce capability growth through a competency-based micro-credential approach. Specifically, this project seeks to define and apply an industry-driven, multi-sector methodology to micro-credential development and adoption, enabling manufacturers and employers in other sectors to more rapidly upskill and reskill their workforce, as well as to more quickly onboard newly recruited workers and facilitate broader recognition of relevant skills and workforce mobility.

Start-end date: June 2022 - August 2023
Sponsor: Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium

Skills for Success Implementation Guidance Development

The launch of Skills for Success in May 2021 leverages the core strength of the Essential Skills framework while tightening the alignment with modern labour market needs, with a greater focus on a range of socio-emotional skills. This project’s main objective is to produce a document outlining key principles and emerging practices to guide the implementation of Skills for Success, reflecting the Government of Canada’s commitment to create and update training programs, resources, and assessment materials, facilitate training participation of vulnerable groups, and build the capacity of stakeholders who serve these populations. Our approach will combine environmental scan and literature review with the involvement of an expert advisory panel representing training and sectoral organizations with nation-wide networks, to develop three broad kinds of content: i) identification of learning needs for underrepresented groups (e.g., Indigenous people, racialized Canadians, persons with disabilities) and key sectors; ii) guiding principles for the design of tailored training and assessment tools to align with identified learner and sectoral needs; and iii) implementation examples and approaches from early adopters of Skills for Success. These will be synthesized into a final report to facilitate tool customization and program implementation aligned with the unique learning needs of groups underrepresented in the labour market, as well as the job performance needs of major sectors of the Canadian economy.

Start-end date: December 2021 - September 2022
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Employer Challenges with Adult Work-related Learning and Training: A Case Study of the Accommodation and Food Services Sector

In 2019, the federal government launched Future Skills, aimed at assisting Canadians in accessing programs and providing ways for employers and workers to meet the needs of an evolving workforce. Work-related learning and training programs for adults are important to the development of the Canadian workforce for many reasons. They help workers obtain and adapt their skills to remain relevant to labour market needs when other types of education and training may be less tailored to their needs. Employment focused training can be especially important to lower-income earners who may struggle financially to engage in learning that does not yield an immediate return. Work-related training is a means to train socio-demographic groups who could also be vulnerable to the impact of shifts in occupation and skills requirements due to artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. Accessible, employer-informed programming that addresses the complex financial and socio-cultural needs of vulnerable workers is likely essential for adult workers (and their employers) to thrive in the post-COVID-19 labour market. This project focuses on small-to-medium sized enterprises (SME), which are less likely to provide training opportunities to employees relative to large firms. The results will help to fill the evidence gap regarding work-related or work-based specific learning and training in Canada. Its findings and recommendations will help support the development of targeted approaches to work-related learning and training opportunities for Canadian adults.

Start-end date: October 2021 - March 2022
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Building It Green: Integrating Climate Literacy into Skilled Trades Education and Training

Funded through the Government of Canada’s Union Training and Innovation Program (UTIP), Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU) is leading the Building It Green project in partnership with SkillPlan, the Climate and Industry Research Team (CIRT), and SRDC. Working in five regions across Canada, this project is assembling a broad network of stakeholders, including climate experts and labour, education and training institutions, to research, review, enhance, and evaluate the construction industry’s knowledge and skills with regards to climate literacy. The overall project objective is to develop and test the integration of climate literacy into training for apprentices and journeyworks to prepare the industry’s unionized workforce to better meet Canada’s climate change commitment.

Start-end date: June 2021 - August 2025
Sponsor: Canada’s Building Trades Unions

Sikumik Qaujimajjuti evaluation

Sikumik Qaujimajjuti augments Inuit sea-ice knowledge with geospatial technologies to mitigate travel risk in Arctic communities. SmartICE Regional Operator Leads in the pilot communities of Pond Inlet, Nain, and Gjoa Haven are engaged in the co-development of a culturally appropriate and sustainable training curriculum with the goal of producing community-level sea ice travel safety maps, with attention to community concerns, local travel routes, and local terminology. The training curriculum is intended to add earth observation technologies and digital mapping skills to support sea-ice observations, build transferable technology skills, and ensure enhanced integration, preservation, and transfer of local Inuit knowledge. SRDC is supporting Sikumik Qaujimajjuti through formative evaluation. SRDC is evaluating the pilot training curriculum, from the perspectives of trainees, implementation partners, and community stakeholders. The evaluation explores the extent to which the training program is responsive to trainee and community needs, embraces Inuit societal values, builds on Inuit knowledge and strengths, is delivered through innovative, flexible and appropriate mechanisms, and can be applied in a replicable and scalable fashion. The evaluation also investigates early outcomes at individual and community levels. Evaluation findings are to be used to improve the curriculum and inform future scale up efforts to additional communities across Inuit Nunangat.

Start-end date: May 2021 - June 2022
Sponsor: SmartICE

The Two-Eyed Seeing Network

While Indigenous youth could provide a significant source of local labour to industry in BC, they are often disengaged, not well networked, and left out of conversations about the future of skills and training. Focusing on sectors with high future demand (clean technology; clean energy; natural resource extraction and processing; marine shipping; the built environment; and manufacturing), the Two-Eyed Seeing Network will work to bridge the gaps between the needs of industry and the potential Indigenous workforce of tomorrow. The network includes participation from Indigenous communities, Industry leaders, workforce and social development organizations, and education and training providers all working together to establish a viable pathway to future work for Indigenous youth that meets the needs of, and is relevant to, both Industry and Indigenous communities. Network partners will work to determine the critical elements to bridge gaps, remove barriers, and engage communities in workforce development, to enable successful labour force participation for Indigenous youth.

Start-end date: April 2021 - May 2023
Sponsor: Construction Foundation of BC

Learning outside together: Incorporating traditional wisdom and promising practices to futureproof child care programs

This project aims to increase knowledge and skills among early care and learning (ECL) professionals related to outdoor play and to the Indigenous practices and educational concepts of “land as teacher”. Key activities include developing an online training and mentorship program, recruiting participants from across BC, and implementing and evaluating the resulting program. ECL programs face barriers to spending more time outdoors due to licensing requirements, available physical space, and lack of supportive workplace policies. Thus, one goal of the project is to support participants, via mentors, to enable them to work through implementation barriers. The legacy goal is to generate evidence, through the project evaluation, that demonstrates the effectiveness of the project’s approaches. This evidence would be used to inform, support, and sustain implementation of these approaches long after the initial funding period has ended. This three-year project is a joint partnership between the Early Childhood Educators of BC (ECEBC), the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society (BCACCS), and SRDC.

Start-end date: April 2021 - March 2024
Sponsor: Early Childhood Educators of BC

Connecting the Dots

This project aims to develop, implement, and evaluate an integrated, accessible, and adaptive training and support system, serving as an online one-stop shop of educational tools, materials, and community resources for apprentices in the construction trades. The goal is to empower apprentices to take a proactive role in addressing multiple levels of challenges during apprenticeship training. As part of the project, SRDC is designing and implementing a cohesive evaluation framework and data collection tools that not only track the progress of participating apprentices but also collect input and feedback from trades instructors, employers, unions, and other stakeholders to inform current and future products, tools, and services. The project contributes to facilitate the entry, retention, and advancement of underrepresented groups in the trades through an innovative, self-directed approach to online learning and interaction. It is designed to provide equal opportunity and access for groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the trades, such as women, newcomers, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, youth, and low-skilled and displaced workers. Findings, best practices, and lessons learned from this project will be shared to support larger-scale expansion of this technology-driven approach to skills development within and beyond the construction sector.

Start-end date: March 2021 - February 2026
Sponsor: SkillPlan

Skills for Success Framework: Validation in the Manufacturing Sector

As part of validating OLES’ new Skills for Success Framework, SRDC and Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium are working collaboratively to engage employers in the Manufacturing sector to achieve two primary objectives: i) Validate the Framework: Are the new skills definitions included in the Skills for Success framework aligned with broad employer needs and business outcomes? ii) Alignment with Job Tasks: How do the subcomponents of each defined skill align with the job performance requirements of workers in the sector? Findings from the validation exercise will support and inform training and curriculum development tailored to sector needs, as well as the development of assessment tools to measure pre-training skill gaps and post-training gains.

Start-end date: March 2021 - June 2021
Sponsor: Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium

Skills Compass

Young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) are at risk of becoming socially excluded, with low income and lacking the skills to improve their economic situation. Indigenous youth, and youth who are newcomers to Canada, may face additional barriers to becoming engaged in employment or education. Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) is leading a pilot project to address potential barriers faced by Indigenous and newcomer NEET youth through a pre-employment training program, wraparound supports, and employment placements. SRDC as the evaluation partner is responsible for developing the evaluation framework and data collection instruments, measuring outputs and outcomes, integrative data analysis, reporting findings, and participating in knowledge mobilization.

Start-end date: October 2020 - March 2023
Sponsor: Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan)

Supporting the launch of Skills for Success

Recognizing the need for a modernized skills framework and a set of tools and structures that is more responsive to evolving industry and worker needs, The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) has recently renewed its existing Essential Skills Framework. The renewed skills approach, rebranded as Skills for Success, will be launched and rolled out in the coming months to inform the development of assessments, measurements, and learning materials aligned with the skills demands of the modern labour market. To support the launch, SRDC will, in consultation with a wide range of partners including academic experts, assessment developers, and practitioners, i) review, refine, validate and modernize the definitions and descriptions of each skill in the Skills for Success framework; ii) review and revise where necessary the underlying constructs of each skill; iii) summarize existing evidence and conduct new qualitative and quantitative analyses to validate the links between each skill and labour market outcomes; and iv) update proficiency levels of previously established skills to reflect new competency requirements in the labour market, and explore methods to establish proficiency standards for newly defined skills.

Start-end date: September 2020 - January 2021
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

CreateAction: Inclusive Social Innovation

CreateAction: Inclusive Social Innovation — This project is evaluating the role that six-month work experience opportunities in the social innovation, social finance, and social enterprise sectors can play in supporting youth who are either not in employment, education, or training (NEET). The project is being led by the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) in partnership with SRDC and the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC). The project aims to recruit
100 Indigenous youth, new immigrants, young people living in poverty, those who identify as LGBTQ2S+, young people with disabilities, racialized youth, youth in rural/remote communities, and official language minority youth. SRDC is supporting the project design, coordinating tailored supports to participants, and leading the project’s evaluation activities. The evaluation is examining how the placement opportunities facilitate the transition of young people to secure employment in the labour market through the development of skills, workplace experience, professional networks, and tailored wraparound supports. It is also examining how hosting the youth placements will support the capacity and sustainability of innovative social purpose organizations across Canada to hire youth facing barriers from the communities they serve, connect to regional Social Innovation and Social Finance ecosystems, and leverage investments of the Investment Readiness Program and Social Finance Fund.

Start-end date: August 2020 - March 2023
Sponsor: Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet)

Implementing a Virtual Recruitment and Assessment Centre for the Unionized Construction Industry

This project will develop a recruitment strategy integrating sectoral needs analysis, behavioural insights, and social marketing to reach underrepresented groups and increase their awareness, knowledge, and connection to the building trades. A social media based messaging strategy informed by how each of the targeted groups perceives benefits and barriers to entering the trades will connect prospective candidates to an innovative online assessment and matching platform which will help users determine their suitability, connect directly to a Building Trades union, and transition into the apprenticeship system with essential skills tutoring. Unions will help to inform the recruitment strategy and refine the assessment and matching process to ensure candidates have the skills and mentor/support networks to succeed. Phase II of the project will focus on optimization of user pathways and enhanced functionality and content of learning resources. As well, this phase will focus on customizing components to be more responsive to local conditions, recruitment challenges, and union-specific skills needs. Evidence on the effectiveness of these enhancements will be generated through a mixed methods approach, which will include both implementation research and an outcomes study to evaluate the success of the initiative.

Start-end date: April 2020 - September 2023
Sponsor: Future Skills Centre

Pay for Performance in Manufacturing

In partnership with Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC), SRDC is evaluating the effectiveness of a pay-for-performance funding model for workforce development in the manufacturing sector. Building on the success of the national pilot of EMC's Manufacturing Essentials Certification, this model seeks to engage employers to invest in essential skills training by offering partial repayment of costs based on achievement of success milestones. Based on input from manufacturers, the proposed model is being finalized via consultations with employers. As the delivery of Manufacturing Essentials is increasingly being offered online, the evaluation considers a comparison of in-person vs. online delivery methods and outcomes.

Start-end date: March 2020 - March 2023
Sponsor: Future Skills Centre

Literature Review on effective labour market programs and services to assist youth and social assistance recipients to integrate into the labour market

ESDC has commissioned SRDC to undertake literature reviews of labour market programs that have been shown to be effective for integrating youth and social assistance recipients into the labour market. The focus is on recent (last five years) activation programs in Canada and OECD countries.

Start-end date: November 2019 - July 2020
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

BC Partners in Workforce Innovation – Increasing Employment Through Inclusive Workplaces

This two-year demonstration project is evaluating how enhanced employer supports and supported workplace experiences can enable BC employers to achieve their diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategies by establishing more inclusive workplaces, recruiting career-focused talent, and improving overall outcomes for people with disabilities. Through the position of an HR Specialist, the project is engaging employers in the Greater Vancouver region to secure work placements for a minimum of 100 people with disabilities/diverse abilities, with a goal of 75% of employed people with disabilities remaining employed with either the employer partner or elsewhere after six months. The project is building on a previous pilot that demonstrated the potential of this approach to meeting the needs of sectors facing workforce shortages through the further enhancement of recruitment and employer training strategies that can lead to the recruitment and retention of a more diverse workforce.

Start-end date: July 2019 - March 2023
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Framework for the Professional Development of Essential Skills Practitioners

This project is developing and testing a new framework for professional development that standardizes the delivery of Essential Skills (ES) practitioner training in Canada. The framework will provide broad guidance to allow regional flexibility and customization based on the needs of the ES practitioners, while ensuring greater consistency in the delivery of ES practitioner training. To ensure its effectiveness, the project will test the new framework and assessment tools in a pan-Canadian pilot across five regions representing a diverse group of training organizations. The pilot will include a feasibility study as it tests the relevance and usefulness of the application of the framework and competency assessment tools, and will provide recommendations for the professionalization of the ES practitioner field. Ultimately, professionalizing the field of ES practitioners in Canada will ensure better and more consistent outcomes for learners receiving ES training.

Start-end date: March 2019 - March 2023
Sponsor: SkillPlan

Feasibility Study for the Creation of a WISE Outcomes Database

This research study is assessing the feasibility of creating an outcomes database on work integration social enterprises (WISEs) in Canada. Through research and consultation with WISE stakeholders, the project will enable ESDC to be well-positioned to work with the WISE sector to develop a coherent outcomes database for Canadian WISEs.

Start-end date: February 2019 - March 2019
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

SmartICE: Developing responsive approaches to training and employment in Inuit Nunangat

SmartICE is a work-integrated social enterprise aiming to empower northern communities to adapt to increasingly unpredictable sea ice in the circumpolar arctic. SmartICE is launching a Northern Production Centre (NPC) in Nain, Nunatsiavut, which will employ Inuit youth to assemble one of its sea ice monitoring technologies: SmartBUOYs. SRDC will work with SmartICE to design, pilot, and evaluate an innovative model to sustainably train and employ Inuit youth in Nain. SmartICE will work with community stakeholders and youth to develop a contextually responsive training approach and employment opportunity for Nainimmuit youth to facilitate the assembly and testing of SmartBUOYs for use in Nunatsiavut and in communities across the circumpolar arctic. SRDC will support SmartICE by conducting a developmental evaluation of the SmartICE NPC.

Start-end date: February 2019 - December 2019
Sponsor: SmartICE

An innovative model to enhance entry, advancement, and employment outcomes of women apprentices

This project aims to support the entry, retention, and advancement of women in the skilled construction trades. The model will include a series of support services and mentorship opportunities for women seeking or already employed in the skilled trades as well as a number of supports for employers, based on a successful approach used by the Office to Advance Women Apprentices (OAWA) in Newfoundland and Labrador. Services will be provided for at least 750 apprentices and tradeswomen in the provinces of Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The project is being led by Canada’s Building Trades Unions (CBTU), along with their provincial partners, the Office to Advance Women Apprentices, and the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC). SRDC will be responsible for the research and evaluation strategy, including an outcomes study to measure the effects of the program on participating women in trades and their employers as well as an implementation study to explore best practices. The project will run for three and a half years from December 2018 to May 2022.

Start-end date: December 2018 - May 2022
Sponsor: Canada’s Building Trades Unions

Enhancing employment programming for vulnerable youth

In 2017, the Government of Canada committed to renewing its youth employment strategy, part of which involves a renewal of Skills Link with more focus on at-risk youth and additional investments to increase the planned participant intake. The Government has also committed to continue improving the way it serves the needs of youth including helping understand what’s working and to encourage good program practices. In coordination with ESDC’s Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) and youth employment branch, SRDC developed a multi-staged four-year project to both explore improvements in employment programming for vulnerable youth and to pilot test a Pay-for-Performance model for incentivizing innovation and best practices among service providers.
The first phase in year one will involve a comprehensive review and re-analysis of employment programming as part of Skills Link along with a series of consultations with providers of youth programming to document strengths in existing delivery, best practices, and any gaps and opportunities for innovation. The second phase will involve the design and implementation of a demonstration project to test a Pay-for-Performance model to incentivize innovation and best practices. The demonstration phase will span three years and will involve up to 600 youth from across Canada.

Start-end date: November 2018 - October 2023
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

The Changing Nature of Work: Digital Transformation & Innovation in the Electricity Sector

Technologies related to digitization, automation, artificial intelligence, and green technology are reshaping the structure of work and the required competencies for many occupations in the Electricity sector. In partnership with Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC), SRDC is studying the scope of technological change and its potential impacts on the sector. Through a series of consultations with employers, educational institutions, and other stakeholders this project will provide a rich analysis of the context and impacts of forthcoming technological change including its implications for the sector's workforce in terms of occupational demand and supply and the need for strategic investments in education and training.

Start-end date: October 2018 - August 2019
Sponsor: Electricity Human Resources Canada

TechAbility: Aligning Diverse Abilities to Technical Occupations

This project is developing and testing a technical occupational framework to support the recruitment of persons with disabilities in the technology sector of BC. The project is establishing the business case for hiring persons with disabilities into technical occupations and identifying the necessary supports to ensure successful outcomes for both employers and job seekers. The pilot is assessing the impact of the framework primarily through a series of job shadowing and mentorship opportunities that are designed to enhance skills and employment outcomes for research participants.

Start-end date: October 2018 - January 2020
Sponsor: Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC

Connecting multi-barriered newcomers to the Canadian labour market

This project involves the design, delivery, and evaluation of a comprehensive package of employment services for the increasing numbers of refugees and other newcomers who have trouble transitioning from settlement to sustained employment. The program model augments traditional language training by offering a holistic suite of employment services including Essential Skill upgrading, technical training, work placement, and job retention support. A randomized control trial design is used to evaluate program impacts, by comparing the outcomes of those who are randomly assigned to receive the new suite of services with a control group who continue receiving existing services.

Start-end date: July 2018 - March 2021
Sponsor: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Literacy and Essential Skills as a Poverty Reduction Strategy

Through a comprehensive literature review and series of practitioner and stakeholder consultations, this project will consolidate knowledge, best practices, and the latest innovations in literacy programming targeting lower-skilled individuals. This will inform the development of a broader poverty reduction strategy for Canada, which integrates literacy training in a way that is responsive to the full spectrum of needs of lower skilled Canadians including those most distant from the labour market.

Start-end date: May 2018 - March 2019
Sponsor: Frontier College

Manufacturing Essentials: Design of a performance measurement strategy and pay-for-performance funding model

On behalf of the Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium (EMC) and the Canadian Manufacturing Network (CMN), SRDC is developing an evaluation framework and performance measurement strategy for Manufacturing Essentials, the industry’s primary certification and Essential Skills training program. In coordination with EMC and CMN, SRDC will also consult with employers throughout the sector and design a Pay-For-Performance (PFP) funding model for reimbursing employer training costs and incentivizing best practices in training delivery.

Start-end date: April 2018 - September 2019
Sponsor: Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium

Development of Business Case for Work Integrated Learning in Mining

This project is outlining the business case for work-integrated learning in the mining industry through interviews with industry stakeholders and secondary research on the benefits of work-integrated learning in mining and other sectors.

Start-end date: March 2018 - June 2018
Sponsor: Mining Industry Human Resources Council

Field trials and evaluation of three WISE programs in Northern Simcoe County Ontario

SRDC is implementing a four-year research study in partnership with three work integration social enterprises (WISE) that are part of a co-operative network, known as the Karma Project. These social enterprises provide a range of services and green occupations in demand in the North Simcoe county region of Ontario. The study, spanning four years, will examine the effectiveness of WISE in improving the employability and social inclusion of youth in rural communities. At the same time, it will assess changes in the capacity of social enterprises and examine variations in outcomes by alternative models of work integration.

Start-end date: March 2018 - May 2022
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

A comprehensive review and development of measurement options for Essential Skills initiatives

The Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES) currently supports a wide range of Literacy and Essential Skills initiatives including pilots of various delivery models in both workplace settings and for the unemployed, through the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program (ALLESP). Performance measurement is critical to the success of these projects and for the achievement of the broader objectives of ALLESP. On behalf of OLES, SRDC is conducting a comprehensive review of measurement options for assessing outcomes of Literacy and Essential Skills initiatives and will develop a framework to support a broader performance measurement strategy for the ALLESP program.

Start-end date: March 2018 - March 2019
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Canadian Work Experience Pilots Evaluation: A Comparative Evaluation and Analysis

Immigration plays a critical role to Canada’s labour market and economic success. However, highly skilled newcomers to Canada face significant barriers trying to enter the labour market upon arrival. ESDC is addressing some of these barriers through the Targeted Employment Strategy for Newcomers (TESN). The TESN has three components, namely the Pre-arrival program; the FCR Loans Program; and the Canadian Work Experience Pilots, the subject of this evaluation, which tests innovative approaches to help skilled newcomers gain Canadian work experience in their professions. The purpose of this comprehensive evaluation of the Canadian Work Experience (CWE) pilot projects is to conduct a comparative analysis of the pilot sites in order to provide solid evidence on which to base Canadian work experience programs on. The findings of the two-year pilot program will be used to identify the most promising practices to resolve the issues around first Canadian work experience.

Start-end date: January 2018 - April 2020
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Development and pilot testing of an innovative demand-led training model to support entry and retention in the Aquaculture sector

This project examines the feasibility of a training model that aims to enhance both career adaptability and essential skills of workers – those more distant from the labour market and/or those recently displaced – in a way that is specifically aligned with the occupational requirements of Newfoundland’s Aquaculture sector. The model’s objectives are to prepare lower-skilled and/or displaced job seekers for both the demands of technical training and subsequent employment, to ensure successful training completion, transition to employment, and longer-term retention.

Start-end date: December 2017 - June 2020
Sponsor: College of the North Atlantic

Evaluation of the Indigenous Communities Public Works Project

The Indigenous Communities Public Works Project is an innovative demand-driven approach to workforce development in First Nations communities. The initiative was designed with the aim of strengthening employment opportunities for unemployed or underemployed Indigenous individuals. It also aims to provide communities with the local expertise needed to address their public works and community infrastructure needs. The project builds on a unique partnership model that includes diverse cross-sector partners. The lead organization is Okanagan Training and Development Council, the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Training Strategy agreement holder for the Okanagan service areas that consist of six band memberships. The other two partners are Westbank First Nation, a self-governing nation in Kelowna and ASTTBC, a not-for-profit, provincial professional association/regulator established in 1958. SRDC has been commissioned to conduct a proof of concept to show how the pilot plays out in the real world and if it is feasible and viable for a wider implementation and evaluation.

Start-end date: September 2017 - July 2019
Sponsor: Okanagan Training and Development Council + anonymous donor

Mentorship and Skills Development in British Columbia's Electrical Sector – Phase 3: Strategy Development

The large majority of technical training in the skilled building trades takes place on the job through mentoring relationships. Employers report mentorship as the key to developing a qualified tradesperson — however, they also report the quality of mentorship as drastically uneven. Many tradespersons are required to mentor apprentices but have never been prepared adequately to do so. This project is supporting the development and evaluation of mentorship training models in BC’s construction sector. Building on an earlier Labour Market Information (LMI) study and sector needs analysis, this phase of the project is undertaking the development of a comprehensive strategy for the design, implementation, and evaluation of an enhanced mentorship program that addresses the specific business needs and performance gaps experienced by the electrical trades in British Columbia.

Start-end date: July 2017 - January 2018
Sponsor: Electrical Joint Training Committee

Improving productivity through mentorship: A National Demonstration Project

According to BuildForce Canada’s construction sector forecast, the industry is estimated to lose 250,000 skilled tradespeople to retirements over the next decade. This is leading to a dramatic need for rapid skills development of younger workers – at unprecedented levels – which is placing significant pressure on training capacity in the sector. This is not simply a challenge for the apprenticeship system, but also for employers, unions, and current supervisors and journeypersons who are responsible for the large majority of skills development through mentorship. At the same time, many journeyworkers and apprentices are not adequately prepared for mentorship as they have gaps in key underlying Essential Skills of communication, working with others, and problem-solving.

This project will undertake the development, implementation, and evaluation of an enhanced mentorship training model for Canada's construction and maintenance sector. It is being implemented as a pan-Canadian demonstration project in all regions of the country with up to 1,200 skilled tradesworkers and up to 80 contractors in four of Canada's skilled trades. The research design includes a randomized control trial (RCT) to measure effects of the mentorship training model on the skills and performance of apprentices and journeyworkers as well as business outcomes of participating firms. The study will also include a rigorous cost-benefit analysis to measure the returns on training investments. The project is being managed by BuildForce Canada in partnership with SkillPlan and the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation (SRDC). The project is funded by the Office of Literacy and Essential Skills (OLES), Employment and Social Development Canada.

BuildForce Mentorship

Start-end date: June 2017 - February 2022
Sponsor: BuildForce Canada

Developing Provincial/Territorial Capacity for Innovation in Employment and Training Services

Following a Fall 2016 Best Practices session convened for the Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM), SRDC is meeting with provincial and territorial labour market officials to share knowledge about labour market programming. The meetings, which include presentations highlighting innovation in the design and delivery of programs, aim to identify opportunities to promote innovation through learning exchange and collaboration among jurisdictions.

Start-end date: April 2017 - March 2018
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Development of a performance measurement framework for a women in trades initiative

SRDC is developing a performance measurement framework and an evaluation strategy for a women in trades initiative on behalf of BuildForce Canada. The project will see the development, implementation, and evaluation of a tool for employers and online training for staff to support diversity policies and respectful workplaces.

Start-end date: January 2017 - March 2017
Sponsor: BuildForce Canada

Women in Trades – Implementation Options and Recommended Pilot Projects

Following the completion of a comprehensive needs analysis for women in BC’s skilled trades, SRDC held a facilitated workshop to present and discuss its findings with a series of industry, union, and government stakeholders. Based on the research results and stakeholder input, SRDC is preparing a series of recommended pilot projects for the implementation and evaluation of women in trades programming for British Columbia.

Start-end date: January 2017 - February 2017
Sponsor: SkillPlan

Enhancing Volunteer Recruitment and Retention

The study explores the motivations and constraints facing volunteer firefighters to support the development of an enhanced set of recruitment and retention practices, particularly in rural communities. The project is a partnership with the Community Development and Homelessness Partnerships Directorate of Employment and Social Development Canada, funded by the Canadian Safety and Security Program. The project seeks to augment existing outreach strategies and messaging to create better alignment with volunteers’ motivations and constraints through multiple methods, including behavioural-based analyses. The feasibility of the new model will be tested through a small-scale pilot.

Start-end date: January 2017 - December 2018
Sponsor: Canadian Safety and Security Program

Forum of Labour Market Ministers' Senior Officials – Best Practices Session

SRDC was responsible for organizing a half-day session to share innovative approaches, lessons learned, and research and evaluation on labour market programs and service delivery strategies. It featured presentations from a number of jurisdictions on recent projects and initiatives to identify best practices, improve program effectiveness, and foster innovation. SRDC staff presented on three SRDC projects in this area, teaming up with provincial Senior Officials who provided context on how the projects respond to their respective program and policy objectives. SRDC was also responsible for producing an Event Report summarizing the discussion.

Start-end date: September 2016 - September 2016
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Labour Market Transfer Agreements summary report

Employment and skills training programming and services in Canada are supported and delivered by federal, provincial, and territorial governments. The federal government provides almost $3 billion annually to provinces and territories through four major bilateral transfer agreements to support training and employment programming for Canadians. The design and delivery of the programs and services funded under these agreements are the responsibility of provinces and territories. This includes programs and services for unemployed workers eligible for Employment Insurance (EI), individuals without recent or sustained labour market attachment (non-EI insured), low-skilled workers, employers, persons with disabilities, and older workers. The 2016 Federal Budget announced new investments for 2016-17 totaling an additional $175 million. This is the first step in a plan to boost support for skills and training through the transfer agreements. To further ensure that these agreements continue to be relevant, flexible, and responsive to new and emerging labour market needs and priorities, the federal, provincial, and territorial governments have collaboratively embarked on a process in the summer 2016 to gather stakeholder input on these important investments. SRDC summarizes the outcomes of the consultations related to the labour market agreements renewal in this report.

Start-end date: August 2016 - September 2016
Sponsor: Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale du Québec

An Innovative Cluster Training Model for New Brunswick Small Business

Development and pilot testing of a multi-level cluster-based training model for New Brunswick small businesses, who lack the capacity for traditional workplace training approaches. The project documents best practices in cluster training and refines existing needs assessments and evaluation tools for pooled small business delivery. The new model will be pilot tested with 6 firms and up to 24 employees in 2-3 clusters. SRDC is leading the evaluation in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick (TIANB) with funding from New Brunswick’s Department of Post-secondary Education Training and Labour.

New Brunswick Government news release

Start-end date: July 2016 - April 2017
Sponsor: Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick

Mentorship and Skills Development in BC's Construction Sector: A Needs Analysis

The large majority of technical training in the skilled building trades takes place on the job through mentoring relationships. Employers report mentorship as the key to developing a qualified tradesperson — however, they also report the quality of mentorship as drastically uneven. Many tradespersons are required to mentor apprentices but have never been prepared adequately to do so. This project supports the development and evaluation of mentorship training models in BC’s construction sector. The focus is on the electrical trade, the largest of skilled building trades in BC. The design includes a sector needs analysis where we explore the most prominent skills and job performance gaps and business needs through key informant interviews and a province-wide survey of electrical contractors. The primary goal of this analysis is to understand the role that quality mentorship can play in addressing these skills and performance gaps and to support the design and evaluation of a mentorship training model in a subsequent pilot.

Government of British Columbia news release

Start-end date: May 2016 - March 2017
Sponsor: Electrical Joint Training Committee

Cross-sector knowledge translation and engagement on UPSKILL Health

Upskill Health is a supplementary analysis of data collected through UPSKILL to explore the health-related outcomes of workplace LES training in terms of the physical and mental health of individual workers, as well as workplace performance and business outcomes. Upskill Health builds evidence on the impact of concrete interventions to address key social determinants of health such as literacy and employment, and informs workplace skill development policies and programs by demonstrating that there are measurable health and business outcomes associated with improvements in LES.

With continued financial support from PHAC, SRDC is developing a knowledge translation and engagement (KTE) strategy to share the results and implications of Upskill Health with key government and external stakeholders in the business, LES, and mental health communities. This strategy of facilitating cross-sector dialogue is intended to support the Agency in its mandate of leveraging action on social determinants of health.

Start-end date: March 2016 - March 2017
Sponsor: Public Health Agency of Canada

Determinants of Participation in Indigenous Labour Market Programs

The primary goal of this project is to identify barriers to participation in ESDC Indigenous Labour Market Programs: the Aboriginal Skills and Training Program; the Skills and Partnership Fund; and the First Nations Job Fund (joint project with IAND). The project includes: a document review and environmental scan of program evaluations and recent policy research; key informant interviews with program agreement holders; and an exploratory analysis of program administrative data.

Start-end date: February 2016 - March 2016
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

The Role of Employment Social Enterprises in Supporting Transitioning Youth

The BC Centre for Employment Excellence and its partner, the Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria, are conducting a demonstration project to evaluate the role of Employment Social Enterprises (ESEs) in supporting the labour market transitions of youth facing barriers to developing their career potential. The project partners with local social entrepreneurs, employment service providers and employers to generate work placements in new or existing ESEs that focus on employing barriered youth, giving youth participants the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and skill development that is in line with local labour market opportunities. This project is designed to fill a gap in knowledge with regard to understanding the role that transitional placements in ESEs can play in improving employment outcomes for at-risk youth.

Start-end date: February 2016 - December 2017
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

Evaluation of the Thompson Rivers University Front-End Loaded Truck and Transport Vehicle Mechanic Pilot Program

The BC Centre for Employment Excellence, a division of SRDC, is evaluating the Industry Training Authority/Thompson Rivers University Front-End Loaded Pilot Program for the Truck and Transport Vehicle Mechanic apprenticeship training. The objective is to determine the effectiveness of the model in achieving its intended objectives and how it compares to the traditional apprenticeship training model.

Start-end date: July 2015 - October 2015
Sponsor: Industry Training Authority

Essential skills and OHS training pilot project

This project examines the role that essential skills can play in occupational health and safety (OHS) training. The project adds essential skills training in numeracy and document use into existing hoisting and rigging OHS training, examines the challenges of this addition, and estimates the impacts of the essential skills training on trainees’ performance on the assessments already used after the training, as well as their performance on numeracy and document use essential skills assessments.

Start-end date: July 2015 - December 2016
Sponsor: Institute for Work and Health

Analysis of PIAAC Data and Development of Evidence Base on Adult Learning for Ontario

This study examines the literacy skills proficiency distribution among key subgroups in the province of Ontario including recent immigrants, Aboriginals, Francophone, youth, and older workers. The objective is to inform policy direction with respect to resource targeting for adult learning initiatives in the province. Among other sources, the project utilizes the latest data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).

Start-end date: March 2015 - September 2015
Sponsor: Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

Evaluation of Social Finance Pilots

SRDC is conducting an evaluation of two pilot projects for Essential Skills training based on performance-based funding models. The Skilling UP pilot is led by Alberta Workforce Essential Skills, providing workplace essential skills training to lower-skilled workers in the manufacturing sector. Employers pay up-front for the training, and are reimbursed up to 50% of their investment if their workers achieve targeted skill gains. The second project is a social impact bond (SIB), in which private investors pay up-front for essential skills training for low-skilled unemployed persons, and are repaid their capital plus interest if participants achieve skill gains. Colleges and Institutes Canada is the intermediary for this Essential Skills Social Finance (ESSF) social impact bond, with three College delivery partners: Douglas College, Confederation College, and Sask Polytech. In addition to serving as proof-of-concept of the implementation of the two models, the pilot evaluations are measuring a range of outcomes of interest including skill gains, and indicators of employability and performance measurement.

Start-end date: January 2014 - January 2019
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Design of a Learning Management System for the Training Group at Douglas College

The project designs a common learning management system (LMS) for the Training Group at Douglas College so that the organization can conduct business analytics and analyze program outcomes in order to inform program development and to demonstrate outcomes achieved to program stakeholders. The project involves analyzing existing data management information collected for individual programs, identifying common and unique data collection needs across programs, and analyzing funder reporting needs and trends to design a common, standardized learning management system and reporting protocol.

Start-end date: December 2013 - August 2014
Sponsor: The Training Group at Douglas College

Review of The Impacts of Technology on Apprentice and Journeyperson Skills Requirements at the Workplace survey

Reviewed draft questionnaire for clarity of concepts, consistency with workplace skills literature, likely quality of response, and flow pattern.

Start-end date: April 2013 - April 2013
Sponsor: Canadian Apprenticeship Forum

Review of Employment and Training Programs

The purpose of this Program Review is to assist the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in developing an evidence-based framework for the potential integration and ongoing evaluation of employment and training programs. To achieve this SRDC uses a comprehensive approach including: environmental scan, review of program documents, extensive discussions with MTCU staff, analysis of existing state of knowledge reviews that SRDC has conducted, key informant interviews with other ministries, value for money techniques, stakeholder consultations, policy analysis, and program design. Based on findings from the review of in-scope programs and consultations with key stakeholders as well as an analysis of the existing research on effective and/or promising approaches to employment and training services, SRDC develops high level recommendations for a potential future state of the Ontario employment and training system.

Start-end date: December 2012 - December 2013
Sponsor: Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

SustainAbilities essential skills upgrading project in the Athabasca Oil Sands area - Phase I

Development of a research framework and instruments to support an outcomes evaluation for the SustainAbilities project – a large-scale workplace Essential Skills training initiative in Wood Buffalo Oil Sands region, with some 3,000 frontline workers annually. Phase I involves the design of the research framework and baseline survey instruments. Future phases will involve the design of protocols for implementation research and survey instruments for assessing post-training outcomes, including performance outcomes of workers and firms.

Start-end date: October 2012 - January 2013
Sponsor: DataAngel Policy Research Inc.

Understanding the impact of numeracy and literacy skills on financial capability

In collaboration with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, this SRDC study explores the link between Essential Skills and financial capability as well as the impact of workplace-based Essential Skills training on financial capability. Financial capability is defined as the ability to make informed financial decisions. This research study is part of the broader UPSKILL: Essentials to Excel demonstration project and aims to provide a better understanding of the relation between two domains of financial capability (managing money and planning ahead) with the TOWES essential skills scores (numeracy and document use). The study also explores other links between financial capability and important psycho-social outcomes and job performance indicators.

Start-end date: September 2012 - February 2014
Sponsor: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

Occupational Health and Safety and Essential Skills

The purpose of this project is to design a field test of an innovative program of occupational health and safety training that embeds individually customized transferable skills enhancement for lower skilled workers. The goal is to enhance the effectiveness of such training in improving OHS outcomes such as worker knowledge, worker and organizational actions that reduce injury risk, and reduced illness and injury rates.

Start-end date: April 2012 - March 2013
Sponsor: Institute for Work and Health

Expert panel – Evaluation of the Workplace Skills Initiative

SRDC was asked to participate in an expert discussion panel as part of the evaluation of the Workplace Skills Initiative (WSI). WSI provided funding to projects that tested approaches to workplace skills development and human resource management in Canada, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises. The evaluation determines the extent to which the WSI was effective in achieving its objectives and identifying best practices and lessons learned for future programming.

Start-end date: December 2011 - January 2012
Sponsor: EKOS Research Associates Inc.

BC Workplace Training Project

SRDC collaborated with Douglas College to design and conduct an evaluation of an Essential Skills training program designed to upgrade the transferable skills of 1,200 eligible participants working in the tourism and retail sectors throughout British Columbia. The Workplace Training Program is funded by the BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation. The program is delivered by the Continuing Education and Training Association of BC (CETABC), which is a consortium of post-secondary institutions. The evaluation involves both implementation and outcomes research.

Start-end date: December 2011 - March 2013
Sponsor: The Training Group at Douglas College

ESWS Service Delivery Model in Action

A follow-up study of the Essential Skills Workplace Services (ESWS) delivery model, which was implemented from 2008-2010 by The Training Group at Douglas College in partnership with a national consortium of colleges specializing in workplace essential skills training. This research study aims to provide a rich understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of the ESWS model along with a series of practical lessons in its implementation. Particular attention is given to the fundamental role of employer engagement and how essential skills training and its benefits are best communicated in a workplace setting.

Start-end date: December 2010 - March 2011
Sponsor: The Training Group at Douglas College

Training in SMEs

The research is to provide a better understanding of policies and programs that have proven effective at encouraging small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) to undertake training and skills development among their employees, with a view to provide HRSDC with an external view on recent and effective developments in policy and programming on issues pertinent to SME-sponsored training and skills development, and present the findings of this research in provincial roundtables in Quebec and Manitoba.

Start-end date: October 2010 - March 2011
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale du Québec

Workplace Literacy and Essential Skills Initiatives: Measuring and Legitimating Success to Expand Access

A demonstration project designed to develop and apply a comprehensive evaluation model to measure the long-term outcomes of workplace literacy and essential skills initiatives in Manitoba and Nova Scotia. It builds on an evidence-based model developed in New Zealand that integrates quantitative and qualitative measures. The model has been modified to the Canadian context and applies to 20 selected workplace LES initiatives in Manitoba and Nova Scotia, provinces that have invested in sustained workplace essential skills programs for two decades. SRDC is responsible for the evaluation framework and research strategy.

Start-end date: July 2010 - December 2012
Sponsor: The Centre for Literacy of Quebec

Adult Learning and Returns to Training

The design and implementation of an integrated and multi-disciplinary research program to measure a comprehensive range of economic and social returns to learning to inform adult learning policy development.

Start-end date: February 2010 - November 2013
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

UPSKILL: Essentials to Excel - Literacy and Essential Skills in the Workplace

A large-scale demonstration project to measure the impacts of literacy and essential skills (LES) training in the workplace. The project uses a random assignment design to provide the most reliable measures of the impacts of LES training on workers skills, their job performance, and other outcomes relevant to workers and firm-level objectives. Approximately 80-100 firms and 1,200 workers participated, half of whom received training; the other half served as a control group in the study.

Read the reports

Start-end date: February 2010 - February 2014
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Office of Literacy and Essential Skills

Design of a Demonstration Project to Evaluate Workplace-based Literacy and Essential Skills Training

A design for a demonstration project using random assignment to measure the impacts of Literacy and Essential Skills (LES) training in the workplace.

Start-end date: May 2009 - September 2009
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Skills Upgrading for Ontario Working Age Adults: An Environmental Scan of Programs, Gaps, and Opportunities

A review of existing workforce and workplace-based skills training in Canada and selected international jurisdictions. The study provides a detailed examination of the most promising models and conducts a preliminary analysis of the feasibility of implementing them in an Ontario context.

Start-end date: April 2009 - August 2009
Sponsor: Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

BC Reclamation and Prospecting Teams Pilot Project

Preparation of a research design report for evaluating a culturally specific training curriculum delivered to First Nation youths in Northwestern BC using a mainly non-classroom-based teaching model.

Start-end date: February 2007 - April 2007
Sponsor: Northwest Community College