Employment supports and services

Entrepreneurship Among Persons with Disabilities

This project involves an environmental scan of Canadian and international peer reviewed and grey literature on entrepreneurship as an employment or income-generating option for people with disabilities. It also includes an analysis of relevant national and international policies and programs that are designed to support entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities, including their stated objectives, approaches, and – where possible – success outcomes. The review is, where possible, taking into consideration other intersecting factors (based on the GBA+ framework) that can affect people with disabilities in terms of their engagement and pursuit of entrepreneurship. The overall objective of this research is to provide ESDC with a better understanding of the issues, challenges, and opportunities that entrepreneurship offers people with disabilities to participate in the labour market.

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

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

Skilled Newcomer Training Incentive Bond Pilot

The evaluation of the Canadian Work Experience (CWE) pilot projects show that wage subsidies are crucial to encourage some employers of hiring newcomers. Following the lessons learnt from the CWE, Achēv and ISANS are piloting a potentially more cost-effective solution to help employers manage uncertainties associated with hiring newcomers in the Skilled Newcomer Training Incentive Bond Pilot project. The pilot provides employment readiness training and employer connections to
200 newcomers. Employers hiring the participants are eligible for a bond that partially reimburses the salary paid if the probational employment is not a good fit. SRDC is contracted to design and conduct the evaluation of this pilot project.

Start-end date: August 2022 - June 2025
Sponsor: Achēv and ISANS

Barriers to training and employment for youth with disabilities: Research synthesis

This project is producing a research synthesis of findings from SRDC’s past and current research projects concerning skills gaps, learning needs, and systemic barriers to employment faced by youth with disabilities. Funded by Skills and Employment Branch (SEB) at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the project involves creating a database of relevant SRDC projects that involve primary data collection, secondary analysis, and literature reviews of academic literature that have been undertaken by SRDC researchers in the past decade. The analysis of this database will equip ESDC’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) with a better understanding of the existing evidence of the barriers faced by youth with disabilities in Canada.

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

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

Digital ReBoot: Co-designing supports with Indigenous women

As a part of the Women's Employment Readiness pilot, funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, Women in Resource Development Corporation (WRDC) is partnering with Pinnguaq and the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation to co-design responsive training for Indigenous women exploring a career in the trades and/or technology sectors. WRDC aims to build on its history of supporting women in Newfoundland and Labrador in connecting to meaningful careers in trades and technology, to co-design a customized career development program with Indigenous and Northern women and communities, including wrap-around supports needed to create an inclusive and enabling environment for Indigenous women to participate. Project goals are to help women from Indigenous and Northern communities in Labrador and Nunavut, to gain foundational digital literacy skills to increase access to education and employment, and to reduce barriers to entry to employment in the trades and technology sectors by coaching Northern employers to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. SRDC is working closely with WRDC and Pinnguaq to co-design an evaluation framework, which will be implemented over the course of the project: this will include co-identifying key outcomes of interest with women in Nunatsiavut, NunatuKavut, Innu Nation, and Nunavut.

Start-end date: June 2022 - August 2023
Sponsor: Women in Resource Development Corporation

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

Evaluation of the Canada Digital Adoption Program

The federal government has developed the Canada Digital Adoption Program (CDAP) with the intent to increase digital adoption by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and improve their business performance. It has engaged SRDC to help determine which research methodology would be the most appropriate to establish a causal link between the participation of SMEs in CDAP and the expected program outcome. The main activities include interviews and document review to understand the design and planned rollout of the program, assessment of possible research methodologies that could be used to estimate the impact of the business supports provided by CDAP, and reporting on a recommended approach.

Start-end date: January 2022 - March 2022
Sponsor: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

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

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

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

Evaluation of the Lookout Ethical Employment Program (LEEP) Pilot Project

The Lookout Housing and Health Society is developing and implementing the Lookout Ethical Employment Program (LEEP). The LEEP program combines innovation with research in creating flexible onsite services for marginalized individuals who face multiple barriers to employment. The goal of LEEP is to adopt a flexible, non-linear approach to reduce barriers to employment by “meeting individuals where they are at”, bringing pre-employment and training services to their residential site and providing one-on-one supports and coaching.

SRDC is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of LEEP that consists of two components: a formative evaluation and an implementation and outcomes study. The goal of the evaluation is to test the hypothesis that one-on-one personalized support and training will assist participants in building skills that will enable their entry into the job market in addition to improvements in health. SRDC is using a mixed methods approach for data collection and analysis. LEEP is funded by the BC Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction’s Community and Employer Partnerships Research and Innovation.

Start-end date: February 2021 - October 2023
Sponsor: Lookout Housing and Health Society

Youth Program Navigator Pilot

SRDC is conducting ethnographic studies on targeted youth facing barriers using a variety of qualitative research methods (observations, interviews, conversations) to learn how ESDC Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) funded programs may better connect to hardest-to-reach youth. While YESS is intended to help young people, particularly those facing barriers to employment, get the information and gain the skills, work experience, and abilities they need to make a successful transition into the labour market, this project is concerned with optimal outreach to youth who face additional barriers to accessing services. Policy makers recognize the need to identify potential touchpoints in youths’ daily lives for YESS outreach. The project draws on SRDC’s prior experience working with vulnerable youth and knowledge of the youth ecosystem and understanding of vulnerable communities. Deliverables include reporting on results of the ethnographic study and a collaborative workshop to apply study results and develop program delivery recommendations.

Start-end date: February 2021 - June 2021
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

Overcoming barriers to skills development and employment for equity-seeking groups: Research synthesis

Jobs are changing and so are the skills Canadians need to be successful in a modern economy. Acquisition of foundational and socio-emotional skills is critical for those who are currently under-employed and underrepresented in the workforce. However, equity-seeking groups – such as women, youth, Indigenous persons, newcomers, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, and people who identify as LGBTQ2S+ – often face individual, organizational, and systemic barriers that prevent them from acquiring these skills and accessing good jobs. In addition, they may lack access to the experiences and supports that foster these skills, such as coaching from mentors and role models, professional networks, and positive early learning experiences; they may also experience differences between their values or customs and those desired by employers in the Canadian workplace. As the federal department mandated to promote a highly skilled and mobile labour force and an efficient and inclusive labour market, Employment and Social Development Canada aims to improve its capacity to better measure, monitor, and address gender disparity and promote access of underrepresented groups across its skills and training programs. SRDC has been engaged to consolidate and analyze available information on the skill gaps, learning needs, and systemic barriers faced by equity-seeking groups in accessing and benefiting from the skills training and employment supports offered by governments and organizations across the country. SRDC will analyze this information using a social-ecological and intersectional approach that recognizes the multiple personal and environmental factors that can influence outcomes in employment and training, and the ways an individual’s social identities can intersect and create exclusion and marginalization. The resulting research synthesis is expected to broaden ESDC’s understanding of the challenges to skills acquisition faced by underrepresented groups, and to inform future programming and research.

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

Embedding Evaluation into the SmartICE Technology Production and Employment Readiness Program at the Northern Production Centre

The Technology Production and Employment Readiness Program at the SmartICE Northern Production Centre (NPC) in Nain, Nunatsiavut, offers young Inuit (between the ages of 18-30 years old) a paid, six-week training and employment opportunity. Trainees learn to assemble and test the SmartBUOY, a stationary sea-ice thickness sensor intended for use across Labrador, Inuit Nunangat, and the circumpolar-arctic. In this project, SRDC is working closely with SmartICE to integrate evaluation into regular program activities at the NPC to minimize intrusiveness for staff and trainees and ensure sustainability over the long term. The goal is to consistently collect and track implementation and individual-level outcome data. SRDC will also work with SmartICE and its partners to identify and develop a plan to assess meso- or community-level outcomes of interest, including social, cultural, community, economic, and environmental outcomes. Community stakeholders will be engaged in this process to ensure that the selected outcomes are meaningful and that the evaluation approach is acceptable and appropriate for Nain.

Start-end date: January 2021 - September 2021
Sponsor: SmartICE + Social Enterprise Research

SmartICE: Inclusive Workforce for Arctic Ocean Technology Project

SmartICE is a not-for-profit organization that produces a range of innovative sea ice monitoring technologies that integrate Inuit knowledge with advanced data acquisition and remote monitoring technology. SmartICE operates as a work integration social enterprise (WISE) that provides Inuit with training and employment opportunities and bridges to the mainstream labour market. Grounded in Inuit Societal Values and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), SmartICE works with Inuit to blend IQ with digital and technical skills and social emotional learning. In this project, SRDC is working with SmartICE to develop, pilot, and evaluate a holistic, culturally contextualized training curriculum for its SmartICE Technology Operators. The project is based on principles of co-design and work is being done in partnership with communities and stakeholders. Project partners include Pinnguaq Association and Ilitaqsiniq, the Nunavut Literacy Council.The project will address the barriers faced by Inuit in remote northern communities and promote their inclusion and participation in the ocean economy. The curriculum will embed literacy and essential skills, digital literacy, and social emotional learning and regulation.  

The curriculum will first be piloted with SmartICE Technology Operators in Nain, Nunatsiavut and Arctic Bay, Nunavut. A model for upscaling the curriculum delivery and implementation across Inuit Nunangat will follow.

Start-end date: November 2020 - August 2022
Sponsor: SmartICE + Canada's Ocean Supercluster

Survey of skilled newcomers who have previously received employment supports from Immigrant Serving Agencies (ISAs)

Employment and Social Development Canada is funding SRDC for conducting a survey research to understand the needs and gaps in terms of labour market integration supports for skilled newcomers, and to identify which supports are the most effective. SRDC is partnering with selected Immigrant-serving Agencies (ISAs) all over Canada to understand their staff’s perspectives of the issues. The research team will also conduct an online survey of skilled newcomers who used employment support services from the partner ISAs. The SRDC research team will analyze systematically both the qualitative and quantitative data collected in order to provide grounded policy recommendations of potential improvements in employment supports to skilled newcomers.

Start-end date: November 2020 - June 2021
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

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)

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)

Assessment of IRCC Settlement Service Impacts

Recently, Statistics Canada introduced a supplementary administrative data module capturing usages of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) funded settlement services to the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB). This project is making use of this enhanced administrative database of newcomers to investigate the feasibility of estimating the intermediate and ultimate impacts of IRCC funded settlement service programs through some non-experimental statistical models. The project examines the journey and determinants of newcomers’ usage pattern of settlement services. The usage pattern will inform the creation of the counterfactual comparison samples to assess the socioeconomic outcomes and impacts of various IRCC funded settlement services. The statistical model will be validated against the data from the randomized controlled trials in the Career Pathways for Visible Minority Newcomer Women Pilot Project before it is applied to assess the intermediate and ultimate impacts of an IRCC initiative.

Start-end date: June 2020 - March 2025
Sponsor: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Building the evidence base about economic, health and social inequities faced by LGBTQ2S+ individuals in Canada

Research shows that, as a group, gender and sexual minorities – including people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+) – are more likely to live in poverty, face more barriers to employment (including stigma and discrimination), and earn less at work, despite often having higher levels of educational attainment than the general population. These areas of research are still emerging, and major knowledge gaps remain. For example, most research does not examine differences within the diverse LGBTQ2S+ community and does not link people’s experiences in the labour market with health and social outcomes. In addition, most research is from the US and Europe as Canada has very few indicators of gender and sexual minority status in its existing large survey datasets. This makes it difficult to understand the scale and scope of the problem and determine how best to address it through research, policy, programs, or practices (e.g., in the workplace). In partnership with Dr. Sean Waite at the University of Western Ontario, Pride at Work Canada, and the Labour Market Information Council, SRDC will lead this project, which aims to identify key determinants of economic outcomes for gender and sexual minorities in Canada. This work will inform effective program and policy interventions to reduce the socio-economic inequities that LGBTQ2S+ people experience.

Read the Phase 1 Report.

Read the Phase 2 Report.

Read the Phase 3 Report.

Start-end date: May 2020 - July 2022
Sponsor: Women and Gender Equality Canada

Soft Skills as a Workforce Development Strategy for Opportunity Youth — Scoping Report and Service Delivery Model

Shifts in the economy are changing the landscape of skills needed for employment success, and among employers, there is growing recognition of the need for soft skills in the workforce. With more than a quarter of a million young people in Canada facing multiple barriers to finding sustained employment, there is demand for innovative approaches that equip youth with the right skills for employment success. However, to date, there has been little systematic research on effective approaches for operationalizing soft skills development within employment settings, particularly for opportunity youth (i.e., youth who are not in school or employment).

The goal of the proposed project is to better define and contextualize employment-specific soft skills and to synthesize promising approaches used by leading employers and employment support programs serving opportunity youth in Canada. Based on a review of research literature and leading practice-based evidence, SRDC will develop a service delivery model that describes specific strategies, approaches, and recommendations for embedding soft skills development within existing employment and employment support programs. The model and accompanying resource guide will be validated by employers, employment support providers, and youth. Overall, findings from this project will help to emphasize and contextualize the need for soft skills and provide recommendations for ways to operationalize soft skills development for opportunity youth.

Start-end date: May 2020 - December 2021
Sponsor: Anonymous sponsor

Employment Supports for Youth with Barriers to Employment

BC’s health research funding agency – the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research – has commissioned SRDC to conduct a targeted evidence synthesis on best practices for employment supports – pre-employment and ongoing – for youth aged 14 to 29 with mental health and/or substance use issues. This includes an environmental scan and literature review to document and collate what is known about best and promising practices in the field and the overall landscape of current activity in Canada and three international jurisdictions. Phase 2 will consist of a knowledge synthesis and articulating implications for policy and service delivery in BC. Through a cross-Ministry Working Group on Children and Youth with Special Needs, this work will inform policy development and service delivery planning to better support youth and their families in BC.

Start-end date: May 2020 - January 2021
Sponsor: Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research

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

Raise the Grade Phase 3

Since its launch in 2012, the Raise the Grade (RTG) program from Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada (BGCC) has provided youth ages 12-18 across Canada with academic support, career discovery, mentoring, and interest-based activities in dedicated RTG Tech Centres, all within the safe and supportive Boys and Girls Club environment. Now in 46 Clubs, RTG promotes academic engagement among young people, and aims to increase their rate of high school completion and participation in post-secondary education. With funding from RBC Future Launch and ESDC, BGCC has once again partnered with SRDC in a third project phase. This phase will see RTG expanded into five new communities and an even larger, highly trained community of RTG mentors. In addition to analysis of program implementation and youth outcomes, this utilization-focused evaluation builds on learnings from prior phases to develop and pilot enhancements to core program components through an innovative, Club-led Incubator model approach.

Start-end date: December 2019 - October 2021
Sponsor: Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada

Guidance for workplace policy on substance use impairment

Ensuring employee well-being and workplace health is essential to developing successful, safe organizations across all industries and work settings. Canadian employers are seeking resources to support development of effective policies to address impairment and, in particular, that ensure employees affected by substance use issues get the help and support they need, but also that workplaces remain safe, employees’ health and privacy are protected, costs are contained, and any other potential negative outcomes are prevented. In response, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) has engaged SRDC to conduct a review of the latest research and best practices in workplace policy regarding impairment and substance use. The resulting technical report will outline what is known about best practices – including in emerging areas such as peer support and harm reduction – and in turn, support CCSA in guiding employers and other workplace stakeholders as they develop workplace policies on substance use impairment.

Start-end date: December 2019 - March 2020
Sponsor: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction

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

Enhancing outcomes for vulnerable youth: trauma, mental health, and employment and skills training

Youth who have experienced trauma may be more likely to face multiple and persistent barriers to employment. However, the potential for Trauma- and Violence-Informed (TVI) approaches to improve outcomes remains largely underexplored in the employment and skills training sector. SRDC has been engaged by the Public Health Agency of Canada to build the evidence base on the links between trauma, violence, and health, focusing particularly on the experiences of racialized youth. SRDC will use this conceptual framework to develop a TVI-informed model for employment service delivery, and will validate that model with employment service providers, participating youth, and government representatives. The project team will conduct a literature review, key informant interviews, and focus groups, while also leveraging insights gained from SRDC’s concurrent work in youth employment and skills development. Project results will inform the design and delivery of such programs and potentially, outcomes for youth as well.

Start-end date: May 2019 - July 2021
Sponsor: Public Health Agency of Canada

Integrating Essential Skills Tools for Employment Counsellors

This project is being led by Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society (AWES) and is building, testing, and refining a training program for employment counsellors to integrate Essential Skills (ES) tools into their practice and services. The ES framework that will be tested during the project will include how to incorporate ES assessments, occupational profiles, complexity levels, and job task terminology related to skills. The project will also reinforce practice by including mentoring and support services to ensure quality as practitioners begin to integrate the ES framework and tools (including all nine Essential Skills) in all their services. As the developmental evaluation partner on the project, SRDC’s research activities are supporting the development process to ensure that the training is practical, delivers results, and has high chances of replication and adoption in diverse sectors and with different populations across Canada.

Start-end date: April 2019 - February 2024
Sponsor: Alberta Workplace Essential Skills Society (AWES)

Enhancing Displaced Workers Literacy and Essential Skills

This three-year research project aims to fill knowledge gaps on what works in the realm of LES supports and training for displaced workers in Canada to improve their employability. The project is aimed at supporting workers who have been displaced from their jobs through planned or unplanned circumstances, with a focus on those workers who are hard to reach or reluctant to access skills training or employment services, and who have low essential skills, including digital skills. The project will be identifying and testing models that have the potential to be adapted and expanded at the national level, by conducting beta tests involving a new Displaced Worker Outreach Team and network partners in select regions of BC to evaluate their effectiveness and scalability. The ultimate aim of the project is to provide the evidence base for the development of a new model that can help address workforce displacement for individuals and communities in Canada.

Start-end date: March 2019 - December 2023
Sponsor: Decoda Literacy Solutions

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

Sector-led Evaluation of the Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy in British Columbia

The Province of B.C. is making a $136 million investment in an Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy (R&R Strategy) for B.C.’s Early Childhood Educator (ECE) sector. This sector-led evaluation is part of a larger 10-year plan to increase the quality and availability of childcare spaces in B.C. The evaluation project will help provide continuous feedback for strategies that are implemented. SRDC is helping to develop a framework that will assess the effectiveness of the R&R Strategy. Evaluation questions include: whether there is less turnover in the skilled Early Care and Learning workforce; whether the numbers of certified Early Childhood Educators are better able to meet demand; whether careers in Early Care and Learning become more popular; and whether public confidence in Early Care and Learning is increasing.

Generally, these outcomes are being measured as trends across the Early Care and Learning system in B.C. Evaluation methods include: cross-sectional surveys of providers of early childhood education and care in B.C., and their employees; creating and maintaining a unique database of the province’s providers to include licensed and unlicensed, registered and unregistered carers; public opinion surveys; media and social media analysis; key informant interviews; analysis of micro-data from the 2016 Census; and compilation and analysis of administrative data. SRDC is collecting, analyzing, and reporting on these measures to determine whether the R&R Strategy is on track to achieving its long-term goals and expected outcomes until 2022. A sector steering committee made up of individuals involved in B.C. childcare will guide the work. The project is being led by the Early Childhood Educators of BC, with funding and approvals of project deliverables through the Ministry of Advanced Education, Skills and Training.

Start-end date: December 2018 - July 2024
Sponsor: Early Childhood Educators of BC

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

Evaluation of Indigenous Labour Market Programming

There is a lack of empirical evidence for how well the labour market needs of all Indigenous people are being met by the current suite of programming supported by Labour Market Development Agreements and the Aboriginal Skills & Employment Training Strategy. The core objective of this program of research is to provide a pan-Canadian picture of the use of employment services and programs by Indigenous people and their associated outcomes. The work includes: identifying barriers to program participation; charting the persistence of effects; assessing the consequences of changes in policy priorities and programming options; and analysing how well served groups are by the current mix of employment and skill development services. Grounded in sound statistical and econometric principles, and an understanding of the unique nature of research that is conducted for Indigenous peoples, this study sets out to provide actionable knowledge of interest to program designers and planners; program managers; service delivery organizations and front-line workers; and to Indigenous workforce and community development organizations.

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

Career Pathways for Racialized Newcomer Women

SRDC is carrying out a study to identify approaches and interventions to support programming for racialized newcomer women. The results from the study will help shape a three-year pilot with the aim to learn about new initiatives and to use the results to improve programs, policies, and practices for newcomers.

Start-end date: July 2018 - March 2025
Sponsor: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

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

EASIEST – Easier Access to Settlement, Integration, Employment and Skills Training

EASIEST is an innovative research and analysis project that places the newcomer experience at the centre of the design & delivery of settlement services. The overall goal of EASIEST is to help Immigrant Serving Organizations in BC deliver the most appropriate package of settlement services to newcomers at the right time and for the right duration to improve their settlement and integration outcomes. SRDC will use a Behavioural Insights (BI) approach to understand how and why newcomers access services. These insights will then be used to identify, design, and test behavioural strategies to improve services and address gaps. To do this project BI will be combined with a user-centric approach to explore services from the perspectives of newcomers so that innovations deliver services to newcomers that are easier to access, relevant, timely, and socially and culturally appropriate. A four-phase approach of discovery, diagnosis, design, and delivery will be used to bring about improvements in services and outcomes for newcomers, especially vulnerable groups. Findings will be used to support continuous improvement and disseminated widely to contribute to the goal of helping newcomers settle successfully in Canada.

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

Pathways to Work: Co-designing improved employment pathways for Inuit youth in Nunatsiavut, Labrador

In Nunatsiavut, Labrador, Inuit youth face many structural challenges including reduced access to sustainable, long-term employment. As in other parts of Canada, many services exist to connect youth with employment, however, there are few, if any, studies that examine how to strengthen Inuit youth pathways to employment in this context. SRDC is working in partnership with community partners to explore two existing challenges to Inuit youth employment in Nunatsiavut: 1) a lack of awareness among employers, community stakeholders, and youth about effective practices to enhance youth employment and how these could be adapted locally, and 2) a lack of alignment between youth’s skills and assets and the available services, resources, and opportunities in Nunatsiavut communities. To enhance awareness and alignment, SRDC and the project leadership team, including partners from Nunatsiavut Government and community programs, will synthesize what is known about effective ways to support youth employment in the region – based on the research literature, promising practice, and local knowledge. This synthesis will be used as the basis for a community-based co-design process for one or more of Nunatsiavut’s five coastal communities (Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, Rigolet, and Postville). This process will engage local employers, community stakeholders, and Inuit youth in developing priorities and ultimately, a concrete intervention model for youth employment in Nunatsiavut.

Start-end date: July 2018 - December 2019
Sponsor: College of the North Atlantic

Evaluation of the BC Centre for Women in the Trades

The BC Centre for Women in the Trades is created to address workforce retention priorities for tradeswomen, supporting their career advancement and retention in the building trades. It was launched in 2018 with funding for two years. SRDC will be conducting the evaluation. The goal of the evaluation is to measure the effects of the program activities and, specifically, to assess the three program components: outreach and mentorship for tradeswomen, shifting the culture through leadership development and training, and building workforce diversity through organizational capacity building. The BC Federation of Labour is implementing the Centre in partnership with the BC Building Trades, the BC Tradeswomen Society, Construction Labour Relations, and the BC LNG Alliance.

Start-end date: June 2018 - April 2020
Sponsor: B.C. Federation of Labour

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

Social Enterprise Impact Measurement Pilot Project

Three-year project to develop a common approach to impact measurement for social enterprises with consortium of national partners under the direction of Carleton University’s Centre for Community Innovation (3ci). Originally co-funded by the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the current phase of the project is being funded under ESDC’s Investment Readiness Program to address the impact measurement needs of social purpose organizations across Canada. SRDC is serving as the developmental evaluation partner on the project.

Start-end date: April 2018 - March 2021
Sponsor: Carleton University

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

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

Workplace Drug Impairment Management System

Workplaces have had to provide accommodations for medical use of cannabis since 2001. With legalization of marijuana in 2018 and the current opioid crisis, employers face increasing challenge providing safe workplaces and supporting their employees, particularly in the absence of a way to assess impairment. The Canadian Standards Association operating under CSA Group has engaged SRDC to produce a research paper on the management of workplace drug impairment. By means of a literature review, environmental scan, and key informant interviews, SRDC will identify and assess the latest research on workplace drug impairment policies, guidelines, and training programs, and provide a gap analysis indicating which areas lend themselves to standards-based solutions.

Start-end date: December 2017 - March 2018
Sponsor: Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group)

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Connecting Arabic-speaking Refugees to Employers (C.A.R.E.) in the Hospitality Sector Project

This pilot in Surrey, British Columbia is using the behavioural economics concept of “nudging” in order to understand the behaviours and choices of small business employers in the hospitality sector towards recruiting and hiring Privately Sponsored and Government Assisted refugees.

Start-end date: September 2017 - March 2018
Sponsor: S.U.C.C.E.S.S.

A review of the evaluation strategy and framework for the Royal Bank of Canada's Future Launch initiative

In November 2017, RBC will introduce Future Launch, a $500 million, ten-year commitment to the development of innovative programs and supports that will help prepare young people (aged 15-29) for the future of work. SRDC is providing support to the RBC evaluation team with the development of their evaluation framework, data collection strategy, and analytic approach for the Future Launch initiative.

Start-end date: September 2017 - October 2017
Sponsor: Royal Bank of Canada

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

Alleviating Homelessness: Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISE) Research (Quasi-experimental design)

This project being led by the Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet) in partnership with SRDC and Social Enterprise Toronto (SET) will provide a longitudinal assessment of the effectiveness of WISEs and compare them with other interventions for people who are homeless and at risk of homelessness. The first study of its kind in the Greater Toronto Area, the project will identify the impact of WISEs on both hard and soft outcomes including employment and housing stabilization, as well as the returns for government investment in these types of WISEs. Finally, it will identify effective practices to maximize impacts for several models of training under various circumstances. As evaluation partner, SRDC will be responsible for leading the measurement of the impact and effectiveness of WISEs on social and labour market outcomes for people who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness through a quasi-experimental design study. An additional objective is to build the capacity of participating WISE to measure their social outcomes using professionally designed research tools.

Start-end date: June 2017 - May 2022
Sponsor: Canadian Community Economic Development Network

Long-term Case Studies of Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISE) in British Columbia

The BC Centre for Employment Excellence (CfEE) is conducting a five-year demonstration project to evaluate the role of WISEs in supporting the labour market transitions of populations facing barriers to developing their career potential. The project is partnering with a minimum three WISEs in locations outside of Vancouver and Victoria to provide transitional employment opportunities for different groups of vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities, immigrants, and Indigenous people. The pilot involves a series of case studies to provide a better understanding of WISE capacity to serve barriered job seekers as well as the employment outcomes of participants who receive placements with the project's WISE partners. By combining research that examines both WISE capacity development and participant long-term employment outcomes, this study is designed to offer unique insights into the needs of WISEs who serve job seekers facing significant barriers to employment, as well as the benefits that accrue to participants whom they employ.

Start-end date: June 2017 - May 2022
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development 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

Employer tools for workplace mental health

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has been leading efforts to establish a mentally healthy workplace culture in Canada, starting with the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace. There are many resources to help employers implement the Standard and support workplace mental health more generally, but these may be difficult to locate and use. MHCC is leading an initiative to develop a free, online, bilingual electronic tool to bring these resources together and make them easy for employers to use. SRDC has been engaged to conduct a curated inventory of relevant resources, advise on current gaps, and to provide recommendations on how to address these.

Start-end date: January 2017 - March 2017
Sponsor: Mental Health Commission of 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

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

Needs Analysis for Mentoring and Support Services for Women in the Trades

Women are consistently underrepresented in the skilled building trades. While efforts have been made to encourage women to enter the trades as a career option, significant challenges remain for those already in the trades and retention rates are low. The BC Government aims to develop a support system for women in skilled trades including networking and mentorship training to support new apprentices. This project lays the ground work for development of these services by exploring the challenges faced by women in the skilled trades and the kinds of supports that would help improve retention. The research includes a series of focus groups across the province with women currently in the skilled trades, both union and non-union, and with a sample of women who have recently left the trades. Consultations are conducted with employers to explore their hiring decisions.

Government of British Columbia news release

Start-end date: May 2016 - December 2016
Sponsor: SkillPlan

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

Personal income information for disabilities assistance recipients

This project develops a state-of-the-art income calculator website for British Columbians receiving disability assistance (PWDs) and trains employment services centre case managers in its use. The site is designed to improve access to accurate income information for PWDs, including (a) income estimations for specific job opportunities and (b) a personal account where they can keep track of their earning exemption totals and see the effect that earnings have on their Disability Assistance payments. Case managers introduce their PWD clients to the tool and help them to enter the required information. The project aims to improve clients’ understanding of the effect that earnings and moving in and out of work will have on their Disability Assistance Benefits and overall income. It should raise their confidence in the financial consequences of their employment decisions and reduce financial apprehension when moving into employment. The project is designed as an experimental demonstration to quantify the impact of implementation of the Income Calculator on PWDs’ financial security, their willingness and motivation to seek employment opportunities, and improvements in their medium-to long-term employment outcomes.

Start-end date: February 2016 - January 2019
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

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

Biz Hub

The BC Centre for Employment Excellence is implementing and evaluating Biz Hub. Biz Hub is an industry developed prototype model designed to support business process management and redesign for non-profit employment service agencies. It addresses operational efficiency in processes that may improve services and achieve better employment outcomes for job seekers. The pilot project is conducted in partnership with BC non-profit organizations that provide employment programs and services to job seekers in specialized populations.

Start-end date: February 2016 - January 2019
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

Employment Support and Income Assistance (ESIA) Transformation Project

SRDC has partnered with Davis Pier Consulting to support a project to transform the Employment Support and Income Assistance system in Nova Scotia. A key component of the project is the development of a client segmentation approach to service delivery that will help the government design and implement targeted interventions to serve clients according to their labour market needs. SRDC is designing this client segmentation model, including both analysis of client and outcome data and the development of criteria/assessment tools to support the model. SRDC is also contributing to the design of targeted interventions to best serve ESIA clients according to their needs.

Start-end date: January 2016 - December 2016
Sponsor: Nova Scotia Department of Community Services

Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Local Poverty Reduction Fund Program Evaluation

The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) has engaged SRDC to evaluate the impact of its Local Poverty Reduction Fund initiative. The Local Poverty Reduction Fund is a six-year initiative launched by the Ontario government in 2015 to support innovative, community-driven projects that measurably improve the lives of those most affected by poverty. TDSB has been granted funding through the initiative to introduce innovative process improvements at its Next-Steps Employment Centres, including a coaching-based case management framework and Motivational Interviewing. The changes are designed to improve outcomes for clients who are not in education, employment or training, and clients who are long-term unemployed. SRDC is serving as a third-party evaluator that is designing and conducting an evaluation of the implementation and impact of these process improvements on clients’ outcomes.

Start-end date: January 2016 - January 2017
Sponsor: Toronto District School Board

Community Employment Loan Program Evaluation

Social Capital Partners has engaged SRDC to evaluate the impact and return on investment of the Ontario Community Loans Program (OCLP). The OCLP is a joint initiative between Social Capital Partners (a non-profit organization that develops innovative social finance solutions) and the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure (MEDEI), in partnership with employment service providers and financial institutions. Through the OCLP, low-income jobseekers facing employment barriers are matched with job opportunities at small- and medium-sized employers (SMEs). SMEs who hire and retain jobseekers for at least six months pay reduced interest rates on their business loans through reimbursements provided by the Ontario government. SRDC is conducting an impact evaluation to examine the extent to which the OCLP leads to increased employer reach among employment service providers, improved employment outcomes for low-income jobseekers, and improved business outcomes for SMEs, as well as a cost-benefit analysis to assess the extent to which OCLP yields a net return for the Ontario government.

Start-end date: January 2016 - January 2017
Sponsor: Social Capital Partners

On Track to Opportunities: Linking Transit Development to Community Employment and Training Project – Design and implementation plan

The goal of this project is to develop a detailed design and implementation plan for a workforce development 'pipeline' model to support the implementation of the Metrolinx Community Benefits Framework. The purpose of the 'pipeline' is to ensure Toronto residents that have been historically disadvantaged are engaged and prepared for employment in new jobs related to Metrolinx transit projects in the GTA. This project is building on previous work undertaken by SRDC in 2015, which involved designing a prototype of the 'pipeline' model.

Start-end date: December 2015 - April 2016
Sponsor: Atkinson Foundation, Metcalf Foundation, and United Way of Greater Toronto

The Employment Navigator Pilot Project

The project involves new cross-systems partnerships working collectively to improve employment opportunities for individuals in supportive housing. The proposed model is a new and untried approach that pairs two distinct evidence-based approaches in housing and employment — Housing First and Customized Employment. The approaches place an "employment navigator" in the supportive housing location to link housing with Customized Employment and other employment services for tenants who are in stable and permanent housing. This is consistent with an underlying principle behind Housing First, which is that people are better able to move forward once housing is stable. The project will operate in two residences in Vancouver’s downtown eastside. The evaluation strategy involves both implementation research and case studies. The BC Centre for Employment Excellence is partnering with the Lookout Emergency Aid Society and the Open Door Group to develop and implement this project.

Start-end date: October 2015 - September 2018
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

Women Gaining Ground Research Study

SRDC was engaged by the United Way of Greater Toronto to inform the further development of their Career Navigator program to better meet the needs of young women facing multiple barriers to employment, by gaining a deeper understanding of the challenges and service/support needs of this group. The study includes a systematic literature and evidence review, and interviews and focus groups to identify and understand: the main barriers (environmental/external and personal) that young women facing multiple barriers are experiencing while transitioning into the labour market; evidence-informed and promising approaches for serving young women with multiple barriers; how the current Career Navigator program is addressing barriers and where there might be gaps; and how adjustments to program design/delivery can be implemented in a way that works for both jobseekers and employers.

Start-end date: September 2015 - January 2016
Sponsor: United Way of Greater Toronto

Employment and Training Service Integration (ETSI) Strategy for Evaluation and Evidence Generation

The purpose of this project was to develop a framework for conducting effective monitoring and evaluation of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities' Employment and Training Service Integration (ETSI) initiative. The framework sets the standards for, and provides strategic guidance around alignment, for all evaluation activities supporting ETSI. This work is supporting the Ministry's goal of ensuring it has a comprehensive strategy for evidence generation to inform current pilots, programs and system features being introduced, as well as to guide future evaluation frameworks for programs and system features under ETSI. The project involves: conducting a review of evaluation approaches and existing frameworks from other relevant jurisdictions used to assess active labour market programs; developing a monitoring and evaluation framework of ETSI in consultation with key stakeholders and based on findings from the review of existing frameworks in other jurisdictions; and developing options for a monitoring and evaluation strategy and methodology.

Start-end date: August 2015 - January 2016
Sponsor: Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities

Year Two Review of the Canada-Manitoba Job Grant

SRDC conducted an evaluation of the Canada-Manitoba Job Grant. The review assessed the early results from the first year of implementation of the Canada-Manitoba Job Grant and determined whether the grant is (1) helping participants develop the skills necessary to find and keep meaningful long-term employment, and (2) increasing employer investment in training to ensure that skills are better aligned with job opportunities and address labour market demands. SRDC developed a research framework, designed and implemented follow-up surveys for training participants and employers, analyzed administrative and survey data on participant employment outcomes, and conducted interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders. The findings of the review identify promising practices and challenges and inform adjustments required at a provincial and/or national level to better meet the goals of the Canada Job Grant.

Start-end date: May 2015 - September 2015
Sponsor: Manitoba Ministry of Jobs and the Economy

Integrating Motivational Interviewing within Employment Services for BC Employment and Income Assistance Recipients

This project implements and tests an intervention that uses an innovative approach to engage and motivate income assistance (IA) clients using employment services in British Columbia to improve their work readiness and participation in the labour market. The project includes a rigorous evaluation of the proposed intervention randomizing both participants and case managers to the treatment, so that clear lessons for policy and practice can be learned and disseminated. This project is managed by the BC Centre for Employment Excellence, a division of SRDC.

Start-end date: April 2015 - March 2017
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

Flexible Workplace Practices in Support of Caregivers

Working Canadians often have multiple roles outside of the workplace that may conflict with the demands of their jobs. One increasingly prominent role is to provide unpaid care for family members or close friends with a long-term health condition, physical or mental disability. Caregiving commitments have a number of direct consequences for workers and businesses that employers can help mitigate through various leave policies, flexible practices, and supports. The objective of this project is to fill knowledge gaps with respect to the costs and benefits to Canadian employers of offering various flexible workplace practices in support of caregivers. SRDC conducted a series of nine business case studies with a comprehensive cost-benefit methodology that measures the return on investment for employers from introducing a range of flexible practices and policies in support of caregivers.

Start-end date: February 2015 - September 2015
Sponsor: Employment and Social Development Canada

NextStep

NextStep is a multi-dimensional mentorship intervention designed to help highly educated, trained, and unemployed British Columbians better integrate into BC’s labour market. These individuals have been referred to by some researchers as "Poorly Integrated New Entrants" (PINEs). The YWCA Metro Vancouver is responsible for the development and implementation of NextStep. The intervention includes different types of mentorship programs to support better career development opportunities. The BC Centre for Employment Excellence (Centre), commissioned by the YWCA, is conducting the research and evaluation.

Start-end date: January 2015 - November 2017
Sponsor: YWCA Metro Vancouver

The Face-to-Face Project: Bringing Youth with Disabilities and Employers Together

The Face-to-Face Project: Bringing Youth with Disabilities and Employers Together aims to find creative solutions that improve labour market integration for youths with disabilities. The project is an initiative of the BC Centre for Employment Excellence with financial support from the Vancouver Foundation’s Disability Supports for Employment Fund. Youths with disabilities (ages 18-25 years old) who have little to no work experience are matched with local employers of various sizes and sectors to engage in mock interviews and networking scenarios. Following this first connection, the employers refer the youth to a second employer. In addition to recruiting the youth and employers, the Centre provides resource materials and orientation for participating employers and youths. The project wrapped up in spring 2015 with a mini-forum and an evaluation that captures lessons learned and effective practices. This project is managed by the BC Centre for Employment Excellence, a division of SRDC.

Start-end date: November 2014 - April 2015
Sponsor: Vancouver Foundation

Saskatchewan Program Supports Service

This project assists the Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy in the redesign of an employment service program for parents applying to or in receipt of social assistance. SRDC applied a comprehensive, evidence-based approach that included an environmental scan, review of program documents, key informant interviews, stakeholder consultations, policy analysis, and program design. SRDC also developed an evaluation and research strategy to measure the effectiveness of the program.

Start-end date: October 2014 - March 2015
Sponsor: Government of Saskatchewan Ministry of the Economy

Workforce development pipeline model

This project is part of Labour Market Partnership between the United Way Toronto and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. As part of the partnership, SRDC created a workforce development ‘pipeline’ model to support the new Eglinton Crosstown Line Metrolinx Community Benefits Agreement. The objective is to ensure Toronto residents that have been historically disadvantaged in the labour market are engaged, assessed, recruited, registered, trained, and employed on new jobs related to the construction of the Eglinton Crosstown Line. The design of the pipeline is a developmental process: planning, testing, evaluating, learning, adapting, re-testing, and re-evaluating multiple iterations of the model.

Start-end date: October 2014 - September 2015
Sponsor: United Way Toronto

Strengthening Business to Achieve Higher Performance Project

A pilot project to develop a prototype model for nonprofits in the employment service sector to support business process management (BPM). The ultimate goal of this project is to strengthen business process capabilities within non-profit organizations in the employment services sector, which should lead to better services for clients and better outcomes. The project also aims to develop resources that may be used to implement this model, an evaluation strategy to accompany the model and an implementation plan for a pilot project that can be tested in order to determine its impact on process efficiency, productivity and client outcomes from BPM. This project is managed by the BC Centre for Employment Excellence, a division of SRDC.

Start-end date: September 2014 - May 2015
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

Review of Manitoba Employment Assistance Service Providers

SRDC conducted an evidence-based analysis of Manitoba’s Employment Assistance Service (EAS) providers to inform future funding decisions of the Manitoba government intended to promote an effective and efficient service delivery network. SRDC’s analysis provides indications of where changes in EAS programming are needed so that the program can “do more of the things that help, and less of the things that do not.” The analysis addresses five key questions: To what extent is EAS programming aligned with provincial and federal policy objectives? To what extent is current programming responsive to the needs of key population groups and communities? To what extent are programs responsive to the changing dynamics of Manitoba’s labour market? How effective is current programming in achieving results for job seekers, employers, and communities? What is the relative value for money of the existing EAS program, and are there opportunities for service improvements?

Start-end date: April 2014 - September 2015
Sponsor: Manitoba Department of Jobs and the Economy

UpSkill Health and Mental Health Outcomes Study

This project is a sub-study of the original UpSkill project, which used an experimental design to evaluate the impact of workplace Literacy and Essential Skills (LES) training on individuals and firms in the tourism accommodations sector. This sub-study conducts an in-depth analysis of how literacy influences health and mental health for both workers and firms, using the considerable data collected through UpSkill. The study identifies the potential of non-health interventions such as LES training to improve population health.

Start-end date: January 2014 - September 2015
Sponsor: Public Health Agency of Canada

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

Motivational Interviewing for Manitoba Employment Income Assistance recipients

The project aims to determine the effectiveness of an innovative approach to employment counselling – called Motivational Interviewing – to help Employment Income Assistance (EIA) recipients in Manitoba progress along the Government of Manitoba’s employment service continuum. The study assesses the extent to which the approach: helps participants move forward along the stages of change; improves participants’ readiness for employment; helps participants obtain employment, particularly stable employment; and reduces the receipt of income assistance benefits and recidivism. The study also investigates participants’ experience with the program to learn about what worked well and what did not.

Start date: November 2013
Sponsor: Manitoba Department of Jobs and the Economy

Manitoba Works! evaluation

The purpose of the research is to test the Government of Manitoba’s Manitoba Works! employment service model in the real-world setting of Manitoba’s new and evolving employment continuum and to assess its effectiveness for improving the labour market success of individuals who are receiving EIA and/or have complex needs. The research will assess gains on outcomes of interest among participants compared to non-participants, model cost-effectiveness, model implementation, and identify key success factors.

Start date: November 2013
Sponsor: Manitoba Department of Jobs and the Economy

Validation of Manitoba’s Employment and Training Assessment (ETA)

The project aims to assess the predictive validity of Manitoba’s new Employment and Training Assessment tool. As well, it assesses the extent to which adding additional information improves the overall accuracy of the model in predicting long-term unemployment and the extent to which a “scoring” method could be designed that identifies “tiers” or segmentation points, that categorize jobseekers into “categories of risk” or “levels of need” using what has been referred to as a “distance to the labour market approach.” Given the results of the analyses, the project will recommend an optimal approach to needs assessment and jobseeker classification in the Manitoba context.

Start date: November 2013
Sponsor: Manitoba Department of Jobs and the Economy

Mapping Experiences with Inclusive Employment

A pilot project delivered in partnership with researchers at UBC to evaluate the use of an online mapping tool to document positive experiences with inclusive employment for 30-35 people with developmental disabilities (self-advocates) across BC. The project is designed to collect first-hand knowledge from self-advocates, their families, employers and service providers regarding the factors that contribute to positive, inclusive employment for individuals with developmental disabilities. It informs the BC Centre for Employment Excellence (CfEE), its partners and other stakeholders about best practices in providing supports and creating inclusive workplaces for individuals with developmental disabilities. Based on the success of the pilot, the CfEE and its partners continue to host the map and explore options for extending this approach to other populations of job seekers facing significant barriers in the labour market. This project is managed by the BC Centre for Employment Excellence, a division of SRDC.

Start-end date: November 2013 - September 2015
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation (with financial support from Community Living British Columbia)

Understanding current employment programming and services for BC youth

This project funded five research papers that explored challenges faced by BC youth who are struggling in the labour market. The project involved a call for papers inviting researchers to submit proposals to explore youth employment barriers from a variety of angles, and to identify promising solutions for such issues as supporting youth who are entering the labour market or helping them find work that is a better match for their skills. The five selected papers covered such topics as: the barriers faced by vulnerable youth and youth living with mental illness; the value of work placements for refugee and immigrant youth; the role of employers; and the potential of social enterprises for supporting transitioning youth. The papers were presented at a June 2014 symposium in Vancouver involving approximately 80 stakeholders. The research teams also presented their findings during a series of webinars hosted by the Centre in fall 2014. The final papers have been published on the Centre’s Web site. This project was managed by the BC Centre for Employment Excellence, a division of SRDC.

Start-end date: October 2013 - August 2014
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation

Pay for Success

A pilot project aiming to develop and test an innovative performance-based approach to funding Essential Skills service delivery in the provinces of Manitoba and Nova Scotia. This pilot project is the first Canadian test of a “pay for success” model for Essential Skills delivery. The model is designed to stimulate innovation in service delivery, encourage a community of practice for delivery of Essential Skills services, and improve longer-term employment outcomes for underrepresented groups in the labour force.

Start-end date: September 2013 - June 2017
Sponsor: Workplace Education Manitoba

The Foundations Pilot Project

This project is a three-year initiative led by the Training Group at Douglas College, British Columbia. It tests: a) whether a skill assessment and upgrading program delivery model targeted specifically to meet the needs of low-skilled job seekers can be successfully implemented across several sites nationally, and b) what impacts the program may have on a variety of outcomes, such as participation in college-level training, employment, and labour market advancement. Approximately 500 job seekers were recruited, half of whom were randomly assigned to receive program services while the other half served as a control group. The study includes an evaluation framework and research design, as well as implementation, impact, and cost-benefit analyses.

Start-end date: July 2013 - June 2016
Sponsor: Training Group at Douglas College

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

Job Entry Manitoba (JEM)

The project is a developmental evaluation that examines and provides regular feedback to the client on the development and implementation of the new Job Entry Manitoba (JEM) program, a key component of Manitoba’s new training-to-employment service support continuum. The project also identifies key immediate outcomes and measurement approaches to support the building of a data collection system and tools. The evaluation addresses standard implementation questions such as how does the JEM model work in practice? It also aims to systematically understand how the implementation of JEM influences provider practices in both intended and unintended ways. More fundamentally, it assesses how JEM has impacted providers’ sense of professional efficacy by exploring the extent to which providers feel that the new model enables them to better meet the needs of their target population.

Start-end date: November 2012 - December 2013
Sponsor: Workplace Education Manitoba

The Motivational Interviewing Pilot Project (MIPP): Advancing Career Development Services for Income Assistance Clients

The evaluation of a promising intervention — called Motivational Interviewing (MI) — intended to help British Columbia social assistance recipients overcome any ambivalence that may be keeping them from making desired changes in their lives. The hypothesis under test is that MI will act as a catalyst for change moving from unemployment to employment. Outcomes for income assistance recipients streamed to receive MI are compared to outcomes from a randomly-assigned control group streamed not to receive MI.

Start-end date: May 2012 - March 2014
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Pay for Performance Project

SRDC collaborated with Workplace Education Manitoba (WEM) to explore ideas for experimenting with different performance-based funding (PBF) approaches for Essential Skills training. The project investigates the state of knowledge in PBF and identifies key lessons learned, opportunities, and promising directions. Building on promising directions, SRDC designs program model(s) for pilot testing in Manitoba and Nova Scotia and an evaluation to investigate the model(s) effects.

Start-end date: December 2011 - June 2012
Sponsor: Workplace Education Manitoba

An Evaluation of “Foundations” Enhancing Transferable Skills through Career Exploration

The purpose of this project is to design a field test of an innovative program of career exploration that embeds individually customized transferable skills enhancement for lower skilled adults. In spite of anecdotal evidence of its effectiveness, the “Foundations” program has not been rigorously evaluated or widely implemented in Canada. A randomized control trial (RCT) will be developed in order to estimate the effects of the program on participants’ skills and a range of labour market outcomes including success in further training, job search, and future employment.

Start-end date: September 2011 - November 2011
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Advancing Career Development Services for Income Assistance Clients: A Test of the Stages of Change and Motivational Interviewing Model in a Public Service Setting

To prepare a detailed design document to implement and test a novel and innovative approach to engage and motivate income assistance clients in Saskatchewan to improve their work readiness and participation in the labour market. The intervention builds on the Stages of Change Research Project that implemented a unique approach in the employment development field in Manitoba. The project also involves designing and implementing a rigorous research approach to explore and measure the results of the proposed intervention.

Start-end date: September 2011 - November 2011
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

The SCALES Project

This project is a three-year initiative led by CONNECT Strategic Alliances that seeks to provide career practitioners with tools to identify and meet the Literacy and Essential Skills (LES) needs of unemployed or underemployed Canadians, in an effort to enhance their employment prospects. The purpose of the SCALES project is to increase the capacity of employment counsellors to develop return-to-work action plans that include LES assessments, and to develop a set of tools and best practices that will integrate a range of LES approaches into active employment measures. CONNECT engaged SRDC to develop a field research strategy and research instruments for the purpose of investigating the needs of career practitioners in identifying and addressing clients’ LES needs. SRDC also analyzed the research results and submitted a final report to inform tool development.

Start-end date: January 2011 - May 2011
Sponsor: CONNECT Strategic Alliances

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

Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology

Providing expert advice on accessibility of post-secondary education in Canada.

Start-end date: June 2010 - June 2010
Sponsor: Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology

Evaluation of the Immigrant Bundle of the BC Employment Program

A process evaluation of an employment program targeted for immigrants and refugees who are permanent residents and in receipt of income assistance to learn about effective practices and outcomes for the clients.

Start-end date: February 2010 - September 2010
Sponsor: B.C. Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development

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

Learning and Active Employment Programs

An examination of the participation of low-skilled adults in literacy and employment training programs and the role that literacy and other factors have in explaining take-up and program effectiveness. Drawing on lessons from an initial qualitative study and consultation phase, design options for experiments are proposed to improve the take-up and delivery of public training programs.

Start-end date: August 2009 - September 2010
Sponsor: Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women

To provide expert advice on the consequences and effects the current Employment Insurance program has on women in Canada.

Start-end date: April 2009 - April 2009
Sponsor: House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women

Youth Connect

The provision of technical assistance with the development of an evaluation strategy for the Youth Connect pilot program. Areas of assistance included strategies for the effective use of random assignment in one study site, sampling and recruitment issues, and on the development of data collection instruments.

Start-end date: August 2008 - March 2009
Sponsor: Newfoundland, Department of Human Resources and Employment

City of Vancouver Four Pillars Supported Employment Pilot Project

A project designed to provide long-term unemployed individuals with past addictions with a supported and gradual return to employment. The evaluation involves case studies of four participants and their experience with the program from start to end.

Start-end date: May 2007 - December 2007
Sponsor: City of Vancouver, Social Planning Department, Jobs Policy

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

Overview of What Is Known about What Works in the Area of Social Experimentation

Start-end date: March 2006 - July 2006
Sponsor: Human Resources and Social Development Canada

Case Coordination Project in Downtown Eastside Vancouver

An evaluation of a three-year demonstration project delivering a multi-component employment-related intervention designed for long-term welfare recipients living in one of the most disadvantaged urban areas in Canada. Many of the program participants had issues with housing, addictions, health (both physical and mental), income, and coping. The service delivery network comprised six non-profit organizations, including an Aboriginal organization helping Aboriginals residing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Almost half of the program participants were Aboriginal people.

Start-end date: December 2004 - February 2008
Sponsor: City of Vancouver (Vancouver Agreement) Employment Programs

House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources on Employment Insurance Reform, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

Expert advice to the Hearings concerning the update and review of issues addressed in the Committee’s report Beyond Bill C-2.

Start-end date: May 2004 - May 2004
Sponsor: House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

Technical assistance for the development of the Action Emploi program

Using results from the Self-Sufficiency Project to provide insights in the development of a new program to accelerate the labour market integration of long-term welfare recipients.

Start-end date: January 2001 - January 2001
Sponsor: Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale du Québec

BC Job Partnership Pilot Project

A formative evaluation of a British Columbia welfare-to-work pilot project that used third-party labour market intermediary organizations to facilitate and support the employment of income assistance recipients.

Start-end date: December 2000 - March 2001
Sponsor: British Columbia Ministry of Social Development and Economic Security

Community Employment Innovation Project

The evaluation of a multi-year demonstration project that tested the impact on individuals and their communities of an alternative form of income transfer for the unemployed with the aim to increase their employment prospects while simultaneously strengthening the capacity of local communities.

Start-end date: January 1999 - March 2008
Sponsor: Human Resources and Social Development Canada and Nova Scotia Department of Community Services

Employment Programs for Older Workers

Report for HRDC’s Lessons Learned Series.

Start-end date: September 1998 - September 1998
Sponsor: Human Resources Development Canada

BladeRunners and Picasso Café: A Case Study Evaluation of Two Work-based Training Programs for Disadvantaged Youth Case

The BladeRunners Partnership and the Picasso Café (Vancouver) both used work-based approaches to re-engage street youth. This case study evaluates the programs’ implementation and effectiveness.

Start-end date: August 1998 - March 2001
Sponsor: HRDC Evaluation and Data Development Branch, HRDC Youth Initiatives Directorate, National Literacy Secretariat, BC Ministry of Community Development, Cooperatives and Volunteers, and ARCO Foundation

Workshop on the Design and Evaluation of Pilot Projects

Start-end date: October 1997 - October 1997
Sponsor: Human Resources Development Canada (Evaluation and Data Development)

Research Support to the HRDC Ministerial Task Force on Youth

Including the preparation of the report: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Employment-related Programs and Services for Youth (a summary of this report was subsequently published as the first study in the HRDC “lessons learned” series).

Start-end date: November 1996 - November 1996
Sponsor: Human Resources Development Canada

Self-Sufficiency Project

A randomized experiment that involved over 9,000 single-parent long-term welfare recipients from New Brunswick and British Columbia to test a “make work pay” strategy to support the transition from welfare to work.

Start-end date: February 1992 - March 2006
Sponsor: Human Resources and Social Development Canada