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.
Project Details
Published: January 2017
Capability: Socio-Economic Impact Assessment - Program Evaluation/ Performance Measurement
Policy Area: Employment - Employment Supports and Services, Social Finance
Population: Low-skilled Workers - Social Assistance Recipients - EI Recipients - Low-income Populations
Other Related Projects
Enhancing Displaced Workers’ Literacy and Essential Skills
The Enhancing Displaced Workers Literacy and Essential Skills project is a collaborative project that is managed by Decoda Literacy Solutions and supported by the…
Read More
Low-Income Student Experiences After Post-Secondary Education
This project seeks a better understanding of the post-study experiences of former post-secondary education (PSE) students who received student aid. Topics to be explored…
Read More
Evaluation Methodology for the Pathway to Apprenticeship Completion in the Trades (PACT)
The PACT (Pathway to Apprenticeship Completion) is an important initiative that tests and gathers data on scalable solutions for apprenticeship retention, progression, and completion…
Read More
