Working As One: A Workforce Development Strategy for Toronto February 2012

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Working As OneA Workforce Development Strategy for Toronto

Supporting People. Connecting Businesses. Strengthening Communities.


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Working As One:A Workforce DevelopmentStrategy for Toronto

February 2012


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14-31 Section 1

15 Working With Businessesand Employers

17 Integrated Employment Plans

24 Coordinating Access: Starting WithWhat Works for Employers

27 Customizing Services for Employers

31 Recommendations

6-13 Introduction

7 Working as One: A WorkforceDevelopment Strategy for Toronto

8 The Starting Point

9 A Whole New Ball Game

10 Many Services, "No Big Picture"11 Needed: City Leadership

12 Making it Happen

12 Reading This Report

13 A Vision for Workforce Developmentin Toronto

Table of Contents


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Section 2 32-51Workforce Development in Toronto: 33

Working for Jobseekers

Applying a Distance to the Labour 35Market Approach

Integrating Employment 36

Services Planning

Coordinating and Simplifying 39System Access

A Customized Approach to 43Serving Residents

Recommendations 51

Section 3 52-55

Workforce Development in Toronto: 53Putting the Pieces Together

Recommendations 55

Appendices 57-88AppendixA:Highlights of the City of 57-83

Torontos Workforce Development Initatives

Appendix B: Employment Services 84-85

Planning LandscapeAppendix C: New York Workforce 86

Development System: Demographics,Services, Outcomes, and Funding Sources

Appendix D: Glossary of Appendix Acronyms 87-88


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Introduction

[Workforce Development] implies more than employment training in the narrow sense; it means substantial

employer engagement, deep community connections, career advancement, human service supports, industry-driven education and training, and the connective tissue of networks. Building on the lessons learned frompast efforts, [workforce development] contains an array of job strategies, including sector and place-basedemployment strategies, adult education, and short- and long-term training programs that are customized todifferent employer and jobseeker groups... [It] brings together a variety of strategies that heretofore have beendisconnected and frequently at odds with each other.

Giloth, R. (2011), Lessons for a New Context: Workforce Development in an Era of Economic Challenge, Annie.E. Casey Foundation.


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Workforce development services have twocustomers: employers and jobseekers.Such services must be responsive to changinglabour markets and they must also supportpeople who face the greatest challenges togetting and retaining work. They are there-fore simultaneously focused on the demandside of the labour market (on supportingjob creation) and the supply side (providingconcrete assistance to jobseekers).

Traditionally, government services havemirrored this split. On the one hand,economic development services1 are aimedat supporting businesses and fostering adynamic local economy. On the other,employment services2 focus on assisting theunder and unemployed to prepare for andsecure employment. Often, these two areasdo not work in tandem.

Working as One focuses on ways to betterintegrate these services for the mutual benetof employers and jobseekers. It sets directions,but also provides practical proposals for theCitys near term workforce developmentefforts.

To that end, Working as One proposes ways tomore effectively assist employers address theirworkforce challenges, while setting out moreactive ways of helping jobseekers increasetheir potential to compete in the labourforce. Given the challenges certain groupsface in the labour market, notably people onsocial assistance, the report recognizes the

importance of assisting low-income residentsto obtain employment.

A central focus of Working as One is thecurrent employment services landscape. The

absence of an integrated and coordinatedemployment services system in Toronto makesit difcult for both jobseekers and employersto nd and access the services and supportsthey need, when they need them. It alsomeans that services are often planned,managed and delivered in isolation of eachother.

Core to this report, therefore, is the establish-ment of a robust, integrated employment

services system in Toronto. Continued andstrengthened City leadership in this areaprovides a foundation for the steps needed tomodernize the planning, management anddelivery of Torontos employment servicessystem.

Finally, Working as One is animated byongoing discussions between City staff and awide range of stakeholders. Through its day-to-day business, City staff engage employers,jobseekers, community organizations andother governments. For this reason, Working asOne is necessarily a living document that canand must change and evolve through sharedexperience. As such, the Citys approach toworkforce development, and to the planning,management and delivery of employmentservices, will and must evolve based on whatis learned by doing, what is successful andwhere the City can do better.

Ultimately, Torontos workforce developmentstrategy seeks to create a service system thatbetter connects employers to jobseekers,

jobseekers to employers, and both to oppor-tunities. This is the goal and this is what will beachieved, working together, Working as One.

Working as One:

A Workforce Development Strategy for Toronto

1 For the purposes of this report, economic development services are referred to as the combination of business and economiccompetitiveness services that together help foster job creation, the growth of new and existing business and sector and tradedevelopment.

2 For the purposes of this report employment services include employment, education and training services that provide residents withknowledge, skills and connections to succeed in the labour market.

Working as One: A Workforce Development Strategy for Toronto


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The Starting Point

Toronto has all the ingredients for continuedsuccess. However, in the relentlessly competi-

tive global economy, standing still is not anoption. In fact, standing still is falling behind.

Worryingly, the recent recession and itslingering effects threaten to waste the poten-tial of a large number of Toronto residents,both to their detriment and to the citys.However, looking ahead, it is apparent thatlabour and talent shortages, notably amongknowledge workers, will increasingly be thenew norm.

Therefore, to an ever greater degree,

providing opportunities to under and unem-ployed Toronto residents is tied to bettersupporting and connecting employers andjobseekers.

Building on the diverse and wide rangingservices currently provided to employersand jobseekers by community organizations,the City and other governments, the Citysapproach to workforce development seeksthree related outcomes:

Ensuring that all workforce developmentresources, including those managed by theCity, help employers address their workforceneeds and challenges;

Ensuring that services available tojobseekers get the best outcomes forunemployed residents and for groups whond themselves outside the labour market orwithout the opportunities they need; and

Obtaining the most value possible foremployers and jobseekers, but also for city

residents overall, by ensuring governmentresources are used efciently and prudently.

Achieving these outcomes will require the Cityto continue to work closely with jobseekers,employers, community based serviceproviders and other governments, all of whomwill be pivotal to advancing Torontos work-force strategy.

This approach starts from four basic premises:

1. Customer driven - Employers and jobseekersmust be able to get the services and

supports they need, when they need them,in ways that make sense to them.

2. Workforce driven - The demand andsupply sides of the labour market must beconnected and integrated.

3. Locally driven - Workforce developmentapproaches are most effective when theyare locally developed and managed, andwhen they effectively engage jobseekers,employers and service providers.

4. City driven - City leadership is requiredso that employers and jobseekers getmaximum value from the resources allo-cated to the range of relevant services theyneed, and so that these resources providemaximum value to the city overall.

These premises are based on the City ofTorontos long experience managing employ-ment services and supporting communities,and on its more recent experience buildingthe foundation for better services foremployers and jobseekers.



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A Whole New Ball Game

Toronto, like many other global cities, is facingboth immediate and long term challenges

that cannot be ignored.

At over 9%, Torontos unemployment rateremains signicantly higher than the rest ofthe Greater Toronto Area and many otherCanadian cities. Unemployment amongyouth and newcomers is at least doublethis and is even higher in the citys poorestneighbourhoods.

It is becoming harder to get into the labourmarket; individuals entering the labour market,notably newcomers, youth and recent gradu-

ates, are either not getting jobs or getting jobsthat too often do not lead anywhere. It is alsoharder to get back in; workers who have beenlaid off, especially older workers, face a moredifcult journey back into employment, which,even when successful, often results in lowerearnings or less secure employment.

Currently, fewer than 25% of unemployedpeople in Toronto qualify for EmploymentInsurance. As a result, large numbers ofresidents are not only excluded from vitalnancial benets, but also face unnecessaryobstacles obtaining the training that can helpthem advance.

Finally, the social assistance caseload, havingrisen by more than 30% as a result of therecession, remains at an elevated level ofmore than 100,000 cases. While the growthin the Ontario Works (OW) caseload hasbeen considerable, the full impact has beenoffset by the signicant number of recipientswho have secured employment. In 2011,over 30,000 individuals in receipt of social

assistance found employment resulting insubstantial savings to the City.

Of concern, over 50% of the individuals and

families currently receiving OW have been onthe program more than once in the past threeyears. This is a clear indication of how difcultit is to nd sustainable work, and also of the

challenges jobseekers have nding the rightservices and supports they need to competefor and retain jobs.

Labour Market and Demographic Changes

The labour market and demographic context has

been changing rapidly in Toronto. Over the past 20

years, employment in the manufacturing sector has

declined with a pronounced shift towards a service-

oriented economy. One consequence has been

a decline in full-time well-paid manufacturing and

industry jobs, and an associated increase in temporary,

part-time and contract jobs or self-employment.3 At the

same time, skill shortages are now common in certain

sectors and elds.

Meanwhile, changes in Torontos demographics are

having profound impacts on the Citys labour market.

Demand for workers will gradually exceed supply as

the baby boomer generation retires and the working

age population increases less rapidly.4 Skilled workers

will be in even higher demand as businesses and juris-

dictions compete to keep existing industries productive

and to fuel new businesses.

There is a growing consensus that addressing labourshortages and skills mismatches means opening up

employment opportunities for populations that are

currently under-represented in the labour force (e.g.

Aboriginals, racialized communities and youth), as well

as better integrating skilled newcomers.5

That said, the absence of labour market information

remains a challenge, especially at the local level.

A number of high prole reports6 have highlighted

concerns about both the disparate number of sources

of information, as well as the existence of information

gaps. Without detailed and up-to-date labour market

information that highlights for example the existence of

skills shortages by occupation and locality, it is difcult

to build effective responses that connect demand and

supply.

3 Drummond, D. and Fong, F. (2010), The Changing Canadian Workplace, TD Economics; Block, S. (2011), Canadas Colour-Coded LabourMarket: The Gap for Racialized Workers, Wellesley Institute.

4 Miner, R. (2010), People Without Jobs, Jobs Without People: Ontarios Labour Market Future, Miner Management Consultants5 http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/society/income-inequality.aspx; Toronto Board of Trade, (2010) Lifting All Boats: PromotingSocial Cohesion and Economic Inclusion in the Toronto Region, TBT.

6 Drummond, D., Beale, E., Kolby, K., Loiselle, M. and Miner, R. (2009), Working Together to Build a Better Labour Market Information Systemfor Canada, Final Report of the Advisory Panel on Labour Market Information.

Introduction


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Many Services, No Big Picture

New York Citys recent report on its workforce

development approach recognizes an impor-tant reality, jobseekers and employers lookingfor employment-related assistance ultimatelydo not care which agencies deliver services;they simply want to be served effectively.7

To a large degree, however, services foremployers and jobseekers are anything butstraightforward in Toronto. This is especiallytrue for employment services. The complexityof the employment services landscape, whichhas been documented extensively 8, makesit difcult for both employers and jobseekers

to nd and access the services and supportsthey need, when they need them. Employersand jobseekers rightly note that services areoften fragmented, confusing, duplicated andexceedingly difcult to navigate.

Large employers have dedicated staff whocan navigate the complex service landscape.Small business owners usually do not, nor do

they have the resources to gure out whothey need to contact to get what they needor what services and supports they couldbenet from. In fact, they are often unawareof available services - even those that areavailable at no cost to them.

There are signicant service gaps. While thenumbers are unknown, the City of Torontosown experience highlights growing concernsabout those who are either unaware ofservices or unable to access them at all(known elsewhere as Not in Education,Employment or Training [NEETs]). Either way,the result is the same; many residents whowould benet from employment services arenot receiving them.

Fortunately, Torontos employment servicesnetworks have obvious strengths. Jobseekersin Toronto can benet from a wide array ofemployment services and supports. Agenciesdelivering these services are rooted incommunities and possess local knowledgeand experience that are the heart of goodlocal service provision. Important changes

are also happening at the provincial levelthat have had positive impacts on the


Employers and jobseekersrightly note that services are

often fragmented, confusing,duplicated and exceedinglydifficult to navigate.

8 City of New York, (2011), One System for One City: The State of the New York Workforce System: Fiscal Year 2010 , New York.9 City of Toronto, (2008), Getting to the Right Place: An End-to-End Review of Employment Services in Toronto, Toronto; MISWAA (2006),Time For a Fair Deal: Report of the Task Force on Modernizing Income Security for Working-Age Adults , St. Christopher House/Toronto CitySummit Alliance; Hill and Knowlton Canada (2007), Summary Report on LMDA Stakeholder Focus Groups , Hill and Knowlton Canada.


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coordination of services in the city, notably,the creation of Employment Ontario(discussed in further detail in Section 2).

The fundamental issue is not with serviceproviders themselves. It is that there is nothingresembling an employment services system.There is no big picture. Neither is there effec-tive planning at the city level by differentgovernments, nor broader alignment ofservice priorities with broader City of Torontodirections. Signicantly, there are no means ofcapturing service outcomes at the city level.

This means that the City of Torontosapproach to workforce development has

to focus on how to improve services foremployers and jobseekers at a system andcity level. This will inherently require moreeffective planning and management of theseservices in Toronto.

Finally, it has long been clear that communityand social services, which are the backboneof Torontos safety net, are essential to anywell-functioning workforce developmentsystem. These services include income supportprograms, child care, housing, recreation,mental health and addiction services, aswell as a wide range of population-specicservices, such as those for youth, newcomersor low-income residents. There are certainnotable areas where progress is required tobetter link these services as part of the Citysworkforce development strategy, which willbe addressed in Section 2.

The case for initiating change at the local level is both compelling and

straightforward. Most businesses find their workers and most residentsfind their jobs in local labor markets. Whether provided by a state or localagency, all workforce education, training and related services are providedin a local setting.

McPherson, R. (1997), Designing a Local Workforce Service Delivery System, Centre for the Study ofHuman Resources, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin

Introduction

Needed: City Leadership

In a healthy labour market, jobseekers can

readily access job openings, and thriving busi-nesses can draw on and connect to a skilledlabour force.

Approaches to workforce developmenthave to be relevant to local employers andjobseekers, have to be built on local engage-ment and inputs, and must result in locallyappropriate solutions, implemented locally.They must also be able to respond quickly tochanging circumstances and to anticipate, asmuch as react to, these changes.

City of Toronto leadership in this area matters.It matters to employers who are recruitingworkers and trying to nd good matchesfor jobs, but it also matters to employersconcerned with the quality and continuingavailability of well-educated, skilled workers.It matters to jobseekers, whether they arenewcomers, youth or unemployed city resi-dents looking for that rst job, or individualsrenewing their careers.

Rooted in local knowledge, the City ofToronto has developed the experience,know-how and relationships that provide thefoundation for a successful approach to work-force development. The City must ensure thatemployers and jobseekers get the maximumvalue from the resources allocated to therange of workforce development servicesavailable in the city, and that these resourcesprovide maximum value to the city overall.


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Making it Happen

This report focuses on the concrete ways that

the City of Toronto is working with and foremployers and jobseekers to deliver servicesthat get results for both. It also sets out anapproach to workforce development inToronto, and proposes a number of directionsand actions required to put this strategy intopractice.

Working as One focuses on three critical areaswhere further progress is essential to betterserve employers and jobseekers, to connectdemand and supply and to build an inte-grated approach to workforce development:

Integrated Approaches to Planning arekey to coordinating actions, matchingstrategies to needs and both capitalizing onand creating employment opportunities inToronto.

Coordinating and Simplifying System Accessis essential given the network of services andinformation employers and jobseekers need.To ensure services work in the real world forcustomers with wide-ranging and diverseneeds, the Citys focus is on providingmultiple channels and different levels ofsupport.

Customizing Services is about movingbeyond one-size-ts-all approaches thatare rarely effective when working witheither employers or jobseekers. Servicesto employers and jobseekers must becustomized based on their individualcircumstances.

To guide this strategy and the concrete

proposals it makes, a clear vision is required(see page 13). This vision is rooted in theCitys long standing provision of services toemployers and jobseekers and the need tobenet both. It provides a foundation for thesteps the City can take over the next severalyears to modernize and strengthen Torontosservices for jobseekers and employers.

Working as One also recognizes that thereare many roles the City should not play. Manyemployers are well served by existing private

sector recruitment and workforce develop-ment services and do not require City services.

Similarly, the report acknowledges the impor-tance of immigration and education within aworkforce development strategy, and manyof the initiatives described in Working as Oneinvolve approaches that integrate servicesin these areas with broader employmentservices and services to employers. Becauseimmigration and education policies areprimarily the responsibility of the federal andprovincial governments, as are programs and

supports for those with disabilities, the focushere is pragmatic, with the emphasis on thedelivery of services rather than policy andbroader planning priorities in these areas.

Reading this Report

Working as One focuses on publicly fundedservices to employers and jobseekers. Thefocus, therefore, is on where governmentresources and services can most benetemployers and jobseekers and where theCity of Toronto can work most effectivelyto manage these services. To that end, thisreport proposes a role for City governmentthat is based on what works and on whatproduces maximum results.

Reecting the focus on employers andjobseekers, Working as One is divided into twomain sections. Drawing on the three criticalareas highlighted above - integrating plan-ning, coordinating and simplifying access andcustomizing services - each section describesthe current challenges employers and

jobseekers face, details the steps that the Cityis taking to address them and identies whatneeds to happen next to sustain this progress.Each section ends with a series of recommen-dations to City Council, focusing on changesthat the City could pursue with other govern-ments, or changes that can be made by theCity, to strengthen workforce development inToronto.



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A Vision for Workforce Development in Toronto

Principles

Customer focused: Employers and jobseekersare the primary customers and high qualityservices are tailored to their needs

Integrated:The continuum of servicesand supports available to employers andjobseekers is designed, planned and deliv-ered in ways that reect community strengthsand needs and is integrated with broadereconomic, workforce and social develop-ment priorities

Outcome-based: Outcomes and perfor-mance measures are clear, consistent andare linked to City priorities

Evidence-driven: Focused on excellencethrough continuous improvement, innova-tion and risk management with ongoingmonitoring, measuring, evaluation and publicreporting

Clear roles and responsibilities: Roles andresponsibilities of service planning and deliveryparties are clearly described, understood andaccepted

Streamlined/reduced complexity: Services are

designed to be straightforward and easy toaccess, with clear, understandable rules andwithout duplication and overlap

Cost effective: Ensure cost effectivenessand best return on investment are centralto decisions ranging from service design toimplementation and delivery

A streamlined, responsive and coordinated system that provides abroad range of timely and relevant services, that evolves based onevidence and best practice, and that achieves successful outcomes forresidents, employers and communities.

Objectives

Engage employers: Harmonize approachesto economic and workforce developmentto maximize benets for employers andjobseekers

Develop a skilled labour force:Increaseemployability and build skills in concert withcurrent and future hiring needs to promotea competitive workforce that supports pros-perity and inclusion

Connect employers and qualied candidates:

Work with employers to identify specic rmor sector workforce requirements and buildon existing employment services infrastructureto establish direct links between the supply ofpotential workers and the rms/organizationsthat require their skills

Engage communities:Draw on the experi-ence and strength of agencies and organiza-tions that provide services to employers andjobseekers across Toronto

Support inclusion and accessibility: Ensurethat all residents benet from the Citys work-force development approach through accessto jobs, skills development and training

Coordinate actions: Maximize the efciencyand effectiveness of services for employersand jobseekers through better coordination ofservice planning, management and deliveryby community organizations, employers andgovernments

Vision

Introduction


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Section 1


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Working with Businesses and Employers

Recent City of Toronto initiatives areproving that the best outcomes for busi-nesses and jobseekers are obtained when Citydivisions and City agencies work together toaddress demand and supply simultaneously.

This section emphasizes working withemployers to assist them with their workforceneeds. Simply put, this means working withemployers in a variety of ways to assist themto ll jobs or identify the types of training and

skills development required to ll current orfuture jobs.

When employment services and trainingproviders work closely with employers, it ismuch easier to connect jobseekers withreal jobs and real opportunities. This is gamechanging for many Toronto residents, such aslow-income youth or newcomers, who ndit increasingly difcult to get into the labourmarket, and for whom access to employers,much less employment opportunities, is toolimited.

From Demand and Supply Side Services to

Integrated Approaches

From the point of view of employers, whatmatters most are answers to questions such as:Will these services connect me to appropriatequalied candidates? Are these services avail-able, easy to use and accessible?

To support an integrated approach to work-force development that address these ques-

tions, City divisions, working with other govern-ments, business sectors, educators, trainersand service providers, are coordinating theirefforts on three fronts.

First, the City of Torontos successful effortsto develop integrated employment plans,in conjunction with employers, other

governments and service providers, arehighlighted. This involves ensuring that largescale public or private projects that will createjobs have an employment plan incorporatedinto the project from the outset, therebyidentifying potential jobs. Such plans providea basis for lining up the employment, educa-tional and other services needed to prepareworkers to seek these opportunities, and toassist employers to match jobs with peoplewho have the requisite skills.

These plans represent a major step forward inconnecting job creation projects - that mayhave many phases over several years - withefforts to help jobseekers in neighbouringcommunities.

Second, the City is coordinating and simpli-fying access to workforce developmentservices that assist employers. Employersoften nd it very difcult to navigate work-force development services in Toronto.

They routinely indicate they want accessto services to be simple, streamlined andcoordinated. The aim is to ensure the City ofToronto services that support employers on aday-to-day basis meet their requirements andwork from their perspective.


From the point of view of employers,what matters most are answers toquestions such as: Will these servicesconnect me to appropriate qualifiedcandidates? Are these servicesavailable, easy to use and accessible?


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Finally, there is a need to respond exiblywhen working with employers, by customizingservices so they are tailored to employerand project-specic requirements. Whether

big or small, employers across varioussectors have common needs, but also verydifferent requirements and service demands.Identifying what the City of Toronto can do toprovide customized services to employers ishighlighted in the nal part of this section.

In many cases, all three components arelinked. Integrated employment plans engageemployers, establish objectives, and identifyopportunities and the appropriate rangeof services and supports employers andjobseekers require. Access to these services

must be coordinated across programs andservice networks. Customized service pack-ages must also be designed and deliveredto meet specic needs. It is when thesecomponents come together seamlessly thata customer-driven and outcome-basedworkforce development system effectivelyemerges.

Learning by Doing

The Citys approach to workforce develop-ment is both evidence and learning based.As a result, this section draws on concreteexamples of various City divisions work withemployers and jobseekers.

Appendix A provides a consolidated overviewof the range of City projects and initiativesthat are underway to support employersand jobseekers. These initiatives highlight the

actions being taken to integrate planning,coordinate and simplify system access andcustomize services.

As discussed in Section 3, this type of inventoryis an important rst step towards the creationof a comprehensive workforce developmentdashboard for Toronto. Such approaches arebeing used in other cities, notably New York,to capture the full range of workforce devel-opment investments and impacts.

Based on the Citys efforts and input from thebusiness community, there are clear opportu-nities to improve services to employers and touse resources more productively. These experi-ences inform the recommendations made in

this section, which identify key areas whereimprovements are possible and differentapproaches are required.

Theres a war for talent out there and [partnering with the City] gives us yet another avenue.

JenniferTory,RegionalPresident,RBCRoyalBank,GreaterTorontoRegion

The youth that we have hired [through the Citys PAYE program] have just been excellent.Weve learned from them and have seen the opportunities that embracing cultural diversityreally has for Deloitte.

GaryFoster,ViceChairman,Deloitte


Plan Integrate

ActReview

Learn


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1. Integrated Employment Plans

Capitalizing on Opportunities through LargeScale City Projects

In Toronto, there are numerous publiclyfunded and supported projects that seek toimprove transit and physical infrastructure,and to revitalize and redevelop communities.These projects create jobs directly, and mayalso create spin off jobs. They also involvea wide range of private sector employers,unions, governments, public agencies and abroad array of community organizations.

By their nature, such projects, whether publicor private, take place at a city level and a

neighbourhood level. They also include bothshort and long term timeframes, and theyoften involve large, medium and small sizedemployers. Regardless of whether they arepublic or private projects, most of the initialconstruction work is contracted to privatesector rms. There are often downstreamemployment opportunities concentrated inthe commercial or service sectors. As a result,private sector employers are always promi-nently involved.

In most cases, larger projects also involvemultiple phases, with different employmentopportunities available at each phase, anddifferent roles and types of supports requiredfrom City divisions over the course of aproject.

Increasingly, the City of Toronto is alsodeploying nancing and tax-relatedinstruments, such as the Imagination,Manufacturing, Innovation, Technology (IMIT)Grant Program, to stimulate private sectordevelopments, notably commercial projects

such as Woodbine Live.

Developing robust, integrated employmentplans from the outset makes it possible toidentify opportunities throughout the life spanof large scale projects and use City of Torontoand community resources to fully capitalizeon them. Only by working successfully with

employers is it possible to create comprehen-sive employment plans.

Developing strong partnerships with employers

and working closely with them as projectsevolve on the ground is essential given theabsence of robust local labour market infor-mation noted in the introduction. Such rela-tionships provide otherwise missing informationand knowledge about changing hiring andskills needs.

The Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation,

Technology Grant Program

The City of Torontos Imagination, Manufacturing,

Innovation, Technology (IMIT) Grant Program is apowerful tool that successfully supports business

expansion across the city. IMIT also provides a

direct way of linking these developments with

the City of Torontos workforce development

objectives. Wherever the City issues this grant, the

employer has a commitment and requirement to

participate in a City-endorsed hiring initiative.

The program allows eligible businesses to receive a

Tax Incremental Equivalency Grant (TIEG) of up to

60% of the increase in the municipal taxes attribut-

able to eligible new commercial and industrial

construction over a 10 year period.

When the Citys Economic Development and

Culture Division is working with businesses during

the grant process, the division connects business

owners to Toronto Employment and Social Services

who in turn works with them to develop a concrete

plan to provide employment opportunities to

jobseekers in the surrounding communities. This can

include supporting the creation of employment

centres or programs that can prepare people for

future jobs. Through TIEGs, workforce development

becomes a critical component of business devel-

opment and expansion.

Last year alone, Economic Development and

Culture connected 14 TIEG-eligible businesses to

Toronto Employment and Social Services. These

businesses span a number of sectors, including

nancial services, manufacturing, food services,

tourism and construction.

Section 1


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Highlighting Success

Over the past several years, the City ofToronto has leveraged its position in a numberof large scale infrastructure, redevelop-

ment, and revitalization projects to developintegrated employment plans. The RegentPark Revitilization is a prime example of this.The Regent Park Employment Plan guidesthe work of the City and project partners inthis community, and serves as a model forother large scale City of Toronto revitalizationprojects.

Positive outcomes for employers andjobseekers continue to be achieved in RegentPark, with local residents securing employ-ment at every phase of the ongoing revitaliza-

tion. Highlights of the revitalization successesare detailed on page 20.

In addition to Regent Park, the City isworking with employers in other large scale

Regent Park Revitalization: Before


developments. Collectively, major initiativessuch as the Waterfront Toronto developments,the PanAm Games, the Metrolinx GeorgetownSouth Project and the Lawrence Allen revital-ization are projected to support up to 80,000

new and existing jobs over the course of themulti-year projects.

By building partnerships with businesses, theCity is ensuring that as many new jobs aspossible can be accessed by local residentswho may not otherwise have known aboutor been able to take advantage of theseopportunities.

The City of Toronto is also working individuallywith private sector employers across manydifferent sectors to identify ways in which their

workforce needs can be supported. Whetherthrough major projects or by working withindividual employers, the aim is to capitalizeon employment opportunities that are being


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Section 1

Experience to date reinforces that the success ofintegrated employment plans depends on:

Being involved from the start of the project and incorporating

workforce development priorities into the larger planning

processes, including the development of local employment

plans that create opportunities for local hiring;

Working closely with employers to understand their

requirements and tailor plans accordingly over the course of

a project;

Bringing together City divisions and staff as necessary to

support workforce development priorities;

Establishing strong relationships with other governments,

service providers and local residents as a basis for an

integrated approach to planning; and

Taking a leadership role to ensure City objectives are metthrough the development and implementation of effective

employment plans, including tracking outcomes and making

ongoing improvements as required.

Regent Park Revitalization: After

created, connecting residents toemployers and ensuring jobseekersget the help they need to matchemployers requirements.

To continue to capitalize on theopportunities being created throughlarge scale developments, the Citywill work with employers to createemployment plans for projects thatare directly funded by the City, thatreceive signicant non-monetaryCity supports or that are eligible forTax Incremental Equivalency Grants.Similarly, given that many such proj-ects are undertaken with the support,and under the authority of other ordersof government, the City of Toronto will

work with the provincial and federalgovernments to develop employmentplans for major infrastructure programsled by these governments in Toronto.


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Highlights of the numerous successes in Regent Park

Integrating planning:

Regent Park partners planning

and responding as one

The integrated approach to the revitalization, which includes the Regent

Park Employment Plan, continues to inform and align the economic,

social, and workforce activities in Regent Park.

The Regent Park Employment and Enterprise Committee coordinates the

development of innovative responses to emerging local employmentopportunities.

Simplifying and

Coordinating Access:

Connecting Regent Park

employers, residents, and

services

The Regent Park Employment Centre, a storefront location in the heart of

the community, serves as the physical connecting point for employers,

residents, agencies/services and employment opportunities.

- Over 1,650 residents have been supported through the storefront.

- 30 employers have engaged in local hiring.

- 420 residents have been hired into local jobs.

The Regent Park Integrated Employment and Enterprise Centre, currently

scheduled to open in 2014, will bring service providers together in one

place, increase service options and provide further opportunities forconnecting employers and residents.

Customizing Services:

Ensuring that services achieve

maximum results in Regent

Park

Innovative skill-building initiatives are targeted to employment

opportunities:

- e.g. The Daniels Corporation (the developer) has contracted Dixon

Halls Mill Centre to train youth to develop ower boxes for new

condominiums.

Entrepreneurial and self-employment services meet local needs and

interests:

- e.g. A chef, business owner, George Brown College and the City are

incorporating job training and entrepreneurial opportunities into thenew Paintbox Bistro company.

Resources are aligned with local needs and opportunities:

- e.g. In partnership with the City and The Daniels Corporation,

the University of Toronto is providing credential assessments for

newcomers with post secondary degrees. Through the OW program

and nancial contributions from The Daniels Corporation, eligible resi-

dents will receive nancial support to attend continuing education or

bridging programs.

Regent Park Revitalization: A transformative project creating systemic change

The Regent Park Revitalization is a notable example of how a major community revitalization issystematically changing how the City plans, manages, integrates and delivers services. In addi-

tion to changing buildings and streets, governments, agencies, institutions, employers and resi-dents are working together to make the community a healthy and vibrant place for establishingbusinesses and for residents to live and work. Creating opportunities and supporting local hiring isseen as a foundation and expectation of all partners.



21/9021

Section 1

Capitalizing on Public Sector Opportunities

In the near term, public sector employmentopportunities are likely to be limited. However,

despite the current constraints facing allorders of government, the public sectorworkforce is aging rapidly. For demographicreasons alone, there will be signicant turn-over and new opportunities will emerge overthe medium-term. The broader public sectorworkforce remains a relatively large employerin Toronto.

From the City of Torontos perspective, thereare a number of compelling reasons whyit is important to make sure that as manyToronto residents as possible can compete

for public sector jobs and build careers in Citygovernment:

it is simply a good business practice fromthe position of strengthening the Citys ownworkforce, enabling the City to capitalize onthe skills, energies and strengths of residentsfrom its diverse communities;

a workforce that reects the citys popula-tion is also a basic goal in its own right; and

leadership in workforce developmentmeans applying best practices and learn-ings within the City itself.

Highlighting Success

In practice, the City is providing opportunitiesto jobseekers in two main ways describedbelow.

First, efforts are being made to increaseaccess to City jobs, especially for indi-viduals and communities, such as youth and

newcomers who have historically facedbarriers in the labour market. The City has

already taken steps to establish recruitmentpractices that reach out to communi-ties where opportunities have not beenavailable.9

Key examples include:

Toronto Employment and Social Services,corporate Human Resources and other Citydivisions are working together to capitalizeon potential employment opportunitieswithin the Toronto Public Service. Workingwith colleges, City divisions are developinga customized recruitment strategy for Parks,Forestry and Recreations 2012 recruit-ment of arborists and gardeners, positionswhich are particularly hard to ll. Toronto

Employment and Social Services andHuman Resources have worked with therespective divisions to increase access tojobseekers who would otherwise not knowabout or be able to afford the types oftraining required.

Since 2005, the Toronto Transit Commissionand the Citys Youth EmploymentPartnerships have partnered to enableyouth from Torontos under-served commu-nities to access Toronto Transit Commissionseasonal jobs and support them to competefor permanent positions. Each year, up to100 seasonal positions have been madeavailable to youth, with over 80 individualsmoving on to permanent positions.

Steps are being taken to increasingaccess to City jobs. In 2010, the MetroHall Employment Centre was opened,providing a central downtown site to accessemployment services and supports, but alsoproviding a site that focuses on providinginformation to residents about City jobs and

hiring practices.

9An Action Plan for Social Assistance in Toronto, approved by City Council in 2006, set out a number of directions for ensuring Cityrecruitment practices engage communities that face challenges accessing City jobs, and that recruitment practices improveopportunities for unemployed residents to gain work experience through internships, mentoring and work placements.


22/9022

Leading by Example

Since its launch in March 2010, the Citys Job Incentive Program has successfully matched the skills and

talents of volunteer candidates with suitable divisions, providing valuable skills and work experience

to jobseekers. To date, over 130 JIP participants have been hosted by more than 20 City divisions. To

date, 50% of participants have already secured full-time employment and this number continues to

grow.

The City has also created placement opportunities through the Provinces Career Bridging program, a

program intended to provide work experience for internationally-trained persons. To date the City has

hosted 84 interns.

The City is also an active contributor to the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Councils Mentoring

Partnership for internationally-trained individuals through the Citys Profession to Profession Mentorship

Program; there have been 710 mentoring relationships to date.

Feedback from both participants and City staff amplify the success of these approaches.

The staff were very helpful and kind. I learned so much in just a couple of months. I learnedthe basic tools to carry on with me in my future. I now feel more confident in my jobenvironment and I can honestly say that this experience has given me the opportunity to

have a job and gain the knowledge and training I need to secure a full-time job.

JobIncentiveProgramparticipant(hiredbyhostdivision)

The program [participants] enabled us to complete very essential behind-the-scenesresearch and information management, especially during the very busy periods. Their workenhanced the turn-around time of staff work, as well as brought fresh perspectives into how

we could approach various projects.

MunicipalLicensingandStandards,(JIPhostdivision)


To that end, the City has developed orsupports a range of mentoring and voluntary

programs. These include the Job IncentiveProgram (JIP), Profession to ProfessionMentoring and Career Bridge internships.City staff will continue to explore and pursueviable options in the broader public sector,such as in the healthcare sector, to extendthese programs, and to create new and moreopportunities for jobseekers across the city.

At the same time, existing City policies canalso be altered to reduce barriers to residentsaccessing employment opportunities. For

instance, recent graduates or newcomersoften lack work experience and are

frequently unsuccessful when competing forToronto Public Service jobs. Reviewing Citypolicies and practices will identify ways ofaddressing such issues. Specically, to betterprepare residents for opportunities within theToronto Public Service, the City will developmore and stronger linkages with collegesand universities that offer co-op placementsand apprenticeships. In addition, the Citywill ensure that the training it puchases forresidents receiving social assistance meets therequirements of specic City occupations.


23/9023

Section 1

In other ways, the City can also activelysupport employment opportunities for quali-ed jobseekers. One such option exists withrespect to the Citys own purchasing policiesas described by the approach taken withthe 1652 Keele Street Community Alliance.This approach shows what can be done andprovides a basis for scaling up and extendingthis approach to take advantage of otheropportunities.

Given the scale and breadth of the Cityspurchasing and contracting activities, the

scope of employment opportunities is poten-tially wide-reaching. By better linking procure-ment processes and workforce developmentpriorities, the City of Toronto can maximize thecreation of employment and training opportu-nities for residents.

1652 Keele Street Community Alliance

Through the redevelopment of 1652 Keele

Street, in Weston Mount Dennis, the City

demonstrated the viability and potential

for leveraging its procurement processes to

increase access to local employment and

training initiatives, albeit on a small scale.

The Citys funding partners stipulated that an

employment strategy targeted to local, unem-

ployed youth was to be incorporated into the

redevelopment. This resulted in a City procure-

ment process that required developers to hire

local youth who have been trained through a

capacity-building program. HSI Solutions (the

successful proponent) hired 10 local youth

into construction positions, with the youth also

receiving training and support both onsite and

through the Carpenters Local Union 27.

City staff coaching youth prior to recruitment event


24/9024


2. Coordinating Access: Starting WithWhat Works for Employers

With respect to workforce development, it isnot enough to see employers as customers of

City services; they must also be active part-ners in City initiatives. This means looking atinitiatives and opportunities from an employ-ers point of view. This perspective makes acrucial difference not only to how servicesare designed, planned, and delivered, butalso to how relationships with employers aredeveloped and maintained.

The complexity of Torontos employmentservices landscape make it difcult foremployers to nd and access the services andsupports they need. In particular, the absence

of a coordinated approach to employerengagement means that employers are often

approached by a variety of employmentservices organizations with competing orsimilar mandates. The result is a fragmented,competitive and inefcient system that leadsto time-consuming and unsatisfactory experi-

ences for employers. Effective marketingof services is also limited. Not surprisingly,these experiences can discourage futureemployer participation. This is a commonfrustration faced by employers in Toronto andelsewhere.10

Given this reality, to make workforce develop-ment services work better for employers, thefollowing actions are being taken:

Developing better employer gateways; and

Engaging employers on their terms.

10Jenkins, S., Darragh, J. and Shah, J.N. (2011), What do employers want from an aligned employment and skills system? , UK Departmentof Work and Pensions, Research Report No. 743, 2011.

The City-TRIEC Partnership: Coordinating Employer Engagement in Toronto

Supports a more coordinated and integratedapproach to employer engagement acrossthe Toronto region among governments andservice providers currently involved in providingemployers with services and supports

Reduces system fragmentation and frustrationexperienced by employers accessing servicesand supports

Helps to reduce barriers experienced by inter-nationally-trained immigrants trying to accessthe labour market (job, information, services)

Supports the capacity and linkages to andamong existing local and sectoral employmentservices delivery networks

Creating and promoting the standards,protocols, technologies and tools neces-sary to support a coordinated and systemicapproach to employer engagement

Piloting recruitment initiatives at a regional,city and community level

Building on the unique strengths and roles ofall stakeholders

Consulting and working with a wide variety ofpartners/stakeholders

The objective of this project is to develop asystem-based approach to employer

gateways that:

The project will accomplish this by testingand evaluating the coordinated employer

engagement approach by:


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Section 1

Developing Better Employer Gateways

Too often, employers who require specicservices or who are interested in working inpartnership with the City or service providers

to address common issues, are unsure of howor where to start. As such, a coordinatedapproach to employer engagement inToronto is required to improve outcomes foremployers, and by extension, jobseekers.

Recognizing this, the City is partnering withthe Toronto Region Immigrant EmploymentCouncil (TRIEC) to establish a coordinatedapproach to employer engagement in theToronto region. This partnership (the objec-tives which are referred to on page 24) is arst step in building relationships with and

bringing together the various networks andorganizations involved in workforce develop-ment. Through this coordinated approach,gateways will be developed that provideemployers with ease of service access.

The aim is to simplify access to servicesthrough new approaches and the use ofemerging technologies and tools. Withoutthese changes, businesses and employerswill continue to face a mish-mash of service

entry points that often discourage employersfrom working with the very organizations thatprovide services they could benet from.

Establishing strong and productive partner-

ships with employers is an incrementalprocess. It requires responding to differentemployer needs by adapting how the Cityworks with them to meet their needs.

For example, some employers participatein workforce development asrecruiters,addressing their short term hiring needs byhiring pre-screened candidates. Othersparticipate as partners, by assisting in thedesign and delivery of specic initiatives.Some participate as leaders, championingbroader sector-based initiatives or community

redevelopment efforts that open up access tonew networks and serve as a catalyst for otheremployers to get involved

Recognizing these different roles and capaci-ties and tailoring responses to them benetboth employers and residents. The accompa-nying graphic highlights these different roles,each of which requires different approacheson the part of the City.

Leader

SustainableSolutions

Champion

Change

Design &

Development

Labour MarketAnalysis &

Forecasting

Partner

Recruiter

Promote

RecruitmentModels

Identify Generic/

Industry SpecificNeeds

Contribute

Knowledge/

Skilled

ResourcesSupport New

Recruitment

Models

ActivelyParticipate

ExpandRecruitment

Processes

Preparing for Employment Transitioning for Employment Advancing in Employment


26/90


27/9027

Section 1

3. Customizing Servicesfor Employers

With different City divisions working

directly with employers, it is important thatapproaches to identifying service needs andproviding effective service responses are inte-grated and coordinated. Doing so makes itpossible to efciently capitalize on the oppor-tunities that arise to support job creation andto link jobseekers with employers. As a result,City divisions are working together to establishconsistent goals and priorities for deliveringservices to employers.

A logical starting point for this work is tobetter link the Citys economic develop-

ment and employment services. EconomicDevelopment and Culture (the traditionalbusiness-facing arm division of the City) andToronto Employment and Social Services(the primary division serving jobseekers) arecoordinating their efforts so that they can

work to better serve employers and businesssectors. This means making sure employers areaware of and have access to the full range ofCity services and supports available to them.

The goal is to provide services in streamlinedand efcient ways that address employerrequirements.

In many instances, Economic Developmentand Culture is the lead division, and providesoverall service coordination. In other situ-ations, Toronto Employment and SocialServices has developed working relationshipswith employers and assembles necessaryservices, which may include job matchingand employment services. Recognizing theneed to support these businesses, Economic

Development and Culture often connectswith Toronto Employment and Social Serviceswhen these employers have recruitmentand training needs in order to ensure theseemployers receive the full range of supportsthey require.


28/9028

We would not have been able to get

our new contact centre in Toronto up

and running so quickly if it wasnt for

the help of Toronto Employment and

Social Services. TESS not only helped

recruit some great candidates, they also

provided a professional space for us toconduct our interviews while our new

facility was being set up.

CraigMeilleur,President,ZeddCustomerSolutions


This happens in three ways:

Working with individual employers

The City provides a range of programs to attract, retain and grow businesses. By having Citydivisions work together, the City strengthens its ability to support employers in training andrecruiting qualied staff. One example of divisional collaboration is the joint service responsedeveloped for Zedd Customer Solutions.

Highlighting Success: A Joint Service Response for Zedd Customer Solutions

In 2011, Zedd Customer Solutions, an outsource call centre rm, approached the City for assistance in

the expansion of a Toronto ofce. Economic Development and Cultures (EDC) Business Retention and

Expansion Ofce provided Zedd with information in a number of areas, including site location, demo-graphics, zoning, and transit service. EDC also consulted with Invest Toronto and provided Zedd with

information regarding potential advantages for call centres situated in Toronto. As part of this expan-

sion, Zedd Customer Solutions also turned to the City for assistance in the recruitment of employees.

The range of positions they were looking to ll included call centre agents, team leaders, recruiters,

quality and assurance agents, and trainers. Referred by EDC, Toronto Employment and Social Services

(TESS) responded by providing them with:

Space to conduct interviews while new facilities were being set up

Recruitment services such as job promotion, candidate screening, and job matching

Post-recruitment support with respect to retention services and ongoing recruitment needs

This joint response effort between EDC and TESS led to Zedd successfully leasing Toronto space for their

ofce, and accessing a large and talented pool of candidates. To date, 8 local hires have been made

through TESS' job matching services, with potential to further expand their Toronto ofce workforce byanother 200-300 employees, as forecasted in their business development plan. TESS local ofce staff

will be working directly with Zedd to ll these potential opportunities.


29/9029

Working with Business Improvement Areas (BIA)

BIAs represent an effective partnership between the City and local businesses to supporteconomic development at the local level. They also provide an effective way for the City toaddress local economic issues while supporting reinvestment and employment at the sametime.

Toronto Employment and Social Services is now connecting with Economic Development andCulture to ensure that work being done with BIAs allows for better integration with employmentservices. In doing so, the City is connecting these community-based groups and small busi-nesses to the full range of workforce development services and supports they need to ourish.

Working with sectors

By engaging with groups of employers in a given sector, the City is able to identify currentand future workforce needs. In doing so, the City is able to ensure workforce development isa foundational component of sector development initiatives. Economic Development andCulture works with Toronto Employment and Social Services in the preliminary stages of sharingknowledge and key trends in a number of sectors to develop employment plans and recruit-ment strategies specic to these sectors.

Section 1

Green/Renewable Energy Sector:

Toronto Employment and Social Services and

Economic Development and Culture are

working directly with employers in the green

sector to identify needs and employment

opportunities. Most recently, the City part-

nered with Canadian Solar Industry Association

(CanSIA) to incorporate a job fair and inter-

view event into their 2011 annual trade show

conference in Toronto. The City, via Toronto

Employment and Social Services, provided

customized recruitment and pre-screening

prior to the event. Five employers participated

and interviewed 35 residents for 16 positions.

Discussions are underway for similar events at

CanSIAs 2012 conference and at the 2012

Canadian Green Build conference. Morebroadly, the City is also working with its part-

ners to monitor emerging workforce develop-

ment needs and opportunities within the green

sector, and is in the process of developing

responsive green sector workforce strategies.


30/9030

Next Steps

Ensuring better coordination of City services to employers beyond Economic Development andCulture and Toronto Employment and Social Services is important. More needs to be done withrespect to developing stronger partnerships among a wider range of other City divisions, agen-cies, boards and commissions. For example, it is essential that City Planning, Invest Toronto, andorganizations like Toronto Transit Commission play a bigger role in the Citys workforce develop-ment approach.

The existing Senior City Employment Services Steering Committee provides an ideal venue tobring together City divisions, agencies and commissions. By including additional divisions and

agencies (e.g. Invest Toronto), this committee can more effectively coordinate City workforcedevelopment efforts, and ensure employers and jobseekers receive services that match theirneeds.



31/9031

Recommendations:

1. The City request that, where appropriate, employment plans

be developed as part of large public and commercial proj-ects that are either directly funded by the City, or where theCity provides signicant non-monetary contributions.

2. The City work with the provincial and federal governments toensure that employment plans are developed for major infra-structure projects led by other orders of government withinToronto.

3. The City explore its procurement processes to increase accessto local employment and training initiatives that advance itsworkforce development objectives.

4. The City pursue the development of effective gateways tosimplify access to the Citys workforce development servicesby working with business, community organizations, govern-ment and other key stakeholders.

5. The City develop an employer recognition program toencourage, support and recognize increased employerparticipation in workforce development efforts in the city.

Section 1


32/9032

Section 2


33/90


34/9034

In Toronto, these changes are evident in thesignicant numbers who are underemployed,and in rising and sustained unemploymentlevels, especially among certain populations

like youth, racialized communities and individ-uals with limited educations. Social assistancecaseloads continue to grow, with longer spellson assistance and more repeated use.

At the same time, both jobseekers andemployers are repeatedly frustrated with thecurrent complex and fragmented non-systemof services. This is in large part becauseservices are mandated through a numberof different provincial ministries and federaldepartments, and increasingly deliveredunder various funding arrangements by local

governments and a wide range of contractedagencies and organizations. Despite sharingcommon customers both employers andjobseekers these various service systemmanagers often work independently todesign, plan and deliver services. As a result,services are not adequately coordinatedwithin each area - let alone among them and often do not respond effectively tojobseekers and employers.

While each year thousands of Torontojobseekers benet from the services theyreceive, and from the assistance they getfrom individual caseworkers and employmentcounsellors, there is a compelling case to bemade for improvements to service planningand delivery overall in the city. Coordinatingservices and reducing duplication will ensurethat services work better for employers andresidents and that each dollar investedachieves maximum value.

This will benet both city residents and Citygovernment by:

Building the skills of jobseekers and enablingthem to capitalize on employment opportu-nities; and

Connecting jobseekers who are on socialassistance with employment opportunities,thereby generating signicant savings byreducing the length of time they require

benets.

Making changes to the services that supportjobseekers and beginning to fashion a trueemployment services system depends oncontinued City leadership. The City has aclear interest in ensuring that services are wellplanned, efciently managed and delivered.All governments, funders and service providersmust be accountable to Toronto residents forthe quality and outcomes of the services theyprovide.

Finally, based on the work it is doing, and itsresponsibilities and experience, the City is bestpositioned to connect employment servicesplanning with practical demand and supply-side service delivery strategies, achievingoutcomes consistent with the Citys workforcedevelopment goals.

Listening to Jobseekers in Toronto

Currently, jobseekers in Toronto can benet

from a wide array of employment services and

supports, including training, skills development,job search support, educational upgrading

and literacy. While some residents only need

to use one service, others require a number

of different services, along with income and

stabilization supports, over time. It is therefore

important that these areas work in harmony.

Consistent with other research11, the Citys

End to End Review of employment services

found:

A lack of integration, coordination and

planning;

Service gaps, duplication and overlap; A lack of information about services;

Limited access to services; and

An absence of face-to-face support and

guidance.


11Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults (MISWAA), (2006), Time For a Fair Deal: Report of the Task Force on ModernizingIncome Security for Working-Age Adults, St. Christopher House/Toronto City Summit Alliance; Social Assistance Review Advisory Council(SARAC) (2010), Recommendations for an Ontario Income Security Review. Report of the Ontario Social Assistance Review AdvisoryCouncil, SARAC.


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Applying a Distance to the LabourMarket Approach

Conventionally, services are often organized

with respect to population groups such asyouth, newcomers and women. This makessense because different groups have differentneeds and often require services to bedelivered differently. At the same time, basedon the Citys experience and on extensiveresearch12, it is evident that, regardless ofpopulation group, the degree to whichpeople are employment ready and have theskills they need to become employed canvary greatly.

Recognizing this, the City has increasingly

adopted a distance from the labour marketapproach to identify jobseekers needs andto respond to them. In contrast to a one-size-ts-all approach which determines responsesbased strictly on demographic characteristicsor siloed program criteria, a distance

approach acknowledges that residents haveunique needs and draws on these to organizeand allocate the most appropriate services.As a result, the distance model provides a

foundation to address the needs of all resi-dents, whether they require only occasionalsupports to progress through their careers, orrequire more comprehensive and intensivesupports.

This framework provides a consistent, practicalway to provide differentiated services toindividuals, and to organize programs andservices within a more coordinated employ-ment services system. It also reects the highlydiverse nature of jobseekers in a large city,and provides a way of taking into account

the complex, and rapidly changing nature, ofcurrent labour markets.

This logic underpins the approach takenthroughout this section.

Section 2

12City of Toronto (2008),An End to End Review of Employment Services in Toronto, City of Toronto; Campbell, M. and Meadows, P. (2001),What Works Locally? Key Lessons on Local Employment Policies, Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

For people who are employedpart-time, full-time, self-employed

For people who are ready to enter orre-enter the labour market

For people who require a few interventions tobecome job ready

For people who require intensive services to overcomemultiple issues affecting employability

Distance From the Labour Market Approach

Advancing

Transitioning

Moving Closer

Distant


36/9036

1. Integrating EmploymentServices Planning

In Toronto, many different stakeholders areinvolved in planning and delivering employ-ment services. In addition to the work of

various City divisions, a range of federaldepartments and provincial ministries planand deliver employment services. Manyservices are delivered by a wide range ofcommunity organizations.

Given this large number of stakeholders andthe different focus they bring, employmentservices planning in Toronto is often limitedand uncoordinated. This creates confusion foremployers and jobseekers requiring services,but also means that there is no way to deter-mine the total level of investment in employ-

ment services in Toronto, the outcomesachieved, or extent of service duplication andgaps. Ultimately, there is no overall account-ability for the planning, management anddelivery of employment services in Toronto.

Recognizing this, the Citys approach toworkforce development makes integratedservice planning a priority. The City is workingclosely with employers, jobseekers, othergovernments, and service providers to setclear service goals and priorities, identifyessential outcomes, and ensure that services

are aligned to achieve these outcomes. Thegoal is to ensure governments plan togetherto create an employment services systemin Toronto that works for jobseekers andemployers.

This depends on working with agencies andorganizations that make up the citys currentnetwork of employment service providers,as well as working with employers andjobseekers. For example, Toronto Employmentand Social Services has held community

briengs with agencies across Toronto todiscuss the steps being taken to improve andintegrate City employment services as well asto obtain input about broader employmentservice issues and priorities.

Most importantly, on a day to day basis,City staff are engaged in substantive discus-sions with employers, residents, communityorganizations, other governments and a widerange of others with an interest in advancingworkforce development in Toronto. Thesediscussions have highlighted the need forthe creation of an integrated employmentservices system in Toronto, and the leadingrole the City must play in order to make thishappen.

Service planning is currently an importantcomponent of the work of each federal

department, provincial ministry and City divi-sion; it is often driven by the perspective ofplace-based or people-based mandates.

Despite this complex landscape, there aremany positive examples that demonstrate thesignicant impacts that successful planningis having in the lives of city residents. Takinginto account the federal, provincial and Citygovernment roles and mandates, employ-ment services planning occurs on three levels.

Given this large number ofstakeholders and the differentfocus they bring, employment

services planning in Toronto isoften limited and uncoordinated.



37/9037

Federal Departments

Human Resources

Skills Development

Canada; Service

Canada; Citizenship and

Immigration Canada

Provincial Ministries

Ministry of Community

and Social Services;

Ministry of Citizenship and

Immigration; Ministry of

Training, Colleges andUniversities; Ministry of

Economic Development

and Innovation

City Divisions

Toronto Employment

and Social Services;

Economic Development

and Culture; Social

Development Financeand Administration

People-Based

Planning:

This type of planning is

driven by the perspective

of target populations

(i.e. youth, immigrants,

low-income)

Place-Based Planning

This type of planning is

driven by the perspective

of specic neighbour-

hoods or communities.

It reects the unique

assets and challenges of

a particular community

by building upon existing

infrastructure, partnership

and systems

EmpIoymentInsurance

Youth &Aboriginal

OntarioDisabilitySupportProgram

OntarioWorks

Childcare

IntegratedLocal Labour

MarketPlanning

NeighbourhoodAction

Partnerships

TorontoNewcomer

Initiative

EmploymentOntario

Settlement

LocalImmigrationPartnerships

Intergovernmental Planning Partners and Focus

The chart below illustrates the various inter-governmental planning players and the focusof their work. This is an intentionally simpliedpicture of what is an enormously complexlandscape. A more detailed representationdepicted in Appendix B.

1. Integrating Planning Activities among

Intergovernmental Partners

Historically, through both formal and informalprocesses, senior City staff have worked withtheir federal and provincial counterparts toimprove the delivery of employment servicesin Toronto. Over time, a solid track record ofcollaboration has been established and posi-tive relationships developed. Often, however,these relationships were established with eachministry or federal department independently.

Responding to changing circumstances,notably the devolution of responsibilities for

employment services to the Province from thefederal government, City staff, representingEconomic Development and Culture, SocialDevelopment Finance and Administrationand Toronto Employment and Social Services,meet regularly with staff from various

Provincial Ministries (Training, Colleges andUniversities and Citizenship and Immigration)to act on opportunities to improve servicecoordination leading to better outcomes foremployers and jobseekers within the city.

While each Ministry and division is workingwithin its existing mandate, these forumsenable continual updating of service andprogram priorities across the employmentservicesnetwork. They also provide a potentialbasis for a more formalized intergovernmentalprocess that can further integrate employ-

ment planning among different governmentsin Toronto, advancing the goal of a moreeffective employment services system.

Section 2


38/9038

2. Integrating Service Planning Across

City Divisions

At the same time, it is also essential thatkey City divisions work together to effec-tively integrate services for jobseekers and

employers. To ensure that this happens, plan-ning amongst City divisions occurs throughinter-divisional partnerships on a project-by-project level and through an inter-divisionalSenior City Employment Services SteeringCommittee.

For example, along with the efforts to supportlarge scale projects described in Section 1,Economic Development and Culture, TorontoEmployment and Social Services, and SocialDevelopment Finance and Administration arealso working together to improve services to

employers and jobseekers by:

Offering one stop access to City economicdevelopment and employment services;and

Increasing access to incubation and self-employment services;

Working collaboratively with sectors andcommunities to identify opportunities tomore effectively provide economic devel-opment and employment services.

Historically, each of these City divisions haveworked closely with community and businesspartners, and engaged them in the planningand delivery of City services. Increasingly,divisions are working together to do this.This is a strong foundation for taking furthersteps to strengthen service planning anddelivery through increased interdivisionalcollaboration.

3. Integrating Service Planning in

Local Neighbourhoods

At the neighbourhood level, integrated plan-ning serves as a basis for identifying availableresources, aligning these resources withlocal needs, and, ultimately, beginning tocoordinate services more effectively. Throughlocal planning mechanisms, residents andservice providers also have opportunities tobetter articulate their needs to funders andgovernments.

Recognizing the value of improved

coordination at the neighbourhood level,the City of Toronto, the Ministry of TrainingColleges and Universities, and the Ministry ofCitizenship and Immigration have workedtogether to design and implement IntegratedLocal Labour Market Planning pilots in ve

Toronto neighbourhoods.

A number of other local planning andcoordination efforts are also underway,with either focus on specic populationsor communities. For example, the UnitedWays Action for Neighbourhood Change,the Toronto Newcomer Initiative, LocalImmigration Partnerships funded by Citizenshipand Immigration Canada, and the CitysNeighbourhood Action Partnerships are allidentifying a wide range of service needs,

including employment service needs,in communities across the city. LocalImmigration Partnerships, in particular, havea focus on the important settlement supportsnewcomers require to successfully integrate.

The information and outputs from theseindependent efforts provide an opportu-nity to develop a consolidated picture ofemployment service needs at the local level.Integrating these processes will provide aplatform to undertake more effective servicesystem planning at the city level.

Local Planning in Action: Integrated Local

Labour Market Planning Pilots

Working together through the Integrated Local

Labour Market Planning structures, each of the 5

pilot communities has completed environmental

scans and begun service mapping exercises.

These are the essential rst steps in developing

local plans for better integrating employ-

ment services for the respective communities.

In addition, the introduction of these pilotshas produced a number of valuable results,

including:

Developing agreement on approaches to

local planning in each community;

Enhancing working relationships between City

and Provincial staff in each neighbourhood;

and

Establishing a framework for determining how

City employment services and Employment

Ontario employment services can better

complement each other in local communities.



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2. Coordinating and SimplifyingSystem Access

When people talk about service access,they usually refer to whether they can getthe information they need about the service,

whether the service is available when theyneed it, and whether it is in a location that isphysically accessible. They also typically thinkabout access in terms of an individual service,whether this is a service delivered throughan employment centre or through a skillsupgrading program offered by a college orcommunity agency.

In Toronto, this basic level of access is verymuch determined by how accessible servicesare at a system level. The focus here then ison access as it is more broadly understood

when people talk about access to the healthcare system or the educational system. It isnot access to individual hospitals or schoolsor employment services, but to the networkof services, and information about them,that people need as they progress through aservice system.

In a city with hundreds of agencies andorganizations, service system access is crucial.Moreover, understood from a workforcedevelopment perspective, it is also importantto determine how employers, along withjobseekers, can access and engage with theservice system.

Access to the system of employment servicesis increasingly important for larger numbersof residents given rapidly changing labourmarkets. Residents often face more andlonger transitions between employment.To remain employable, individuals need tocontinuously develop and transfer skills: theymust keep informed, keep planning, andkeep learning new skills and knowledge.

Improving access to employment servicesrequires a combination of technologies,people, and places. While face-to-faceservice interactions remain important, there isalso a need to make web-based and socialnetworking options more widely available toboth employers and jobseekers accessingand navigating employment services.

New technologies provide a broader range ofoptions that better respond to the needs and

preferences of jobseekers and employers. Forsome residents, access is self-directed - theyknow what they want and how to get it. Thiscan include easily accessing services andinformation virtually, or through telephoneenquiries. Those with less knowledge of the

services available and with more intensiveneeds may require dedicated supports tohelp them nd and get the help they need.This can include one-on-one staff assistancethrough to intensive case management.

Fundamentally, the goal is to ensure betteraccess to opportunities and jobs through anaccessible employment services system thatrecognizes the different kinds of supports thatjobseekers need.

At a broader system-level, accessible employ-ment services require a consistent and stan-dardized approach to:

Screening and comprehensive serviceneeds assessments;

Information and referral processes thatdirect jobseekers and employers to servicesthat meet their needs;

Providing consistent, accurate and currentinformation about Torontos labour market,the services that are available and whatjobseekers and employers can expect fromthem; and

Marketing services that are tailored to theneeds of jobseekers and employers, andthat recognize that unique strategies maybe required for them.

Section 2

In a city with hundreds of agencies andorganizations, service system access iscrucial. Moreover, understood from aworkforce development perspective,it is also important to determine howemployers, along with jobseekers, canaccess and engage with the servicesystem.


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The City of Toronto itself is currently takingsteps to achieve better access to employ-ment services, including: transforming employ-

ment centres into integrated access points;and coordinating job matching services.

Employment Centres as Integrated Access

Points

As an integral part of the Citys approach towo

Working As One: A Workforce Development Strategy for Toronto February 2012

Documents