Commission on the Reform of Ontario's Public Services

With so many services provided by so many ministries, clear opportunities exist to improve
efficiency and quality. The new Employment Service (ES), a “one-stop shop” offering a full
range of employment support services, is a step in this direction. The EO should further
streamline its services for clients who need little intervention, so it can focus on the more
intensive interventions needed by others. Other ministries also offer employment and
training services that should be integrated with EO.
The federal government provides significant annual funding to Ontario through federalprovincial
labour-market agreements, each with its own requirements for client eligibility,
program design, reporting and accountability. The patchwork of such agreements leads
to fragmented and distorted policy-making. There are also federally funded and delivered
employment and training programs for youth, persons with disabilities and Aboriginals that
are not part of existing bilateral agreements. This creates administrative inefficiencies and
confusion for potential clients. Since many of these agreements are about to expire, the
opportunity is ripe for a single new arrangement that should devolve all remaining training
responsibility, specifically for youth and persons with disabilities, to the province. This would
provide Ontario with sufficient flexibility to fully integrate these services under the EO banner,
respond to its fluid labour-market needs and innovate using small-scale pilot projects.
Despite the many programs, there is no coherent strategy based on clear targets and
performance measures linked to outcomes. Labour-market information needs improvement.
Rather than just count the clients it serves, the government should track outcomes —
did clients get jobs, and for how long and at what wages? Also, the province needs better
data so it can better target labour-market programs.
In 1994, 25 Workforce Planning Boards were established to improve labour-market conditions
at the community level, but control remained at the MTCU head office. Their oversight is now
being transferred to regional offices — a positive first step that will promote stronger local
links. The boards should encourage employers in their regions to invest more in workplacebased
training, an area in which most now fall short compared to international competitors.
Various ministries run economic development programs that include a training component.
These programs largely function separately from EO, which renders them less effective.
Stronger links are needed, especially for such initiatives as the Ring of Fire.
Ontario’s apprenticeship system offers programs for more than 150 trades and occupations.
In 2010, Ontario established the College of Trades to modernize the apprenticeship and skilled
trades system. The government should shift responsibility for all apprenticeship administration to
other players in the sector. Functions related to the administration of apprenticeship classroom
training should be given to colleges and union training centres. All other administrative
responsibilities for apprenticeships should be transferred to the College of Trades.
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