Environment Committee on April 28th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thank you. Mr. Longfield is next.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'd like to direct my questions to ESDC and Mr. Brown.

The scope of this audit obviously was from January 2018 to September 2021, so it isn't looking at the upcoming legislation for a just transition or the budget that was put forward in 2021 for programming by ESDC.

I'm looking at things like the sectoral workforce solutions program that has just had a call for proposals. Could you talk about the work that's been happening since the transition? I ask because one of our colleagues was saying earlier that there was nothing being done, that we weren't doing anything in ESDC.

[Andrew Brown, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development]

Thanks for the question. There are a couple of things.

It's important to recognize the existing programs that are in place in terms of providing support to workers who are affected. That includes things such as the employment insurance program. There have already been changes introduced, some of these during the pandemic, to help increase access to the program. There are ongoing consultations with worker groups, and with industry as well, to better understand some of the changes that could be made to that to help workers in terms of support.

What that's really complemented with is how we prepare workers for the new jobs in terms of the transition. That's particularly where you pointed to one of those initiatives, the sectoral workforce solutions program, which is really important. It will help support the design and delivery of training, based on sectoral needs. This is a way to provide tailored supports to help workers acquire the skills they need to be successful in the new economy.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you.

When I'm thinking of transition, I'm also thinking of previous recessions when workers from Newfoundland picked up jobs in Alberta. Now workers in Alberta might be picking up jobs in Quebec where they're doing some mining work that could be feeding the supply chain for electric vehicles.

Could you talk about the dynamics of working across Canada and how ESDC can help with that?

[Andrew Brown]

Thanks for that question as well. I might ask Chris Bates to jump in a bit to speak to those issues of labour mobility.

[Chris Bates, Director General, Apprenticeship and Sectoral Initiatives Directorate, Department of Employment and Social Development]

Thank you very much for the question.

We do this on a couple of fronts. We do it through the foreign credential recognition program, for which we also received new funding as part of budget 2022. As well, we do it through the Red Seal program, which really facilitates the mobility of apprentices and journeypersons across Canada.

Those are two concrete examples of work that we're doing to facilitate mobility, as well as working collaboratively with provinces and territories to support that.

[Lloyd Longfield, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Bates.

With labour, trying to fill the existing gaps we have from COVID as well as transitioning from one technology to another isn't an easy job. Thank you for what you're doing to help.

[The Chair, Liberal, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Thanks very much. That takes us to the end. It's 1:47 on the dot.

Thank you to the witnesses for a stimulating conversation and to the members for their excellent questions.

Our next meeting is May 3, with the minister, on the main estimates.

The meeting is adjourned.

[Pursuant to a motion adopted by the committee on April 26, 2022, opening remarks by Mr. John Moffet have been appended to the Evidence for this meeting. See appendix—Remarks by John Moffet]