Beginning in 2017-18, the new Workforce Development Agreements (WDAs) consolidate and replace the Canada Job Fund Agreements, the Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities and the former Targeted Initiative for Older Workers.
The WDAs support provinces and territories to provide employment assistance and skills training with the flexibility to respond to the diverse needs of their respective clients.
Under the WDAs, the Government of Canada provides provinces and territories with $722 million annually, as well as an additional $900 million over six years from 2017-2018 to 2022-2023.
While Canada provides funding under this agreement, decisions regarding the design and delivery of employment programs and services are the responsibility of the provincial and territorial governments.
The WDAs contain broad eligibility criteria, allowing provinces and territories to support a variety of clients including individuals who are unemployed, underemployed and those further removed from the labour market.
The WDAs provide dedicated funding for programs for persons with disabilities.
Provinces and territories may also target members of underrepresented groups such as Indigenous Peoples, youth, older workers and newcomers to Canada to increase their labour market participation.
The WDAs can also support employer sponsored training. The WDAs are signed in perpetuity, are client-centered, outcome focused, responsive to the needs of individuals and employers and include a focus on stronger performance measurement and continuous program improvement.