| Putting Women
in the Picture
The LMDA and the LMPA
Definitions
Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA)
A Labour Market Development Agreement (LMDA) is a contract
that the federal government signs with individual provinces
and territories. It assigns responsibility for the design
and delivery of programs that train and help people find employment.
LMDA agreements were created in an effort to:
- reduce duplication between federal and provincial employment
services,
- improve client services, and
- meet the needs of local labour markets.
Ontario signed an LMDA in November of 2005, and was the last
province to do so. The Canada-Ontario LMDA transfers responsibility
for the design and delivery of programs and services to the
Government of Ontario, beginning January 1, 2007.
Important things to know about the LMDA:
- The Ministry
of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU) is the
provincial Ministry responsible for integrating these new
programs and services.
- The total amount of funding that will be transferred
to Ontario through the LMDA each fiscal year is approximately
$525 million.
- The LMDA is a transfer of already existing programs and
services to be integrated into Ontario’s present employment
and training services programs.
- The money comes from Canada’s Employment Insurance
fund, which places restrictions on who can access these
employment programs and services.
- The effects of LMDAs on job-seekers is not well understood.
ACTEW is researching the impact of this policy change on
women in Ontario. Visit this web site and The
ACTEW Blog for frequent updates.
See ACTEW's LMDA
Overview (pdf, 134 KB) for more information on LMDAs.The overview is also available in French.
Labour Market Partnership Agreement (LMPA)
The Canada-Ontario Labour Market Partnership Agreement (LMPA) was signed in November 2005 along with the LMDA.
Unlike the LMDA, the LMPA is a new agreement: only three provinces have signed an LMPA with the federal government. The LMPA is an open-ended agreement that transfers $300 million per year to Ontario, and it is designed to fill in the gaps left by the LMDA.
The LMPA has six priority areas:
- apprenticeships,
- integration of immigrants,
- literacy and essential skills,
- workplace skills development,
- assistance for Aboriginals, and
- assistance to others facing labour market barriers.
The LMPA is good news for marginalized workers in Ontario. Unlike the LMDA, the LMPA money does not come from Employment Insurance (EI) funds. Ontarians who do not qualify for EI and therefore can’t access services funded through the LMDA can potentially be served by LMPA-funded services.
Also different from the LMDA, the LMPA represents a transfer of dollars without associated programs. This is an investment of new dollars into employment and training in the province.
The bad news: the federal government has yet to transfer any money to the province, and we’re not sure if they plan to honour the agreement.
If you know your MP, ask them what the status is on the funding associated with the LMPA. Then let ACTEW know what they tell you.
See ACTEW's LMPA
Overview (pdf, 128 KB) for more information on LMDAs. The overview is also available in French.
Stay Up-to-date on the LMDA and LMPA:
- Check out In Focus: ACTEW's
Policy E-Bulletin for information on the effects and implications of policy on specific employment issues.
- The ACTEW Blog follows LMDA
and LMPA events and community activities.
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