A. Labour Market Resources Essential for the Practitioner 

The following resources provide practitioners with an overview of some national and provincial organizations and their mandates in relation to labour market information. It can be used as a starting point for an investigation of labour market information for practitioners. A suggestion of the type of information each organization offers is included.

HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT CANADA (HRDC)

Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) was created by the government organizational changes announced November 4, 1993. These changes are intended to make government simpler and more closely focussed on broad policy themes.
HRDC provides an integrated approach to Canada's national investment in people by bringing programs supporting the income of Canadians together with human resource programs linked to the requirements of the national economy and the labour market. The creation of HRDC is a major step in building the mobile, educated and skilled work force needed to increase Canada's productivity and international competitiveness, and the prosperity of its citizens.

In co-operation with other government departments, provincial and territorial governments and the private sector, HRDC supports and provides education, training, employability, income assistance and social programs that benefit children, youth, seniors, workers, employers, unions and communities.

HRDC's programs and services are delivered through a network of regional and local offices. Canada Employment Centres, Client Service Centres and district offices are located in hundreds of communities across Canada. Program and service activities are co-ordinated and supported by a regional office in each province, headed by Regional Executive Directors/Directors General and by National Headquarters Executive Heads. Each regional office has an Economic Services Branch. These units produce data and reports containing labour market information on a regional level.

Free publications can be obtained from different HRDC departments such as: the Human Resource Studies described in Chapter 5 or the Annual Equity Report described in Chapter 2.

CANADA EMPLOYMENT CENTRE (CEC)

The CECs have labour market information analysts who collect, analyze and disseminate local labour market information. They offer several programs and services including labour market information. They also deliver employment counselling services and apply relevant HRD training services to the specific needs of their own community.

Within CECs are the following manual and automated systems.

MANUAL
Job Information Centres: At most CECs. Information on employment conditions and on specific job vacancies. "Open-order" display provides complete employer identification data on job orders posted so workers can approach employers directly.

Labour Market Annual Report: In CECs across Canada. Local CEC offices provide this information in free publications such as: The Labour Market, Employment Standards which provide employment demand projections for the region or municipality.

AUTOMATED
National Employment Services System (NESS): This computerized information system is designed to provide faster and more accurate service. Employers' job requirements received by one CEC may be distributed to other offices.

Online Insurance System (OLIS): A computerized system, OLIS provides data on unemployment.

CHOICES: This computerized occupation and career decision information system is available in more than 200 CEC offices.

Interoptions: Developed by HRDC, this interactive computer interest inventory takes 15 minutes to complete. A bar-chart interest profile and list of occupational suggestions are provided. Commercial version available.

Get a Life... Get An Education: This interactive computer software program provides students with career and labour market information in a fun game-style fashion.

CANADIAN CAREER INFORMATION ASSOCIATION (CCIA)

P.O. Box 84, Station P, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S6

CCIA is an organization of professionals who work in the field of career information resources. The purpose is to identify career information resources and promote their role in the career development process. Membership is open to educational institutions, libraries, businesses, government and community organizations as well as individuals interested in career-related information for client and professional use.

CareerINFOcus: Published three times a year, this newsletter is the official medium of communication for CCIA with occupational descriptions, labour market information and reviews of career-related books.

Developing a Career Information Centre: This publication provides valuable information on how to put together a career centre.

Professional Schools Fact Sheets: Available from Career Planning and Placement, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6. Tel: (613) 545-2992; Fax: (613) 545-3856, the fact sheets are a comprehensive guide to entrance requirements for Canada's professional programs.

The "resource sharing" that takes place at each meeting is available to members with each set of minutes for CCIA meetings. It gives an assortment of annotated mini-bibliographies and descriptions of audio-visual material, written by professionals in the career information and counselling field. The name and phone number of the person who suggests the resource is provided.

THE CANADIAN CAREER INFORMATION PARTNERSHIP (CCIP)

Occupational and Career Development Division, Human Resources Development Canada, 140 Promenade du Portage, Phase IV, Fifth Floor, Hull, Quebec K1A 0J9. Tel: (819) 953-7449; Fax: (819) 997-0227.

CCIP is a partnership of career information specialists from across Canada who are creating new collaboration strategies to get more and better information to people who need it, in a cost-effective manner.

Canada Prospects: This free newspaper is published as a service to people either planning a career or concerned about the labour market. Colourful, easy reading with interesting case studies. Provincial versions are also available in a number of provinces.

CANADIAN LABOUR MARKET AND PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE (CLMPC)

66 Slater St., 6th floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H1.
Tel: (613) 234-0505; Fax: (613) 234-2482.

CLMPC is a joint business-labour body mandated to bring the two parties together to seek agreement on important labour market issues to aid in the development of effective labour market policies and practices. Publications are free. "What is the CLMPC?" includes a list and description of publications. Publications include:

Quarterly Labour Market and Productivity Review.

Working Together: This newsletter gives snapshots of current economic trends.

Canadian Business Bulletin: Information and research findings in areas of Canadian competitiveness, productivity developments and labour market performance are provided.

National Training Survey 1991: Information is provided by size of organization, by industrial sector, by region, and by occupation and gender.

CANADIAN LABOUR FORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD (CLFDB)

66 Slater St., 23rd Floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H1. Tel: (613) 230-6264; Fax: (613) 230-7681

Established in 1991, CLFDB is an independent, not-for-profit national organization. Board members are nominated by the organizations that represent the major labour market constituents: business, labour, education/training, community and the four designated groups under the Employment Equity Act - aboriginal peoples, people with disabilities, visible minorities and women. Funded by the Canadian government, the mandate of the CLFDB is to:

• serve as an advocate for relevant, high quality, accessible training;
• advise the Government of Canada on all aspects of training and related employment and adjustment programs and policies ;
• make firm recommendations on a number of training issues including occupational standards, methods of reducing barriers to access training, measures to increase the coordination of income support and training, measures to ensure training programs contribute to employment equity and allocation of funds for training.

The CLFDB has met with all provinces and territories to encourage formation of provincial and territorial labour force development boards in order to provide broad guidelines for federal and provincial policies and programs. The next project is the creation of local boards to provide guidance and direction to the operation of training programs in their local area. Local boards will be able to take into account the structural and economic influences that affect their own unique, local, labour markets. Free publications includes its report which outlines CLFDB activities.

Provincial Labour Force Development Boards

Representatives from business, labour, the four designated groups, and educators and trainers work together to create a system for training workers and helping individuals and communities adapt to economic change. Boards co-ordinate a wide range of training and adjustment programs and services from several different ministries. Boards are in different stages of development in each province.

Ontario Training and Adjustment Board

OTAB Project Communications, 9th floor, 595 Bay Street, A Tower, Box 153, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C2. Tel: (416) 314-4741; Fax: (416) 314-4783.

New Brunswick Labour Force Development Board

191 Prospect St. 2nd Floor, P.O. Box 216, Stn. A, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 4Y9. Tel: (506) 457-1277.

B.C. Labour Force Development Board

221-560 Johnson Street, Victoria, British Columbia V8V 1X4. Tel: (604) 356-5360; Fax: (604) 356-9444; Toll-free: 1-800-663-7867. (Enquiry B.C.)

Saskatchewan Labour Force Development Board

222 13th Avenue, Suite 202, Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3M7. Tel: (306) 352-5999; Fax: (306) 757-7880.

Nova Scotia Labour Force Development Board

99 Wyse Road, Suite 350, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3$ 1L9. Tel: (902) 464-4997; Fax: (902) 463-0159.

CONFERENCE BOARD OF CANADA

255 Smyth Rd., Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M7. Tel: (613) 526-3280; Fax: (613) 526-4857.

The Conference Board of Canada is a leading private, applied research institution dedicated to enhancing the performance of Canadian organizations within the global economy. It is an independent, not-for-profit organization, providing:

• economic forecasting and analysis;
• organizational effectiveness research;
• business sectors research;
• public policy analysis; and
• international business research.

The Human Resource Development Centre is a separately funded division of the Conference Board of Canada. Through research, it strives to improve the strategic and competitive position of member organizations by facilitating the adoption of effective management and leadership practices. Their various research reports can point out trends in the business world, both domestically and internationally. A recent publication of use to those looking for labour market information is Training and Development 1991, Expenditures and Policies.