About the Workforce Development Agreements program
Information for reference These text copies of bilateral transfer agreements between the Government of Canada and individual provinces and territories are provided for reference and research purposes only. The final signed versions of the agreements are the official versions between the parties.
- provide $722 million annually, as well as an additional $900 million over 6 years from 2017 to 2018 up to 2022 to 2023, for the development and delivery of programs and services that help Canadians get training, develop their skills and gain work experience;
- offer flexibility to provinces and territories to respond to the diverse employment and skills training needs of Canadians;
- seek to help individuals who are further removed from the labour market, unemployed, underemployed, and seeking to upskill to either find and maintain good jobs or reorient their career;
- include specific funding targeted for persons with disabilities, and can also be used to provide supports to members of underrepresented groups such as Indigenous peoples, youth, older workers, and newcomers to Canada;
- support employers seeking to train current or future employees;
- consolidate and replace the Canada Job Fund Agreements (which included the Canada Job Grant), the Labour Market Agreements for Persons with Disabilities and the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers. Provinces and territories can continue offering programs similar to those that were offered under the previous transfers, but also have the flexibility to adapt these models or create new supports to meet local labour markets’ needs;
- complement other Government of Canada transfers to provinces and territories, including the Labour Market Development Agreements (LMDAs). Programs and services offered through the LMDAs provide skills training and employment supports to eligible individuals, particularly those who are eligible for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits or have contributed to the EI program.
Agreements
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nova Scotia
