Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
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Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Sector Council Program

What are sector councils?

Sector councils are national consensus-based partnerships between business, labour and education stakeholders in economic sectors, that identify and address human resources and skills issues in a collective, collaborative and sustained manner.

How are sector councils formed?

Generally, there are three phases in the development of sector councils:

1. Consensus-building activities (typically, the first 12-24 months):

  • Get feedback from industry to ensure interest in the sector councils’ approach;
  • Gain support and commitment from key stakeholders;
  • Gain consensus on common human resources issues facing the industry; and
  • Establish a committee of stakeholders to map out the mandate and scope of potential sector councils.

2. Developmental activities (typically the next 6-9 months):

  • Establish a board of directors and staff the executive director and administrative assistant positions;
  • Develop a mission and mandate statement;
  • Develop a five-year plan;
  • Gain industry support for the organizational structure and business plan; and
  • Incorporate the council as a legal, non-profit entity.

3. Operational activities (ongoing):

  • Implement business plan activities;
  • Develop and implement a communications plan to promote awareness of the council;
  • Revise the business and strategic plans annually; and
  • Update the board and administrative structure as required.

How are sector councils governed?

Sector councils are governed by an industry-elected board of directors, representing key stakeholder groups (e.g. business, labour, education and groups specific to each industry in their sector).

How are unions involved in sector councils?

Worker involvement is a fundamental element of sector councils. Industry partners work together to determine the actual composition of the sector council’s governing structure, specific to their sector’s characteristics. Depending on the composition of a sector’s workforce, employees are represented in the sector council by unions, employee associations, professional associations, or some other formal group recognized by the sector workforce.

How many sector councils are there?

There are currently 35 organisations funded though the Sector Council Program.

List of Canada’s Sector Councils

Why create sector councils?

Sector councils are generally established after key stakeholders (business, labour and education) in the sector agree to work together to identify and address their sector’s current and emerging human resources and skills issues.

What do sector councils do?

Sector councils plan and undertake activities to anticipate and respond to skills and labour market issues affecting their sectors, including the development and implementation of:

  • labour market information products to allow businesses to plan human resources and project investments;
  • national occupational standards to facilitate labour mobility (including apprenticeship), influence college curricula and promote health and safety in the workplace;
  • targeted recruitment and skills development initiatives to increase labour force participation and integration of under-represented groups, such as Aboriginal Peoples and immigrants;
  • efforts to ensure that curricula meet industry needs;
  • skills development tools, including e-learning;
  • essential skills initiatives; and
  • tools and approaches to integrate foreign-trained workers.

How do sector councils benefit workers?

By influencing the learning system, sector councils help to ensure that workers have the skills they need to obtain or keep a job.

The activities of sector councils help workers to:

  • access practical and relevant learning in the workplace;
  • adapt to changing and/or new workplace environments;
  • improve and/or increase their job mobility; and
  • participate more fully in the workforce.

How do sector councils benefit businesses?

The activities of sector councils help employers to:

  • offer new services and learning opportunities to their workers;
  • have a strong voice in the development of skills and workplace learning strategies that meet their needs;
  • anticipate and address emerging labour market issues; and
  • gain a competitive edge with a productive and skilled workforce in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace.

How do sector councils benefit learning institutions?

Sector councils provide many benefits to colleges, universities, and other learning institutions by:

  • facilitating effective relationships between industry and the learning system; and
  • helping to ensure that curricula is responsive to, and reflective of, the sector’s needs.

What are skills tables?

Skills tables are temporary (3-5 years), not-for-profit organizations that bring together key stakeholders to collectively identify human resource needs and plan for solutions to key labour market challenges facing a region of Canada.

Key stakeholders can include:

  • industry;
  • labour;
  • federal and provincial-territorial governments;
  • the training community; and
  • other groups (e.g. Aboriginal organizations).

How do sector councils differ from skills tables?

Both sector councils and skills tables bring together industry, labour, government and educational/training institutions to coordinate action related to human resources (HR) and skills development. The differences are as follows:

Sector Councils:

  • are national in focus;
  • are long-term and enduring;
  • undertake HR, sectoral and workplace labour market information activities on regular basis;
  • develop national occupational standards, certification and accreditation programs; and
  • develop innovative HR tools.

Skills Tables:

  • are regionally-focused;
  • are time-limited, 3-5 years;
  • are cross-sectoral in nature; and
  • are mandated to coordinate decision-making and action to address labour market requirements and skills gaps in priority sub-sectors.

How many skills tables are there in Canada?

Currently there is one skills table, the Asia Pacific Gateway Skills Table, which was established in 2008 and is funded by the Sector Council Program. This Skills Table has successfully brought together federal, western provincial, and industry representatives to advance the Asia Pacific Gateway.

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Date Modified:
2011-05-19