Ontario Launches Centre for Workforce Innovation at Ryerson University

Ontario Launches Centre for Workforce Innovation at Ryerson University

– Toronto, ON

Ontario is establishing a new centre of excellence to help grow the province’s economy by ensuring jobseekers and employers benefit from the most evidence-based and effective employment and training services.

The new Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation, a collaboration led by Ryerson University, will help more Ontario workers find and keep employment, while ensuring they develop the critical skills employers need to succeed in today’s competitive and changing economy. The collaboration will provide Ontario’s training and employment providers with a single window for best practices on how to deliver employment and training programs and address labour market challenges.

The centre will also:

•Offer professional development for stakeholders including an employment and training community of practice that brings together different organizations to share and collaborate
•Research, pilot and evaluate innovative employment and training projects
•Launch, manage and maintain an accessible bilingual website to share research and information with the professionals and the public.

The collaboration will feature interconnected regional hubs in Toronto, Thunder Bay, London and Kingston/Gananoque as well as a Francophone coordinating centre in Sudbury to bring local expertise to the centre’s core work of supporting employment and training stakeholders across the province.

Developing a highly skilled workforce is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

“Our government believes that all people, regardless of background or circumstance, should have access to effective employment and training programs that give them the skills they need to succeed. I want to congratulate Ryerson and its partners in their new role leading the Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation, which will bring great value to the province’s employment and training system. This centre is ultimately focused on getting the best results possible for Ontario’s jobseekers, and I believe it will make a very positive impact helping meet local labour market challenges in this province.” Reza Moridi, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities.

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