IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNATED GROUP POLICY DESIGNATED GROUP SERVICES EMPLOYMENT EQUITY BRANCH August 20, 1991 1 IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES FOR DESIGNATED GROUP POLICY 1. INTRODUCTION 2. DESIGNATED GROUPS ° ° ° ° Visible Minorities Persons with Disabilities Aboriginal Peoples Women 3. CONSULTATION WITH DESIGNATED GROUPS 4. ROLES OF VARIOUS LEVELS ° ° ° 5. National Regional Local DELIVERY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO MEMBERS OF DESIGNATED GROUPS ° ° ° Suggestions for effective implementation Allocation of Funds Identification of Members of Designated Groups 6. REFERRAL OF DESIGNATED GROUP MEMBERS TO EMPLOYERS IMPLEMENTING EMPLOYMENT EQUITY 7. EVALUATION ° ° 8. Accountability Process Performance Measures RESOURCES APPENDICES ° ° ° Appendix 1: Appendix 2: Appendix 3: Designated Group Policy Tables for Various Designated Groups Planning and Accountability Process Local Level August 20, 1991 2 Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the Designated Group Policy 1. INTRODUCTION The Designated Group Policy was approved in principle by the Executive Committee in May 1990. This policy states how Employment and Immigration Canada (EIC) intends to address the problems faced by designated group members. The designated groups - Women, Aboriginal Peoples, Visible Minorities and Persons with Disabilities - are so designated by the Government of Canada because they are characterized by disadvantages in the labour market. All four groups experience a higher unemployment rate and a lower average income from employment than the rest of the Canadian working population. In addition, members of these groups tend to be segregated in a limited range of occupations and levels within occupational groups. EIC is committed to the achievement of employment equity objectives for the designated groups. In this respect, EIC works on three separate but inter-related fronts: through the administration of the Employment Equity Act and the Federal Contractors Program, by acknowledging its responsibilities as an employer to achieve equity within its workforce and through its interventions in the labour market on behalf of designated group clients using a continuum of programs and services. In implementing the Designated Group Policy, EIC aims to facilitate adjustments required for the effective functioning of the labour market by eliminating the barriers preventing the full contribution of the designated groups. It also aims to achieve a proportionate participation of designated group members in employment programs and services. This document explains how the policy will be implemented nationally, regionally and locally in order to increase the participation of designated group members in programs and services. These are general guidelines to be adapted at the regional and local level to reflect the concerns of designated group members as well as regional and local priorities. 2. DESIGNATED GROUPS In order to deal with employment equity issues, we need to examine the barriers encountered by members of the four designated groups in the labour market and to develop planning strategies. A good number of these barriers are common to all four designated groups and are experienced by their members in the labour market. For example, we might consider employment 3 barriers (systemic discrimination), which are often created unintentionally by employers through their regulations, procedures and even their human resources management. In addition, each group faces its own particular set of employment barriers. VISIBLE MINORITIES Members of visible minorities are non-Caucasian or non-white persons, other than Aboriginal peoples. They include groups such as Blacks, Chinese, Japanese, South Asians, Southeast Asians and Latin Americans. Disadvantages The unemployment rate of members of visible minorities is higher than the general population although their participation rate in the labour force is also higher. Their average annual income is $24,228 compared to $26,781. Members of visible minorities are found mainly in the following occupational sectors: manual, clerical and service sectors. Labour Market Barriers Members of visible minorities experience under-representation and under-employment as well as limited opportunities for promotion and training. In addition, women belonging to visible minorities encounter the same barriers as women in general. The disadvantages suffered by members of visible minorities vary according to region. Planning Strategies Nationally a broad strategy to assist members of visible minorities will be developed on the basis of recommendations resulting from consultations with visible minority communities. Such consultations have already been undertaken and a report will be distributed to regional coordinators. Regions and areas served by a Canada Employment Centre will need to determine, on the basis of 1986 census data, which visible minorities are disadvantaged in the labour market which they cover. Subsequently, strategies will be developed regionally and locally to tackle the specific employment problems of these subgroups. The main thrust should be to: facilitate access of members of visible minorities to training and employment in occupations which are experiencing growth; 4 ensure that measures implemented to promote equal participation by women in the working population are also implemented on behalf of visible minority women. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Persons with disabilities are persons who have any persistent physical, mental, psychiatric, sensory or learning impairment, who consider themselves to be or believe that an employer would be likely to consider them to be, disadvantaged in employment by means of this impairment. Disadvantages The participation rate of persons with disabilities in the working population is about half that of the Canadian population. The unemployment rate of persons with disabilities is double that of the entire working population. Women with disabilities are even more disadvantaged; their average participation rate in the working population is lower than that of men with disabilities. Labour Market Barriers Persons with disabilities are often segregated within the working population. Training opportunities are often found in a few limited occupations, which perpetuates the trend. Generally, they are found in the manual and clerical sectors. Moreover, certain factors deter persons with disabilities from working; for example, when they find a job, they may no longer be entitled to assistance for health care services as they are no longer eligible for assistance under the Canada Assistance Plan. Planning Strategies A national strategy will be developed on the basis of consultations with organizations of persons with disabilities. Such consultations have been undertaken by the Coalition of Provincial Organizations for the Handicapped through consumers and persons with disabilities across the country. Their recommendations expected in the Fall of 1991 will provide recommendations for a national strategy to improve the delivery of employment programs and services. Strategies are also required at the regional and local levels. Consultation with local organizations of persons with disabilities is essential in order to determine their needs and to identify individuals who might benefit from EIC programs and services such as training, Job Finding Clubs, etc. which might prepare them for active participation in the labour market. 5 The following are possible local initiatives: To encourage employers to use the provincial vocational services to train workers with disabilities. To cooperate with provincial vocational services to train persons with disabilities for skills which are in demand in the community. To meet employers regulated under the Employment Equity Program and the Federal Contractors Program to identify skills areas for which these employers have difficulty in recruiting designated group members who have entry level skills. - making sure that direct job offers are accessible to all persons with disabilities. ABORIGINAL PEOPLES Aboriginal Peoples are Status Indians, Non-Status Indians, Inuit and Métis. Disadvantages The unemployment rate of aboriginal peoples is more than double the national rate and their average total income is only twothirds that of the general Canadian population. The situation is worse for aboriginal women, since they also face the same barriers as all women in the labour market. These factors result in a higher unemployment rate, a lower participation rate in the working population, and a much lower average income than that of the total female population or that of the male aboriginal population. Labour Market Barriers The barriers encountered by aboriginal peoples are sometimes due to the schooling requirements unrelated to actual job requirements, lower levels of schooling, and reduced literacy and numeracy. (Many employers have, biased attitudes about aboriginal people’s job productivity. ) Thus, attitude problems form a barrier to aboriginal peoples who wish to participate in the working population and to obtain promotions. Planning Strategies Pathways to Success: Aboriginal Employment and Training Strategy, is the result of the work of the Aboriginal Employment and Training Working Group. This was a consultative process undertaken in the context of the Labour Force Development 6 Strategy, to review EIC’s policy, programs and services in relationship to Aboriginal People. Pathways provides an overall strategy based on five principles and implemented through a joint management process. The joint management process provides EIC and the Aboriginal community the opportunity to share responsibilities, knowledge and expertise in the priority-setting, planning and delivery of programs and services directed towards Aboriginal communities and organizations. The management process is implemented through a structure of management boards at the national, regional and local level. These boards are committed to employment equity principles and thus are also concerned with the situation of aboriginal women and aboriginal persons with disabilities. WOMEN Disadvantages The participation rate of women in the working population is significantly lower than that of men, and more women than men work part time. The average annual income of women working full time in Canada, is barely more than half the average income for men. This income differential may be partly explained by the concentration of women in low-paying jobs in offices and in the services sector. Women are usually under-represented in higherpaying occupational categories such as management, trades and technical professions. Labour Market Barriers Women are often isolated in certain low-status and low paying occupations. Despite their qualifications and abilities, women have difficulty rising to senior management positions. Moreover, they are often not given appropriate training opportunities which would increase their chances of promotion. Many women work in dead-end and low-paying jobs. For immigrant women, secondlanguage training is an important factor. Planning Strategies A national strategy to eliminate labour market barriers for women will be developed. The strategy will propose ways to assist women to move out of the pink ghettos and to have access to higher-paying occupational categories. This will include the promotion of women in trades and technologies. The strategy should also give special attention to the problems of doubly disadvantaged women. The strategy should be developed in 7 consultation with women’s organizations. At the regional and local level, consultations are also required to adapt strategies to the specific needs and conditions prevailing at each level. Local initiatives could include the following: the establishment of coordinating groups for women to purchase courses which lead to higher paying jobs; - giving priorities to the selection and referral of women for training in particular trades and technologies courses; providing bridging training courses to women in pink ghettos; some initiatives such as industrial adjustment committees to find ways of increasing women’s participation in specific occupational sectors are required at national and regional levels; promoting the training of women in apprenticeship trades, technical occupations and the management sectors. 3. CONSULTATIONS WITH DESIGNATED GROUPS In the context of the Labour Force Development Strategy, consultation with the private sector is an important way of becoming aware of the needs of particular client groups and of finding how programs and services could be more responsive to their needs. Thus, consultation and partnerships will assist in responding more effectively to the problems and concerns of the four designated groups. As all programs, services, and activities of EIC are included in the scope of this policy, consultations with the communities of the four designated groups on how programs and services can be adapted to meet their needs, are required. At the national level, consultation on the delivery of programs and services to aboriginal peoples has been undertaken through the Aboriginal Employment Training Work Group and it has led to the establishment of a structure at all levels for the co-management of programs and services. With respect to persons with disabilities, the Coalition of Provincial Organizations of the Handicapped has proceeded to a review of EIC programs and services and they will make recommendations on how to improve the delivery of programs and services to this group. 8 The implementation of the designated groups policy should vary for the four designated groups according to differences in geographic, social and cultural factors as well as different prevailing economic conditions from area to area. Thus consultation mechanisms are required at the regional and local levels to facilitate the adaptation of national strategies. The private sector machinery provides for the establishment of Labour Force Development Boards at all levels. The Canadian Labour Force Development Board is already in place. Regional and sub-regional boards will be established in the future. The four designated groups will have representatives on these boards. These representatives may need some assistance to participate fully on these boards as well as being representative of their respective communities. In this context, Regions and Canada Employment Centres may be able to provide them with information and assistance in networking within their communities. 4. ROLES OF VARIOUS LEVELS National Level The responsibility to liaise with national designated group organizations rests with the Employment Equity Branch’s Designated Group Services Directorate in cooperation with other branches in the Employment Group. Through these relationships, national organizations will be kept informed of EIC programs and services and they will communicate their concerns and problems to EIC. The Employment Equity Branch shares this information, as appropriate, with the Minister, senior management and other branches. The Designated Group Services Directorate will also coordinate the development of national strategies. Regional Level Designated Group Coordinators liaise with provincial designated group organizations to develop an extensive knowledge of the labour market problems experienced by the designated group members and to share with them information on EIC programs and services. They also adapt the strategies to the conditions prevailing in their regions and propose measures to achieve a proportionate participation of designated group members in EIC programs and services. In addition, they work closely with CECs by: providing training and information sessions on issues affecting designated groups; in establishing linkages with local organizations; 9 identifying ways of meeting the needs of designated group members. Employment Equity Consultants meet also with regional and local organizations to inform them of the mandatory equity programs. Local Level In the context of the Planning and Accountability Process at the Local Level (PAP-LL) , CECs have the responsibility for setting participation objectives for members of designated groups in the programs and services. The setting of participation objectives and the allocation of resources to achieve the right mix of programs and services will require an awareness of the needs of designated group members in their area. Accordingly, consultation mechanisms have to be established. These mechanisms should provide for an equitable representation of all designated groups and other interested organizations. It is the responsibility of the CEC managers to determine the most appropriate method to be used for this purpose. CEC managers may involve the representatives of the various designated groups on the sub-regional labour market board to help them obtain the information they need to participate effectively on the board. 5. DELIVERY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO MEMBERS OF DESIGNATED GROUPS Suggestions for effective implementation - There are constraints on resources to provide services to CEC clients. To better serve designated group members within these constraints, CEC managers and their staff are accepting their responsibility to be innovative in identifying the methods of providing services; for example: ° promoting a greater awareness of designated groups needs by employers and a better knowledge of programs and services by designated group members through the participation of CEC staff in conferences and meetings of designated group organizations; ° facilitating the access to information on job offers by Outreach Projects through computer linkages; ° helping employers to implement their employment equity plans through the communication by fax of job orders for designated group members to the appropriate designated group organizations; ° promoting the placement of designated group members trained under EIC’s programs with employers regulated 10 under the Employment Equity Act or the Federal Contractors Program; ° targeting the delivery of programs and services to designated groups in their area which require special measures to achieve equitable participation in the labour market; ° using the Employment Assistance component of the Employability Improvement Program to increase the services to designated groups; ° organizing group counselling sessions for designated group members to provide assertiveness training, résumé preparation, job search techniques and discuss employment problems; ° distributing information to employers on how designated group members may be a source of skilled workers to meet their needs; ° ensuring that organizations delivering services under the Outreach Program or the Employment Assistance Component are respecting the principles of equitable participation by designated group members as appropriate. The employment needs of designated group members are best met by a continuum of program and service interventions but special initiatives are required to achieve the objectives of the policy. Such initiatives may include: promoting the establishment of coordinating groups to plan and purchase training for a specific designated group; promoting the participation of designated group members in apprentice training and in occupational training for demand occupations; encourage employers to hire and train designated group members; purchasing training for designated group members at the entry level in occupations in demand by employers regulated under the Employment Equity Act and Federal Contractors Program; 11 using initiatives for U.I. claimants, social assistance recipients and older workers for eligible designated group members; ° employers receiving assistance from EIC for training purposes should select participants in a manner consistent with employment equity objectives; ° industrial sectors human resource planning agreements should provide for the inclusion of measures to achieve a representative work force; ° using the flexibility of the Employability Improvement Program providing for action plans of up to three years in order to allow designated group members to receive upgrading and occupational training; ° ensuring that human resource planning at the local level includes measures to achieve a representative work force. Allocation of Funds The allocation of funds at the local level may contribute to an increase in the participation of designated group members in EIC programs as a means of achieving self-sufficiency in the labour market. The following suggestions may be useful in this regard: 0 Giving priority to the selection and referral at the local level of designated group members as a means of facilitating access to specific training courses such as training for non-traditional occupations and better paying jobs. ° Helping to reduce occupational segregation by allocating funds for training in occupations where designated groups are under-represented and reserving seats for designated group members on these courses. Encouraging training institutions to assist members of designated groups in finding employment in training related occupations. Incentives could be provided through the purchase of additional seats or additional courses. Identification of Members of Designated Groups In order for members of designated groups to benefit from special measures, they must be identified when they register in programs or when they make use of services at the CEC or elsewhere. The following are methods of identifying members of designated groups. 12 members of designated groups must be informed that priority will be given in the delivery of EIC programs and services to those identified as belonging to these groups. Therefore, if clients decide not to provide personal information, they reduce their chance of participating in programs and of obtaining services. when client information is obtained by means of forms which are either filled out by hand or computerized, we need to draw the client’s attention to the personal information section while assuring them that filling out this section is optional. 6. REFERRAL OF DESIGNATED GROUP MEMBERS TO EMPLOYERS IMPLEMENTING EMPLOYMENT EQUITY One effective way of assisting designated group members to find employment is by accepting requests from employers implementing employment equity plans for referrals of designated group members only. Procedures for servicing can be found in circular /2, EA Chapter 11 and it will subsequently be included in this chapter. It is acceptable to receive such requests providing the employers are respecting the requirements of the Canadian or provincial human rights act which apply in the circumstances. 7. EVALUATION Planning and Accountability Process Responsibility for the implementation of this policy and for achieving its objectives is shared by all levels (local, regional and national). The targeted participation of designated group members in programs and services will be set on the basis of objectives established in local operational plans, the summary operational plan and the Chairman ’s Planning Guidelines. CEC managers will develop strategies based on the objectives of the designated groups policy and of the labour market participation of members of designated groups in the CEC area. Attainment of these objectives should be taken into account when examining managers’ performance, in their management contracts, and when examining their strategies in the regional audit process. CEC strategy should include specific approaches for each designated group represented in the CEC area. The strategy can then be used to establish a mix of program interventions and required allocation of funds. The weighting given to each designated group in the PAP-LL will depend on the demographic profile of the group, its past participation in EIC programs and present employment objectives. This plan will require interaction between the CEC and the community in order to ensure 13 the validity of these objectives and methods. In such a context, the establishment of objectives would follow an upward process, with each objective being found in the PAP-LL. The PAP-LL and the proposed objectives would then be communicated to the regional office which would create a general profile of the region. Regional consultants, particularly coordinators of designated groups, would study these data to determine whether they conform to national and regional objectives and to ensure that regional program objectives are met. Negotiations would then take place with each CEC, either in terms of providing assistance to the CEC or revising the PAP-LL and its corresponding objectives. A national picture would be developed based on regional data, which would help establish national objectives, which would in turn lead to the negotiations of final results. Establishing objectives and setting targets for designated group participation in EIC programs is essential if these individuals are to benefit from an equitable share of these programs. For example, there used to be a seat reservation for training women in trades and technologies. When it was discontinued, participation of women in these training programs dropped. Performance Measures There is a need to establish performance measures to determine the progress in achieving the objectives of the Designated Group Policy and in addressing the specific employment needs of each designated group. Measures should be selected on the basis of the availability of data through current systems. It is only in the long term that the impact of EIC intervention on the basis of information obtained through the census will be measurable. In the meantime, it is possible to determine the impact on the participation of designated group members in programs and services and in their subsequent participation in the labour market through the follow-up survey. Indicators would include: ° increase in the participation rate of each designated group in EIC programs and its relationship to their representation in the labour force; percentage of designated group members who "found work" following their participation in EIC programs and services; ° percentage of designated group members receiving an increased income. 14 As each designated group tends to be segregated in a different limited range of occupations, one indicator would be the percentage of individuals of each designated group being trained in occupations other than the usual limited range of occupations in which they are segregated. For instance, for women, one indicator could be the number of women being trained in specified non-traditional occupations for which wages are higher than traditional occupations. CECs can monitor their activities to determine if progress takes place as planned or if corrective measures are required. 8. RESOURCES In accordance with the Labour Force Development Strategy and the Designated Group Policy, equity is an integral and essential component of EIC programs and services. The implementation of the policy requires the allocation of human and financial resources to achieve the objectives of the policy and thus Regions should ensure that sufficient resources are allocated to this end. As there are heavy demands on human resources, consideration should be given to using the Employment Assistance Component of the Employability Improvement Program and mechanisms such as coordinating groups to assist these clientele.