Feds’ revamped employment strategy has potential address today’s challenges
It’s not every day that someone launches a bicycle trip all the way from Victoria to St. John’s, N.L. But that’s what Zac Wagman is doing—and on a wooden bike, too. During his 8,750-kilometre trip over the summer, Zac, the green jobs manager at Project Learning Tree Canada, will be visiting young people working in […]
Skilled trades sector in need of labour boost
Recent government policies, including infrastructure investment and tax modifications that encourage capital investment, have spurred growth in the Canadian construction industry. Consequently, many Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) members—the companies that sell, rent, service and manufacture construction equipment and related supplies—are expanding and creating well-paying jobs. Unfortunately, these jobs largely remain unfilled, hindering further growth, due […]
SAP Canada pitches NextGen plan to standardize human resources processes
As the federal government looks to replace its disastrous Phoenix pay system through its new “agile” procurement process, SAP Canada says it has a solution. SAP is behind the HR software used by the Canada Revenue Agency. The agency is known to have fewer pay problems and its system was suggested last year for a […]
Broad scope needed for Canada’s upcoming Athena SWAN program, say stakeholders
A pilot program the government is expected to launch soon to boost diversity in the research ranks should include a variety of institutions in order to have the impact the feds intend, says two organizations representing post-secondary institutions at the national level. Universities have varying needs and challenges when it comes to achieving equity goals, […]
First female foreign affairs DM among several women promoted in latest civil service shuffle
The prime minister has appointed the first female deputy minister of foreign affairs, and is moving a top-level female Indigenous deputy minister as part of a number of recent executive-level public service staff changes promoting women. Marta Morgan is set to move from heading Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada to being Canada’s first female deputy […]
Freedom of expression is under attack on campus
The commons that is the subject of this book is a platform or space for the debate, discussion, and collaboration that are both inherent in and essential to the idea of the university. This space is multidimensional and has varying degrees of formality. It is to be found in the governance framework and networks; in […]
Public service grew again in 2018, rebounding from Harper-era cuts
The size of the federal public service grew again in 2018, continuing a trend under Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, and rebounding from cuts made under former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper. Since Mr. Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) became prime minister in 2015, the public service has grown from 257,034 to 273,571 in 2018, with the biggest […]
Feds shift to non-traditional workspaces, but not everyone’s happy about it
While the outgoing head of the public service positively portrayed the government’s shift to non-traditional office environments in his final annual report released earlier this month, some public service unions say the changes aren’t conducive to a good workspace, with some employees having no designated desks, leaving little space for personal belongings or accessibility accommodations. […]
Defeated MPs to get access to more support services to navigate life after the Hill
MPs who get booted out of office in October will have access to more services helping them navigate what those who’ve seen an election defeat call a “terrible blow.” The Board of Internal Economy—a powerful group of seven MPs who make financial, legal, and administrative decisions for the House of Commons—approved on April 11 a […]
ESDC to ‘promote,’ ‘enforce’ labour rights in other countries, under CPTPP trade deal
The Liberal government has assigned its human resources department to begin to monitor and “enforce” labour standards in other countries, under the new Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Budget 2019 redirected $680,000 per year of Employment and Social Development Canada’s budget towards an effort to “promote, monitor, and enforce labour standards […]
