A highly skilled workforce is essential to help businesses grow and compete in an increasingly knowledge-based economy and to secure Canada’s economic future. All provinces and territories across Canada are committed to delivering effective education, training, and employment programs and supports that provide the skills individuals need to participate fully in society and the labour market. Our economies are stronger when we maximize the talents and abilities of all Canadians. Provinces and territories have taken big strides in supporting individuals in achieving their employment goals. Promising practices of programs and initiatives that help align the education and training systems with the needs of the labour market have emerged in every province and territory. There is tremendous potential to increase the impact of these practices by sharing them with each other and strengthening the evidence-base of what works best to drive successful employment outcomes. This toolkit was envisioned by the education and provincial-territorial labour market Ministers at the Skills for the Future Symposium in July 2014, held in a response to a request from premiers through the Council of the Federation. The toolkit is an opportunity for sharing promising practices amongst provinces and territories and with the many stakeholders leading and supporting our education, training and employment programs. Best practices from education, postsecondary and labour market perspectives within provinces and territories are profiled in this toolkit. The practices are organized into four themes, based on the objectives they seek to accomplish. The themes represent the key areas where provinces and territories have focused some of their efforts to help ensure alignment of education and training systems with labour market needs.

introduction -- THEME ONE: Upgrading the Skills of Canadians -- 1. Adult Basic Education û Essential Skills for the Workplace (Saskatchewan) -- 2. British Columbia Skills for Jobs Blueprint û Pillar 3 (British Columbia) -- 3. Community Training Funds (Yukon) -- 4. Financial Literacy Modules (Northwest Territories) -- 5. Motive-Action Youth Pre-Apprenticeship Trades Program (Alberta) -- 6. Northern Adult Basic Education (NABE) Program (Northwest Territories) -- 7. Northern Adult Basic Education (NABE) Program: Literacy and Essential Skills Courses (Northwest Territories) -- 8. One Journey Work and Learn (Nova Scotia) -- 9. Programme de soutien aux promoteurs collectifs pour le développement de la main-d’oeuvre (Support program for collective promoters for workforce development) and Programme de soutien régionalisé pour le développement de la main-d’oeuvre (Regionalized support program for workforce development) (Quebec) -- 10. Second Career Program (Ontario) -- 11. Sector Skills Training (Newfoundland and Labrador) -- 12. START (Nova Scotia) -- 13. Creativity-Innovation Initiative (Prince Edward Island) -- THEME TWO: Aligning Secondary School Programming to Labour Market Demands -- 1. Apprenticeship Credits and Saskatchewan Youth Apprenticeship (Saskatchewan) -- 2. Career Development 2201 (Newfoundland and Labrador) -- 3. Dual Credits (Ontario) -- 4. Essential Skills Program (New Brunswick) -- 5. Futures in Skilled Trades and Technology Program (Newfoundland and Labrador) -- 6. High School Apprenticeship Program (HSAP)/Provincial Accreditation Through High Schools (PATHS) (Manitoba) -- 7. Inspire NB (New Brunswick) -- 8. Labour Market Information for K-12 Schools (New Brunswick) -- 9. Liquefied Natural Gas Corridor Skills and Careers Support (“Shoulder-Tappers”) (British Columbia) -- 10. Ministry Partnerships with Local Industry and School Divisions to Develop Curricula to Meet Local Labour Market Needs (Manitoba) -- 11. Options and Opportunities (O2) (Nova Scotia) -- 12. Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (Ontario) -- 13. Academy Diploma Program/Programme de specialization (Prince Edward Island) -- 14. Providing Career Development Information and Support to Saskatchewan Citizens (Saskatchewan) -- 15. Provincial Dual Credit Strategy (Alberta) -- 16. Reconnaissance des acquis et des compétences (RAC) en formation professionnelle (Recognition of prior learning and competencies (RAC) in vocational training) (Quebec) -- 17. Career and Technical Education Programs (Prince Edward Island) -- 18. Skilled Trades Centres (Nova Scotia) -- 19. Specialist High Skills Major (Ontario) -- 20. Student Graduation and Transition Planner Project (Prince Edward Island) -- 21. Youth Apprenticeship Program (Newfoundland and Labrador) -- THEME THREE: Aligning Postsecondary Education Programming to Labour Market Demand -- 1. British Columbia Access Grant for Labour Market Priorities (British Columbia) -- 2. Co-op Student Hiring Incentive and Co-op Graduates Hiring Incentive (Manitoba) -- 3. Graduate Database for the Northwest (New Brunswick) -- 4. Le rôle de la Commission des partenaires du marché du travail et la priorisation des besoins du marché du travail (The role of the Labour Market Partners Commission and prioritization of labour market needs) (Quebec) -- 5. Les enquêtes Relance en enseignement supérieur (New Start in Higher Education surveys) (Quebec) -- 6. NEXT Network (Prince Edward Island) -- 7. Research Assistantship Initiative (New Brunswick) -- 8. Sandboxes (Nova Scotia) -- 9. Skills 4 Success (Northwest Territories) -- 10. Stay-A-Day (Yukon) -- 11. University of Regina Co-operative Education & Internships Programs (Saskatchewan) -- THEME FOUR: Supporting the Labour Market Attachment of Target Populations -- 1. Alberta Learning Information Service (Alberta) -- 2. Apprenticeship Co-op Training (ACT) Northern Pilot for Heavy Duty Equipment Technicians (Manitoba) -- 3. Foreign Qualifications Review of the Liquefied Natural Gas Sector (British Columbia) -- 4. Labour Market Framework (Yukon) -- 5. Labour Market Information (Yukon) -- 6. Labrador Aboriginal Training Partnership (Newfoundland and Labrador) -- 7. Partenariat régional d’intégration de la main-d’oeuvre en secteur manufacturier et Fabrique ta carrière, Région de l’Estrie (Regional Partnership for the Integration of Workers in Manufacturing) and Fabrique ta carrière, Région de l’Estrie (Manufacture your career, Eastern Townships Region) (Quebec) -- 8. Saskatchewan Polytechnic Aboriginal Nursing Student Achievement Program (Saskatchewan) -- 9. Trades Work Program for Métis Persons (Alberta) -- 10. Youth Employment Fund (Ontario) -- 11. SYnC Youth Internship Program (Prince Edward Island) -- APPENDIX: 1. Alberta -- 2. British Columbia -- 3. Manitoba -- 4. New Brunswick -- 5. Newfoundland and Labrador -- 6. Nova Scotia -- 7. Northwest Territories -- 8. Ontario -- 9. Prince Edward Island -- 10. Saskatchewan -- 11. Yukon -- 12. Quebec.