BOLD: Better Outcomes in Layoffs and Downsizing

Canadian manufacturing workers are particularly vulnerable to labour market disruption, such as automation, and could face uncertain futures.

A birds eye image of two construction workers.

Focusing on early engagement with employers, unions and workers are at-risk of downsizing and relocation, the Canadian Skills Training & Employment Coalition, together with partners including the United Steelworkers of Canada, will adapt and evaluate a promising labour adjustment approach currently used in the US. The project will retrain and upskill workers before their jobs are disrupted to minimize the negative impacts on both employers and workers.

The Future Skills Centre is investing $650,632 into BOLD, a two-year project which will test and evaluate this proactive program with four separate companies and 200 mid-career manufacturing and steelworkers in Alberta and Ontario. Where women and newcomers are impacted in the workplaces participating in this project, special consideration will be given to their unique needs as required.

Program features include:

Identifying workforce needs and workers’ current skills;
Assisting employers and unions in setting up workplace training that addresses those skill gaps;
Working with employers and unions to find new jobs in the company for employees who will lose their jobs by helping retrain those employees;
Connecting businesses and their workers for short-term, on-the-job, or customized training programs and apprenticeships; and
Connecting workers who are not being retained with other employment opportunities.

Evaluation Strategy

This project will be evaluated using tools and approaches aligned with its goals, context, and stage of development. The evaluation will focus on generating the right evidence at the right moment to move the intervention forward. Read more about our evaluation strategy.