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Research

Pathways to Opportunity: Addressing Barriers to Labour Force Participation in a Changing World of Work

In fall 2024, Blueprint launched Pathways to Opportunity: Addressing Labour Force Participation Barriers in a Changing World of Work (PtO).

PtO is an evidence-informed pilot that supports social assistance clients facing complex barriers to employment. The initiative responds to persistent policy challenges: growing social assistance caseloads and long durations on support alongside increasing complexities in fostering labour market attachment, including affordability pressures and shifting skills requirements in entry-level jobs.

This report describes the PtO service model, its rationale, objectives, and key elements. It also outlines how we developed the service model in collaboration with our service delivery partners, the pilot’s implementation approach, and evaluation strategy.

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Key insights

Pathways to Opportunity supports social assistance clients facing complex barriers to employment through locally responsive, client-centred approaches.

This project is grounded in the hypothesis that single interventions may generate stronger results when strategically combined.

No single intervention is likely to be sufficient on its own—lasting impact requires combining promising approaches into integrated service models.

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Have questions about our work? Do you need access to a report in English or French? Please contact communications@fsc-ccf.ca.