Item No. 7.1.3

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Employment Services Prototype Service Managers: No Municipal Applicants Selected

Today the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development announced the successful proponents for three regions where the Province will prototype its new service delivery model for employment services. The new model will see employment-related functions of the municipal Ontario Works and the provincial Ontario Disability Support Program integrate with the provincial Employment Ontario network into a single employment services system.

AMO is disappointed that no municipal candidates were selected as a result of the competitive process. The government is starting with the three prototype areas in 2020. A full provincial roll out will occur in the coming years for all Ontario Works employment services currently delivered by 47 municipal governments and District Social Services Administration Boards. The implication of this initial decision is the potential loss of the Ontario Works employment services function provided to social assistance recipients, as of October 1st, affecting nine municipal governments. It is up to the new service managers if they wish to partner and fund municipal service delivery of Ontario Works employment services.

The three prototype regions include the following areas: Peel, Muskoka-Kawarthas, and Hamilton-Niagara. The Muskoka-Kawarthas region includes the District of Muskoka, the City of Kawartha Lakes, the County of Haliburton, the County of Peterborough, the City of Peterborough and Northumberland County. The Hamilton­ Niagara region covers Hamilton, Brant County, Brantford, Norfolk County, and Niagara Region.

The service system managers selected for each region are: