Cabinet Moves
 

We experienced a minor cabinet shuffle in the province this week, which means ASPECT will be busy building new relationships with ministers.

Hon. Ravi Kahlon returns as Minister of Jobs and Economic Development—a welcome development for ASPECT. We already have a strong working relationship with Minister Kahlon, and he brings a solid understanding of how community-based employment service providers drive economic growth through both local insights and essential support to small and medium-sized businesses.

Just a few weeks ago, I had a productive meeting with former Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, Hon. Anne Kang. Now, I look forward to working with her successor, Hon. Jessie Sunner. With Minister Sunner, I’ll be reinforcing the message I shared with Minister Kang: in a time of shrinking funding, work-integrated learning (WIL) presents a powerful opportunity to strengthen our sector’s impact—by connecting people to meaningful employment, supporting employers with practical tools and coaching, and delivering the wraparound services that make WIL successful for all.
 

Here's a link to the media release. 
 

Federal Budget Consultation

Also announced this week: the federal government is inviting public input for the fall budget. Unlike past years—with their briefing papers, templates, and strict limitations—this year’s process is more flexible, giving both individuals and organizations a chance to contribute.

You can participate in two ways:

1. Complete the online survey (scroll down the page to find the questionnaire)

2. Submit a formal letter or paper to: yourbudget-votrebudget@fin.gc.ca

As past chair and current board member of the Canadian Coalition of Community-Based Employability Training (CCCBET), I’ve contributed to past federal submissions on your behalf. This time, I’m pleased to support CCCBET’s new chair, Akosua Alagaratnam of First Work Ontario, in putting forward our recommendations.
 

• Increase funding for public employment programs by $250 million in Budget 2025–2026, with dedicated resources to expand community-based, locally tailored employment services.
   
• Invest directly in community-based employment service providers, recognizing their expertise and ability to mobilize rapidly and provide flexible, targeted responses during economic shifts and crises.
   
• Establish a National Workforce Resilience Fund, enabling timely and flexible support for regions and sectors experiencing sudden labour market disruptions.
   
• Strengthen partnerships with community-based organizations, ensuring that policy and program design benefit from local expertise and are responsive to the needs of diverse communities.
   

If you're preparing your own formal submission, be sure to review the government’s mandate letters and pre-budget consultation materials—and don’t forget to check out CERIC’s new resource, Meet the Moment: Essential Value of Career Development in Uncertain Times.
 

Janet Morris-Reade, CEO
ASPECT BC