Inclusive Economy

What is

Workforce Development?

EndPovertyEdmonton’s work is driven by research, testing innovative practices, and convening local players to scale what works. Our staff works with employers to test potential promising practices and innovations born from research. EndPovertyEdmonton is well positioned to test, fail, and learn, where other organizations cannot. We can find what works to ensure good jobs, lasting employment connections, employer support, and system changes that can be scaled within our communities.

EndPovertyEdmonton began convening employment supports organizations in 2020

Initially bringing together organizations offering employment programs serving women, newcomers, youth, and persons with disabilities. Quickly followed by a similar Indigenous workforce collaborative group that included employment service providers, training organizations, and Indigenous staffing agencies with an interest in supporting Indigenous workforce training and employment.

Two groups were established

In an effort to make more effective connections within Edmonton’s workforce development system with EndPovertyEdmonton bringing employers to the table, to create a more solid, sustainable, collaborative and effective workplace ecosystem. The assumption was that if we could build understanding related to the systemic barriers people experience in connecting to and sustaining employment, we could begin to collectively look for ways and advocate to change the system.

The development of relationships between EndPovertyEdmonton and these groups (as well as between the participating organizations) has led to new ways of working together. This work has helped EndPovertyEdmonton to build a deep understanding of how the employment support’s system in Edmonton is positioned and challenged to respond to the emerging needs of local employers and industry.

As the focus and configuration of the workforce collaboratives evolve,

EndPoverty Edmonton will continue to be engaged as a participant and continue to align community non-profit organizations with training and industry towards the goal of creating a better trained and more effective workforce to build a more inclusive local economy. Bringing everyone together to design a better, more streamlined employment pipeline to ensure the creation of win-win scenarios for all participants.