Learning Networks and Workforce Planning Boards

Partnership and Collaboration

Learning Networks and Workforce Planning Boards are two important components of Ontario’s Employment Ontario system funded by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. While each organization has distinct responsibilities, both play a critical role in strengthening local workforce development systems, supporting service providers, and helping individuals connect to education, training, and employment opportunities.

Across Ontario, Learning Networks and Workforce Planning Boards have significant opportunities to work together to address labour market challenges, improve service coordination, and support economic development. Collaboration can take many forms, including sharing labour market intelligence, jointly convening stakeholders, partnering on grant-funded initiatives, developing innovative training solutions, and responding to workforce shortages or economic disruptions.

The partnership between the Learning Network of Durham Region (LNDR) and Durham Workforce Authority (DWA) provides one example of how these organizations can leverage their complementary strengths. Over the years, these two organizations have worked together to coordinate Employment Services and Get SET training stakeholders, utilize labour market intelligence to support community planning and curriculum development, establish community-based initiatives such as the Lakeview Hub in south Oshawa, and partner on workforce development projects including a Skills Advance Ontario initiative supporting laid-off automotive workers transitioning into careers in the nuclear and healthcare sectors.

While every community has unique priorities and circumstances, the experiences of LNDR and DWA highlight several practical opportunities for collaboration that may be adapted by Learning Networks and Workforce Planning Boards across the province.

Regional Learning Networks

There are 16 funded Learning Networks across Ontario supporting Get SET programming. Regional Learning Networks facilitate a wide range of activities designed to strengthen local service delivery and improve learner outcomes, including:

• Facilitating annual service planning and developing local plans for Get SET delivery;
• Coordinating service coordination activities amongst Get SET agencies to reduce duplication and address priority community needs;
• Conducting research and developing resources to support service providers;
• Supporting service provider capacity building and continuous improvement; and
• Strengthening connections between Get SET, Employment Services, Ontario Works, employers, and community partners.

Learning Networks regularly convene stakeholders to identify service gaps, improve referral pathways, and ensure that local programming reflects community needs and priorities.

Workforce Planning Boards

Workforce Planning Boards support workforce development by collecting and analyzing labour market information, engaging employers and industry partners, identifying workforce trends, and helping communities respond to changing economic conditions.

Through employer consultations, workforce research, labour market reports, and sector analysis, Workforce Planning Boards provide valuable intelligence that helps communities understand current and emerging workforce needs. Their work supports evidence-based planning by employment, training, education, and community organizations throughout Ontario.

Opportunities for Collaboration

Although Learning Networks and Workforce Planning Boards have different mandates, their work frequently intersects. By working together, these organizations can strengthen local workforce development systems and improve outcomes for learners, job seekers, employers, and communities.

Labour Market Intelligence

One of the most valuable areas for collaboration is labour market intelligence. Workforce Planning Boards produce labour market reports, conduct employer consultations, and identify emerging workforce trends. Learning Networks can utilize this information to inform annual service planning, identify learner pathways, support curriculum development, and ensure that Get SET programming reflects local labour market realities.

Service Coordination

Service coordination presents another natural opportunity for partnership. Both organizations regularly engage employment service providers, training organizations, community agencies, employers, and other stakeholders. Joint planning activities and coordinated stakeholder engagement can reduce duplication, improve communication, and create stronger referral pathways between services.

Projects and Grants

Project development and grant opportunities also benefit from collaboration. Workforce Planning Boards often contribute labour market expertise and employer relationships, while Learning Networks contribute knowledge of adult learning, foundational skills development, and community-based service delivery. Together, these strengths can support innovative projects that address labour shortages, workforce transitions, and barriers to employment.

Partnership

Partnerships can also help communities respond to economic change. Whether supporting workers affected by layoffs, addressing skills shortages in key sectors, assisting newcomers entering the labour market, or preparing workers for emerging industries, Learning Networks and Workforce Planning Boards can develop coordinated responses that benefit both employers and job seekers.

Importantly, collaboration does not always require formal partnerships or large-scale projects. Regular communication, information sharing, participation in planning processes, and a shared commitment to community outcomes can create meaningful benefits for local workforce development systems.

Learning Network of Durham Region and Durham Workforce Authority

For more than 15 years, the Learning Network of Durham Region and Durham Workforce Authority have worked very closely together to support Get SET providers, Employment Service agencies, employers, and community partners throughout Durham Region. Their partnership demonstrates how Learning Networks and Workforce Planning Boards can leverage their complementary strengths to support workforce development and community well-being.

At the foundation of this partnership is a shared commitment to understanding local labour market conditions and ensuring that training and workforce development activities align with employer demand. LNDR and DWA regularly consult with one another to exchange information, discuss emerging labour market trends, and identify potential impacts on local Get SET programming. This ongoing dialogue helps ensure that upgrading and skills training opportunities remain relevant to the needs of learners, employers, and the regional economy.

From 2015 to 2020, LNDR and DWA jointly convened service coordination meetings with Employment Service providers. These meetings provided a forum for managers to discuss local service delivery challenges, develop collaborative solutions, improve client outcomes, and make greater use of labour market information in planning and service delivery. This collaborative approach strengthened relationships across the employment and training system while improving coordination between organizations serving similar client groups.

Labour market intelligence produced by DWA continues to play a significant role in local Get SET planning. Annual labour market reports, workforce research, and industry analyses help identify emerging occupations, skills shortages, and workforce trends. This information is utilized by LNDR and local service providers to support annual service planning, develop new essential skills curriculum, and create specialized programming that prepares learners for occupations that are in demand within the region.

The partnership also extends to project development and community initiatives. LNDR and DWA have collaborated on numerous projects designed to address workforce challenges and improve access to services. One example is the Lakeview Hub in south Oshawa, established in 2024, which brings together employment, training, housing, food security, and social support services in a high-needs neighbourhood. By working collaboratively with community partners, LNDR and DWA have helped create a coordinated service model that addresses both workforce development and broader community needs.

Most recently, the organizations partnered on a Skills Advance Ontario project supporting workers affected by layoffs in the automotive sector. The initiative provides career exploration, skills assessment, training, and certification opportunities that help participants transition into high-demand occupations within the nuclear industry and allied healthcare sector. By combining labour market expertise, community partnerships, and training system knowledge, LNDR and DWA are helping workers move successfully into sustainable careers while addressing critical labour shortages.

Conclusion

The partnership between the Learning Network of Durham Region and Durham Workforce Authority demonstrates the value of collaboration between Learning Networks and Workforce Planning Boards. By combining labour market intelligence, service coordination expertise, community partnerships, and training system knowledge, these organizations can improve planning, strengthen local services, respond to workforce challenges, and create pathways to meaningful employment.

As communities across Ontario continue to face changing economic conditions, demographic shifts, and evolving workforce needs, stronger collaboration between Learning Networks and Workforce Planning Boards offers an important opportunity to build more responsive, evidence-based, and effective workforce development systems. Working together, these organizations can help ensure that learners, job seekers, employers, and communities are better positioned for success.