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This document presents the findings for the summative evaluation of the Aboriginal Skills and Employment Partnership (ASEP) program conducted by Aboriginal Employment Services for Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). The five-year, ASEP initiative is a targeted Aboriginal skills development program designed to promote maximum employment for Aboriginal people on major economic developments through a collaborative partnership approach, leading to lasting benefits for Aboriginal individuals, communities and families. It is designed to address a broad spectrum of skills and learning needs and provide access to jobs. The ASEP program was developed in response to the Government of Canada's commitment in the 2002 Speech from the Throne to help Aboriginal people participate in economic development opportunities. The ASEP program has funded nine diverse projects in resource-based sectors, including mining, forestry, oil and gas, hydro development, fishery, and construction. Each project is located in a different community or group of communities with varying project scopes. The nine projects are located across the country in rural and urban areas, as well as northern and southern settings. The report is organized according to the following sections: an introductory section presenting an overview of the ASEP program including descriptions of the nine ASEP projects, and an overview of the evaluation issues and questions; section two presents the summative evaluation methodology; section three presents evaluation findings according to the main summative evaluation issues and questions; and section four contains an overview of the main summative evaluation findings and conclusions.

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This report presents the results of phase I of the summative evaluation of the Sector Council Program (SCP), which was conducted from July to December 2005. The evaluation assessed the SCP's results within the following three main themes: (1) rationale and relevance; (2) success; and (3) cost effectiveness and other issues. A survey of employers is planned for phase II of the evaluation. Basic elements of the SCP are: a focus on skills development and training through sector councils (SCs), which are largely organized around industry sectors, and the independence of SCs, which were to be formed and governed by industry (including labour) representatives. SCs were to focus on the development of a learning culture through the development of national standards, certification programs and related training efforts. The key findings are preceded by a brief description of the program and the methodology used in the evaluation. They are followed by a discussion on the lessons drawn from international comparisons on sectoral type programs in four countries, i.e. the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and the United States, and a conclusion. The evaluation was undertaken to meet Treasury Board requirements and to provide results to senior management of Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), and to the SCP in particular. The main evaluation issues addressed were rationale/relevance, success and cost-effectiveness.

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Foreign credential recognition is the process of verifying the education, training and job experience obtained in another country against the standards established in Canada in the same occupation/sector. It is one of several factors affecting immigrant labour market outcomes. The Foreign Credential Recognition Program (FCRP) is a contribution program focusing on three streams: regulated occupations; non-regulated occupations; and horizontal initiatives [i.e. involving several federal departments and other levels of government at various points in the process]. The two main objectives of the FCRP are: (1) to develop and strengthen Canada’s foreign credential recognition capacity; and (2) to contribute to improving labour market integration outcomes of foreign-trained individuals in targeted occupations and sectors. These two objectives support the program’s strategic objective: the development of coherent, transparent, fair, equitable, and rigorous foreign credential assessment and recognition processes to enhance labour market outcomes of foreign-trained individuals in targeted occupations and sectors.

This summative evaluation of the FCRP, funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), was conducted during the spring, summer and fall of 2008. The main objective of the evaluation was to measure the relevance, impacts, and cost-effectiveness of the program.

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The summative evaluation of the Canada Student Loans Program (CSLP) has been undertaken over the 2006 to 2010 period using an approach of conducting a set of small studies during each year of the evaluation. The CSLP is intended to promote access to post-secondary education (PSE) for students with demonstrated financial need. The last summative evaluation of the CSLP was completed in 1997. Since then, the CSLP has undergone significant changes such as the replacement of the risk-shared loan regime with the direct loan regime in 2000. A formative evaluation of the direct loan regime was completed in 2004. The formative evaluation was focused on examining issues of program relevance, design and delivery, but did not assess the impact of the CSLP on access to PSE. This report provides a summary of the results of 32 studies conducted for the summative evaluation. The studies used a variety of methods including literature reviews, international comparisons, surveys, focus groups, key informant interviews, administrative data analyses and econometric analyses. As well, other external studies were used to complement the 32 studies completed specifically for this evaluation.

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