Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Departments of the Government of Canada
Human Resources and Skills Development
Ressources humaines et Développement des compétences
Minister	Diane Finley
Minister	Lisa Raitt
Established	2003
Responsibilities	Employment Skills Training Social Development Labour Relations
Employees	24,000
Department Website

The Department of Human Resources and Skills Development (French: Ministère des Ressources humaines et Développement des compétences), operating under the FIP applied title Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for developing, managing and delivering a variety of social programs and services. From 2006 to 2008 the department operated under the applied title Human Resources and Social Development Canada.

The Department delivers some $87 billion in programs and services and has approximately 24,000 employees. Approximately 19,000 of those employees work under the Service Canada banner.

Mission

From HRSDC's web site, its mission is to build a stronger and more competitive Canada, to support Canadians in making choices that help them live productive and rewarding lives, and to improve Canadians’ quality of life.

History

HRSDC was created in December 2003, by splitting Human Resources Development Canada into two separate departments: HRSDC and Social Development Canada. Though they continued to share many common services and operations, HRSDC was to focus on workforce-related aspects of the former HRDC portfolio, while SDC was to focus on social support programs for children, families and seniors. The split was given formal legal effect when the Department of Humans Resources and Skills Development Act and the Department of Social Development Act were enacted in July 2005.

Upon taking office in February 2006, the Harper government announced it would recombine the two departments, and through a series of Orders in Councils Social Development Canada was folded into HRSDC. Though a Department of Social Development remains in effect in legal terms, it no longer exists in any real sense.

From 2006 to 2008, Social Development's preceding role was reflected by styling the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development as the "Minister of Human Resources and Social Development", and by changing the department's applied title to "Human Resources and Social Development Canada". This practice ended in late 2008.

Ministers

The Ministers responsible for the Department are:

• The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development
• The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Labour
• The Honourable Alice Wong, Minister of State for Seniors

See also

• Poverty in Canada

External links

• Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
• Service Canada