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In 1999, the Forum of Labour Market Ministers (FLMM) committed to work together to create a more coherent, relevant, individualized, accessible and coordinated approach to the development and delivery of labour market information at the local, provincial and national level. Labour market information may be defined as the "information needed to make a labour market decision." This includes career, occupational, learning and labour market information (LMI), used by those looking for work, those currently employed, employers, those who provide services, and people in general to make careful decisions about the labour market and about the transitions which affect their lives. It also includes information not normally associated with the labour market, but which does impact on labour market decisions. For example, transportation information is not usually associated with LMI, but it can significantly impact the mobility of labour.
To realize this commitment, the FLMM Labour Market Information Working Group agreed to produce three sets of guidelines for LMI. These include guidelines for LMI data development, LMI products and LMI service delivery. This document sets out the guidelines for labour market information products. These guidelines build on standard development work undertaken by the Canadian Labour Force Development Board just before its dissolution in 1999.The Board's guidelines were reviewed in-depth by member organizations of the Forum of Labour Market Ministers with the objective to update these guidelines, to give them greater national prominence and to promote their adaptation and use by all Canadian providers and developers of labour market information.
Standards exist to regulate the development and sales of many products and services. Such standards may be voluntary or mandatory. The introduction and use of voluntary standards or guidelines for LMI product development and dissemination enables consumers to make better informed decisions and the right choices appropriate to their work and life situations.
Why LMI Guidelines are Needed
The development, application and use of LMI product guidelines address a need, which is long overdue. Labour market information includes a great diversity of goods and services. The LMI consumer (whether an individual, employer, employment counsellor, government or non-government organization) is required to choose from among a wide and often confusing array of information to satisfy his or her needs.
Like many other commodities, LMI goods and services tend to vary in quality and have a limited shelf life. Deficient, outdated and/ or incomplete labour market information can have serious consequences for the consumer. The adoption and implementation of this LMI product guidelines framework would provide users with the assurance that they are accessing products and services that meet their needs and are reliable.
Compelling Reasons for LMI Guidelines
- In today's competitive labour market environment, quality information about jobs, worker recruitment,trends in skills needed, career and skills training and the changing workplace is a key commodity for enabling people to make informed work-and business-related choices.
- Guidelines provide developers and suppliers of LMI with guidance as to what best serves the public interest. (Quality information cannot often be readily distinguished from information that is deficient, outdated and/ or incomplete.)
- Ethical and privacy guidelines serve to govern the behavior of governments, institutions and individuals and help ensure that the right purposes are realized.
- Developers and suppliers of LMI too often "dump" information on Internet web sites without due regard for whether consumers want it, need it and/ or can make sense of it.
Guidelines Framework Defined
The 'guidelines framework' for the development, supply and use of quality labour market information consists of a set of guidelines as well as the means for determining compliance. The guidelines prescribe the key elements that define quality LMI products, services and systems. However, guidelines only have meaning if there is a means of knowing that they are adhered to and that the desired results are achieved.
Relevant compliance measures have been formulated for each guideline to enable LMI developers and suppliers to develop quality LMI products and services and to provide LMI users the means to trust their reliability and integrity. LMI developers and suppliers can translate these measures in their own performance checklists for the management, production and maintenance of their products and services.
The guidelines have been organized in 10 sections. Sections 1 - 4 contain generic guidelines and compliance measures that are pertinent to all LMI products and services irrespective of the format - print, electronic, etc., - in which they are produced. Section 5 contains product guidelines that pertain specifically to Internet delivery. Sections 6 - 10 deal with additional guidelines and compliance measures that apply to specific information products and services.
The guidelines also include, in the appendix, a checklist designed to provide information product developers and suppliers with a quick and easy way to determine whether the product and/ or service is in compliance with each guideline cited in the Labour Market Information Product Guidelines.
The FLMM LMI Service Delivery Guidelines have now been approved in all jurisdictions in Canada. They provide information that will help managers and staff design and run information resource centres effectively and efficiently. These Guidelines are available from the link file below.
FLMM LMI Service Delivery Guidelines
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