There are high levels of burnout among front line staff and an increase in signs that organizations are less and less able to recruit the talent they need in today’s tightening labour market. At the same time, retaining employees is also a challenge.

In 2023, UWCC has secured a grant of $1,500,000 from the  McConnell Foundation  to develop a comprehensive national Labour Force Strategy for paid workers in the nonprofit care economy, such as early childhood educators, caretakers of seniors and or those with disabilities, workers in the housing and homelessness sector, those offering services in immigration and settlement, mental-health workers, people helping those facing gender-based violence, and various other jobs in community services.

A diverse coalition of sector leaders, workers, partners and funders have undertaken the work to create a sector labour force strategy focused on improving working conditions in the sector. The project seeks to identify challenges and levers for change; develop and prioritize policy and program solutions; increase public awareness about the importance of the sector; and engage federal, provincial and territorial governments, educational institutions, community-based organizations, labour, funders and philanthropic organizations to implement the strategy.

Project activities completed to date include:

  • Established a shared evidence base through a national research primer that outlines core labour force challenges in the care economy, identifies opportunities for action, and frames potential solutions.
  • Mapped available data and critical gaps through a national data roadmap, clarifying what can be measured now and where new collection methods are needed to better understand the nonprofit care economy labour force.
  • Engaged regional partners through advisory circles in Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and Eastern Canada, building cross-sector alignment and support for coordinated action.
  • Advanced Northern engagement by connecting with territorial nonprofit and community organizations to better reflect Northern realities in future strategy development.
  • Developed a draft multi-year labour force strategy for the nonprofit care economy, outlining goals, priority actions, implementation steps, and partner roles to improve working conditions and strengthen community care infrastructure.
  • Prepared a public awareness and communications campaign to elevate the value, scale, and impact of the nonprofit care economy and equip sector partners with adaptable messaging.

This project will be completed at the end of 2027. Updates will be provided as work continues.