Item - 2019.EC5.13

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to implement the pilot of a points-based system as outlined in Attachment 4 of the report (May 10, 2019) from the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, to measure the levels of activity in the Local Employment Requirement of the Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology (IMIT) program, and to continue the pilot until Council adopts or amends the points-based system.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to report on the results of the implementation of the points-based system by the fourth quarter of 2020 and in the next scheduled  Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology (IMIT) policy review in 2022.

The Economic and Community Development Committee:

1.  Requested the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to report directly to City Council on the ability of staff to take an Open Data approach for the reporting of the points-based system.

Council directed staff to consult with relevant stakeholders to determine what additional steps can be taken to ensure that those developments that receive Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology (IMIT) incentives provide quality employment opportunities for Toronto residents. The direction included identifying opportunities in the building construction phase and developing a strategy to address precarious work among building maintenance employees and contractors. This report recommends a new administrative approach to the Local Employment Requirement for IMIT to provide for quality employment and training opportunities for city residents.

Consultations with IMIT recipient companies and their tenants demonstrated a willingness to support a wide range of City-endorsed programs but pointed to a need for clearer direction, objective measures of activity levels, and the flexibility to select the appropriate partners and activities. There are opportunities in the building construction phase as well as support for the reduction in precarious work among building maintenance employees and contractors as well as in the overall staffing for the users and tenants of the building projects that receive IMIT grants.

The report proposes a new administrative approach to a component of the IMIT Program, the Local Employment Requirement. It outlines a new points-based system which IMIT recipient companies and their property users can use to develop, implement and report on activities and outcomes for local employment plans in partnership with City-endorsed programs (Employment Service Providers and Youth Employment Partners). The points-based system provides a guideline for expected levels of activity from companies.

The proposed changes specify the target activity types and levels for IMIT-approved developments, the administrative roles for City staff, IMIT recipients and property users, and the expected outcomes of the points-based system.

The in-force IMIT requirement is for a local employment plan and engagement with the City to promote local hiring and training. The City will work with current IMIT recipients and new applicants to encourage them to use the points-based system to develop the required local employment plan in support of City-endorsed programs.  It is expected that applicants will agree to utilize the points-based system given that it provides better certainty and assists them in easily meeting the requirement.

After the one year pilot period staff will analyze the results and report to Council with a recommendation on the possibility of amending the CIP to make the requirement mandatory.