Canadian Plastics Sector Council to wind down in March 2013

Not-for-profit industry association the Canadian Plastic Sector Council (CPSC) is suspending its activities and services at the end of March 2013.

Established through the Sectoral Partnerships Initiative program of Human Resources Social Development Canada (HRSDC), the Ottawa-based CPSC is a partnership of employers and employees in the industry, designed to enhance the competitiveness of the Canadian plastics sector nationally and internationally by helping to ensure that there is a sufficient number of appropriately qualified human resources.

“In July 2011, HRSDC informed the sector councils that core funding and related project funds will be phased out by March 2013,” CPSC said in a statement. “HRSDC’s decision to cut funding to the sector council program severely affects the sustainability and programs of the CPSC moving forward. CPSC will not be able to continue their research or project development without this funding.”

In the news release, CPSC stressed that its council will not be dissolved, “but their operations and services will be suspended until further notice…[and] a large majority of [its] programs and products will continue to be delivered through Mohawk Enterprises, a division of Mohawk College.”

Also, the association said that ongoing projects and online training programs for specific occupations in the plastics industry will continue until completion. “The results of a new 2012 update of the labor market information and HR planning analysis will soon be released for the plastics processing industry,” CPSC said. “The Board and CPSC are reviewing options to reallocate some of these valuable training tools and resources to educational institutions and other key industry stakeholders.”