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KAMLOOPS
– The new
$35-million BC Employment Program has been successfully launched by the
Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance. This means 15,000 income assistance
clients in British Columbia will have an even better chance of finding and
keeping a job this year.
“We’ve
taken a great employment program and made it even better,” said Employment and
Income Assistance Minister Claude Richmond. “Now, for the first time, ministry
service providers are working one-on-one with clients. Together they develop an
individualized package of employment services and supports specifically
designed to meet each person’s unique needs and capabilities. I am confident
this new, customized approach will allow more clients to benefit.”
The new BC Employment Program replaces two existing programs
– the Job Placement Program and Training for Jobs – and is managed by GT Hiring
Solutions (2005) Inc., the BC Society of Training for Health and Employment
(THEO BC) and WCG International Consultants Limited. As the ministry’s prime
service providers, these agencies offer services to clients through over 80
regionally based service providers operating in communities throughout British
Columbia.
Clients
receiving temporary assistance and who are expected to work benefit from
services that are designed to meet their individual needs. These services range
from very basic supports, like self-directed job searches and access to job
banks and computers, to more intense supports such as short term certificate
training and work experience. Clients will also receive help with costs for
work related expenses, as needed.
Since
2001, the ministry’s employment programs have directly helped almost 48,000
expected-to-work clients find good jobs and, as a result, the profile of the
caseload has changed considerably. Clients who remain on income assistance
today face greater challenges to employment, such as age, a long welfare
history, limited work experience or personal problems.
The
ministry’s total investment in employment programs is approximately $70 million
this year. This includes $35 million for the new BC Employment Program, $7.5
million for the Community Assistance Program, more than $20 million for the
specialized Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities, $4 million for
the Bridging Employment Program and $5 million for the Community Volunteer
Supplement Program.
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contact: |
Communications Director Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance 250 387-6489 |
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