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VICTORIA
– The Province is launching an
enhanced WorkAble Solutions website that will directly connect British
Columbians with disabilities who are looking for work to employers that have
jobs available, Employment and Income Assistance Minister Claude Richmond
announced today.
“Many
people with disabilities find it difficult to secure employment that matches
their skills and abilities. At the same time the demand for skilled workers is
great,” said Richmond. “This site provides an excellent meeting place to bring
together qualified job seekers with disabilities with employers who have
positions that need to be filled.”
The WorkAble Solutions
website, located at: www.workablesolutionsbc.ca,
is an online tool to assist B.C. employers and British Columbians with
disabilities in accessing valuable employment resources. One highlight of the
site is a directory of job listings where employers can post their openings and
applicants can submit their resumes and apply online.
The website meets the
standards of the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Accessibility Initiative, which is focused on developing
strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the web accessible to people
with disabilities.
The
launching of the improved WorkAble Solutions website follows the recently issued provincewide 10 by 10 Challenge, aimed at increasing the employment of people with disabilities
in communities across B.C. by 10 per cent by 2010. The current employment rate of working-age persons with
disabilities is only 44 per cent despite the fact that 34,000 have college
diplomas, 30,000 have trade certificates, and 28,000 have university degrees.
To assist British
Columbians with disabilities in preparing for the labour market, the B.C.
government is investing $21 million a year on the Employment Program for
Persons with Disabilities, which includes pre-employment, self-employment and
planning and training employment services.
Both the 10 by10
Challenge and the WorkAble Solutions website are projects of the B.C.
government’s Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities – a
council, comprised of business and community leaders, dedicated to the
development of supports and services to increase the employment participation
of persons with disabilities and the promotion of more accessible and inclusive
communities.
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contact: |
Communications Director 250 387-6489 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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