About HRSDC | Our Offices | Programs & Services | A-Z Index September 10, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE "The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that Canadians are equipped with the tools they need to meet the challenges of today's labour market," said Minister Volpe. "These projects will help more than 28,000 youth and unemployed individuals across British Columbia to develop skills and knowledge in a supportive environment." These projects are being funded through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada's Employment Assistance Services, Job Creation Partnerships, Labour Market Partnerships, and the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy. These projects support the Government of Canada's goals to encourage Canadians to upgrade their skills and knowledge to their full potential. Funding was provided for in the March 2004 federal Budget. These projects have been reviewed to ensure compliance with the Department's administration of its grant and contribution programs, and are subject to review under the Financial Administration Act. For more information, see the attached backgrounder. - 30 - For more information: Media Relations Office Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (819) 994-5559 Jeff Scott, Communications Advisor Human Resources and Skills Development Canada BC/YT (604) 666-2297 Stephen Heckbert, Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development (613) 868-9967 BACKGROUNDER SURREY ANNOUNCEMENT Employment Assistance Services Employment Assistance Services helps unemployed individuals to prepare for, find and keep employment by providing them with services such as counselling, job search techniques, job placements, and labour market information. These services are available to all unemployed Canadians, whether or not they ever established a claim for Employment Insurance (EI). The 29 recipients of the Employment Assistance Services funding are: Organization Name Project Name Location Funding School District 34 English for Living and Working Abbotsford $291,971 Mennonite Central Committee of British Columbia COMPASS B.C. $174,186 Peninsula Community Services Peninsula Community Services Sidney $1,323,027 West Coast Career Centre The West Coast Career Centre Port Alberni $928,153 Aware Society Career Solutions Surrey $343,528 SCCI Project Restart Ltd. SCCI Project Restart Ltd. Surrey $614,214 Cowichan Valley Independent Living Resource Centre Society Career Decision Making & Job Search Duncan $80,160 Cowichan Valley Intercultural & Immigrant Aid Society STEP - Stepping Towards Employment Possibilities and Resume Writing Duncan $44,573 Centre for International Change, Inc. Get That Job! Duncan $73,688 Peace Arch Community Services Society PACS Employment Resource Centre Surrey $728,908 Surrey Community Services Society Whalley Employment Resource Centre Surrey 1,433,181 Powell River Employment Program Society Career Link Powell River $847,322 Strathcona Employment Assistance Services Strathcona Employment Assistance Services Vancouver $334,773 Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing WIDHH - EAS Vancouver $130,871 Pacific Justice Services Association Job Preperation Programme Vancouver $384,352 Vancouver Community College Job Search Central Vancouver $349,975 Vancouver Community College Network to Work Vancouver $334,080 Alliance for Arts and Culture Alliance for Arts and Culture Vancouver $176,253 Work Streams Employment Society Work Streams Employment Society Victoria $432,012 La Société Francophone de Victoria La Societe Francophone De Victoria Victoria $277,853 Tradeworks Training Society Pathways Information Centre Vancouver $296,326 Cornerstone Career Exploration Vancouver $238,789 Coast Foundation Society (1974) Coast Foundation Society Vancouver $178,599 North Island Employment Foundations Society 2004/5 Employment Assistance Services - Campbell River Campbell River $1,079,963 Opportunities Career Services OCS Employment Assistance Services - Comox Valley Courtenay $885,231 Opportunities Career Services Opportunities Career Services EAS Campbell River $910,065 Creative Employment Access Society The Job Shop Courtenay $881,291 NIEFS O-Zone Port Hardy $411,606 B & B Consulting Employability Fit Program Surrey $292,744 Job Creation Partnerships Job Creation Partnerships provides unemployed individuals with opportunities to gain work experience on projects developed in partnership with other levels of government, business, or community groups. The six recipients of the Job Creation Partnerships funding are: Organization Name Project Name Location Funding Community Fisheries Development Centre Community Fisheries Development Centre Ucluelet $131,852 Community Fisheries Development Centre Community Fisheries Development Centre Ucluelet $139,340 Nanaimo Brain Injury Society NBIS Sustainability Project Nanaimo $71,174 O.U.R. Community Association O.U.R. Echovillage Shawnigan Lake $143,966 Courtenay Recreation Association Bighouse Indoor Skatepark Courtenay $18,310 Sooke Region Museum Sooke Region Museum Sooke $77,380 Labour Market Partnerships The Labour Market Partnerships (LMP) program encourages communities to take greater responsibility for creating local employment by actively involving community partners. Partners include employers; employees or their associations; provincial, territorial, and municipal governments; non-governmental organizations; health and educational institutions; band and tribal councils; and individuals and groups, among others. The LMP program helps organizations to identify their human resource requirements and develop plans to address them, and can also be used to implement labour force adjustment measures. The recipient of the Labour Market Partnerships funding is: Organization Name Project Name Location Funding Construction Association of Victoria Greater Victoria Construction Skills Council Victoria $51,763 Labour Market Patnerships (LMP)-Industrial Adjustment Service The Industrial Adjustment Service (IAS) activity of LMP involves establishing a committee comprised of individuals representing the employer, the employees and, sometimes, concerned community agencies and government to identify and facilitate steps necessary to adjust workers at the firm level. The adjustment-type activities of IAS help labour and management to address significant changes affecting their workplace including technological change, organizational restructuring, downsizing or expansion. The recipient of the LMP-IAS funding is: Organization Name Project Name Location Funding Canadian Homebuilders’ Association of British Columbia CHBA-BC Strategic Skills Plan Burnaby $90,000 Funding for Employment Assistance Services, Job Creation Partnerships and Labour Market Partnerships is provided under Part II of the Employment Insurance Act. Employment Insurance (EI) claimants receive their regular income benefits and/or income support under EI Part II. Also eligible are other insured participants, such as clients who have received employment benefits within the last three years, or maternity or parental benefits that started in the past five years. Youth Employment Strategy The Youth Employment Strategy (YES) is the Government of Canada's commitment to helping young Canadians, particularly those facing barriers to employment, to get the information and gain the expertise, work experience and skills they need to make a successful transition to the workplace. The YES offers three programs for youth: Skills Link, Summer Work Experience and Career Focus. Skills Link provides funding for community organizations to help youth facing barriers to employment-such as single parents, Aboriginal youth, young persons with disabilities, recent immigrants and high school drop-outs-by developing the skills, knowledge and work experience they need to participate in the job market. The two recipients of the Skills Link funding are: Organization Name Project Name Location Funding North Shore Continuing Education-Employment Training Division Work Start for Youth North Vancouver $140,182 Agassiz Harrison Community Services Work, Learn And Earn Agassiz $144,752 For more information on programs under the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy, call the Youth Info Line at 1 800 935-5555, or visit our Web site at www.youth.gc.ca.
