August 23, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NELSON, British Columbia — Canada ’s New Government is working to help people in Nelson find and keep long-term jobs. Today, the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, announced $1.6 million in funding for the Kootenay Career Development Society under the Employment Assistance Services program
“Canada’s New Government is proud to work with community organizations such as the Kootenay Career Development Society to create opportunities for Canadians and help them reach their potential,” said Minister Solberg. “This partnership will help people in Nelson and the surrounding areas who face barriers to employment get the skills, knowledge, and experience they need to find and keep quality jobs.”
Over the next three years, the Kootenay Career Development Society will help more than 11,000 people in Nelson, Salmo, Kaslo, Slocan Valley (including Slocan City, Crawford Bay and Boswell), and neighbouring areas by offering them access to a self-serve employment resource centre, workshops promoting employability skills, case management, and assistance in creating return-to-work action plans. Participants aim to become employed or self-employed, or to return to school.
“We are very excited about receiving Employment Assistance Services funding from Service Canada for Nelson and area,” says Jan Wright, Executive Director of the Kootenay Career Development Society. “This funding goes a long way in building the community’s economic capacity by providing job-search skills, training information, and links to employers and the labour market for unemployed and underemployed individuals in our communities.”
Service Canada brings Government of Canada services and benefits together in a single delivery network. It provides Canadians with one-stop, personalized service they can access however they choose—by phone at 1 800 O-Canada, on the Internet at servicecanada.gc.ca, or in person at Service Canada Centres across the country.
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Backgrounder
Employment Assistance Services
The Employment Assistance Services (EAS) program provides funding to organizations so they can provide employment services to help clients re-enter the labour market.
All unemployed Canadians have access to a range of services under the EAS program. However, some EAS offerings are available only to clients who are eligible to receive Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, or who have recently been receiving EI benefits.
Services offered under the EAS program include the provision and sharing of labour market information, help preparing resumés, help with career planning, employment counselling, diagnostic assessment, help developing job search skills, job finding clubs and job placement services.
Eligible recipients of EAS funding are businesses (including federal Crown corporations and provincial/territorial Crown corporations), organizations, individuals, public health and educational institutions, municipal governments, and band/tribal councils, as well as some provincial/territorial government departments and agencies. These entities act as employers or service coordinators under the program.
Funding for this initiative was provided for in the March 2007 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework.
This project has been reviewed to ensure compliance with Service Canada’s administration of its Grants and Contributions programs, and is subject to review under the Financial Administration Act.
