Brockville, Ontario—The Government of Canada is helping people with disabilities in the Brockville area gain the skills they need to successfully participate in the workforce, announced Gordon Brown, Member of Parliament for Leeds-Grenville, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.
“Our government’s top priorities are job creation and economic growth. To support Canada’s long‑term prosperity, we must ensure that everyone who wants to work has the opportunity,” said Mr. Brown. “People with disabilities face particular challenges entering the job market and that’s why partnerships with organizations like the Career Services of Brockville are so important.”
Career Services of Brockville is receiving more than $120,000 through the federal Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities for two projects. Through its Pathways to Employment project, participants will develop work action plans and benefit from job coaching sessions that will enable them to better prepare for and obtain jobs. Through its recruitABLE project, the organization will host one-day networking events for employers in Brockville and surrounding areas to increase awareness of the labour market potential of people with disabilities.
“The Opportunities Fund provides much-needed resources for the people of Leeds and Greenville, and enables our organization to assist people with disabilities to find employment in the community,” said Cynthia Sparring, Project Manager, Career Services of Brockville. “We appreciate the support from the Government of Canada in recognizing this under-represented population in the labour market.”
Canadians with disabilities have a tremendous amount to offer employers, but they remain under‑represented in the workforce. That is why the Government of Canada, through Economic Action Plan 2012, is investing an additional $30 million in the Opportunities Fund to help more people with disabilities gain the hands-on experience they need to find jobs.
The new investment will be dedicated to national projects that connect people with disabilities with jobs in small- or medium-sized enterprises. Some of the projects will also promote to employers the valuable contribution that people with disabilities can make to their businesses and to the Canadian economy.
In addition, as part of Economic Action Plan 2012, Minister Finley and the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance, announced the Panel on Labour Market Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. The panel identified private-sector successes and best practices, as well as barriers to the participation of people with disabilities in the labour market.
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For more information, contact:
Marian Ngo
Press Secretary
Office of Minister Finley
819-994-2482
Media Relations Office
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
819-994-5559
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IF THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY PRINTED VERSION AND THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, THE ELECTRONIC VERSION WILL PREVAIL.
This news release is available online at: actionplan.gc.ca.
The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities assists people with disabilities to prepare for, obtain and keep employment or become self-employed. The Government of Canada invests $30 million annually through this program to connect individuals with the skills and work experience needed to participate fully in the economy.
For more information, or to propose a project, visit servicecanada.gc.ca.
