The Employment Services Centre (CSEPR) announced today two new initiatives, one to support people living with disabilities, the other to help at-risk youth. Both, although different, aim to help the community’s most vulnerable people find stable employment that meets their needs.
FIRST PROJECT: NEW SUPPORT PROGRAM FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILIITIES This new project, called “Inter-Actions”, will enable CSEPR to develop a series of workshops specifically adapted to the different challenges and needs faced by people living with a disability to enter the job market and maintain employment. Following their participation in a series of paid workshops, employment support and follow-up will be provided to enable the person to keep the job they have found.
This project is made possible thanks to the funding of 1.2 million dollars received from Employment and Social Development Canada. The three-year project will provide professional employment services to at least 90 people living with disabilities in Prescott-Russell and the surrounding areas.
“Although we already offer services to various at-risk clientele, this new project will enable us to provide even more tailored support to help people living with disabilities so that they are better equipped to take up employment that meets their interests, and their abilities,” says Lionel Renaud, Chairman of the CSEPR Board of Directors. “And when we talk about ‘disability’, we’re not just referring to physical or psychological handicaps, but also to mental health problems that include anxiety, for example. In recent years, these different needs have grown, which is why the Centre has taken steps to better support this clientele,” concludes Mr. Renaud.
“Over and above the support offered to these people to help them take up a job they’ll be proud of, we will – through this project – support employers so they can better adapt to the specific needs of the target clientele,” says Caroline Arcand, Executive Director of CSEPR. “This support will include a financial component to enable successful integration in the company but also provide the training required for individuals to occupy the target position. But employers will also have access to our “Champions of Inclusion,” who are inclusive entrepreneurs who have been hiring people with disabilities for a very long time. In fact, we’re very proud to announce that a ‘Table of Champions’ has been set up by the Centre, and that it includes local employers who participated in a joint video, and who will be promoting inclusion in local chambers of commerce, among others,” concludes Ms. Arcand.
“The Government of Canada is proud to contribute to this project through the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities. Because of this fund, the Employment Service Centre of Prescott-Russell and its partners will be able to help almost 100 people with disabilities get access to employment. It’s great news for our employers and our most vulnerable citizens in our community.” – Francis Drouin, MP Glengarry-Prescott-Russell.
SECOND PROJECT NEW PROJECT TO TEST A SECTOR-BASED APPROACH FOR YOUNG AT-RISK CLIENTELE Through this project, the Employment Services Centre (CSEPR) will establish a logical framework for the expansion and replication of identified and implemented best practices, including the prototype of an integrated approach to the delivery of employment services synchronized with intensive clinical services. This one-year partnership project is made possible thanks to the support of the Valoris Foundation of Prescott-Russell and United Way of Eastern Ontario. Funding of nearly $100,000 for the project was received from Employment and Social Development Canada and covers the entire Prescott-Russell territory.
“This is a highly motivating project for us, as it is aimed towards youth-at risk in our region. Through this project, we will be able to evaluate different practices to determine those that best meet the needs of this specific clientele,” says Lionel Renaud, Chairman of the CSEPR Board of Directors. “Once the findings and recommended methods have been established, we will be able to integrate them into the organizations with which we are working in partnership on this project. This will be a winning solution not only for our young people at risk but also for everyone involved. And we would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our partners in this project for their trust and support,” concludes Mr. Renaud.
“The idea for this project came from another similar project for which the Centre worked in collaboration with the Centre de santé mentale et toxicomanie of the Hawkesbury General Hospital,” says Caroline Arcand, Executive Director of CSEPR. “The success of this pilot project, which has now become permanent, gives us confidence that such an approach can also be successful with youth-at risk. This could prove to be a new approach to supporting a different clientele too. This is just the beginning,” concludes Ms. Arcand.
“Through the Opportunities Fund, we support initiatives like the Inter-Actions project that create more inclusive workplaces and provide more opportunities for Canadians with disabilities to be fully engaged within their communities. Local organizations across the country are making a tangible impact in the lives of Canadians with disabilities through skills training and mentorship, so they can succeed in the job market. When everyone, regardless of their abilities, have equal opportunities to succeed, our entire country and economy thrive.” said The Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities of Canada
About CSEPR Employment Services Centre (CSEPR) is a not-for-profit corporation with 3 offices serving the vast region of Prescott-Russell. Sole organization dispensing all employment services for the region, the Centre aims to accompany and support all types of clienteles in search of work or reintegrating the workforce and support regional employers with their recruitment needs. The Centre offers a complete line of tools and resources to its different clienteles, including several subsidized programs. Through its vocation, it contributes in an important way to the region’s economic development.
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