GUELPH – A local organization that provides employment supports and resources to people looking for work is getting a boost from the federal government to help marginalized youth.
Guelph MP Lloyd Longfield was at 2nd Chance Employment Counselling (Wellington) Inc.’s Guelph office on Oct. 18 to announce $1.74 million in funding for the organization to support youth facing barriers to employment through its Ways2Work program.
The program will deliver employment services, employment skills training and “quality employment opportunity interventions” to 20 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, 100 youth with disabilities, five Indigenous youth, 20 newcomer youth, and 75 racialized youth, a news release stated.
“Second Chance is honoured to be able to continue the Ways2Work program with this funding,” 2nd Chance executive director Chris Baginski-Hansen stated in the release.
“We are experiencing very challenging economic times and the youth in our community need the wrap-around supports that this program is able to provide.”
Baginski-Hansen said the program has been running for close to 15 years, but funding is never guaranteed.
The numbers mentioned in the news release are targets based on the overall demographics the organization serves, she told the Advertiser.
“We will see some youth that might fall into more than one category as well,” she noted.
Overall, Baginski-Hansen said the program is expected to serve 140 youth over the next three and a half years of funding.
As described on the organization’s website, Ways2Work is a 16-week program for young people between the ages of 15 and 30. It is designed to provide them with essential skills needed to maintain employment and be successful in the labour market.
Participants must not be in school or returning to school and must be out of work, but not receiving Employment Insurance benefits.
Baginski-Hansen said participants spend the first six weeks of the program in “pre-employment” activities, followed by a 10-week job placement.
The pre-employment program involves a commitment of 22 hours per week, but while taking part, they get paid an allowance equal to minimum wage, she said.
They build self-esteem and job-retention skills while receiving certifications such as Smart Serve, first aid, safe food handling and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems (WHMIS).
“We want to give them marketable skills,” Baginski-Hansen said.
She also emphasized the program is “very individualized,” providing funding for participants to obtain the certifications they need for the jobs they want, and providing supports based on individual needs.
The program runs in Guelph, but county residents are welcome to participate and support is available to help with the cost of travel, she said.
A new session starts every six weeks. Asked how youth sign up for the program, Baginski-Hansen answered, “They just come in and see us.”
The organization can help determine if the program is a good fit, and can offer other supports – like resume-writing help – while youth are waiting for a new session to start, she said.
“The project will also provide individualized supports, including client assessment, case management, health and social supports, transportation, support for living expenses, disability supports and completion bonuses that will enable these youth to benefit from the interventions more fully,” the release stated.
This year, 2nd Chance, which also has an office in Fergus, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Partnering with federal, provincial and municipal funders, the organization has gone from a small operation focused on helping people with addictions and disabilities find jobs and training opportunities to an agency that provides supports to all job seekers, the release stated.
“For 50 years, 2nd Chance has been working in our community to help people facing barriers to employment by helping them to prepare and connecting them with local employers,” Longfield stated in the release.
“I have been fortunate to meet people years later, who have said what a difference 2nd Chance made during a critical time for them.
“I know employers also appreciate the help 2nd Chance provides to prepare people in meaningful ways to enter the workforce.
“I am honoured to provide federal support to enable 2nd Chance to continue to provide critical support for people in Guelph-Wellington.”
The current funding announcement is part of funding announced earlier this year by Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien to support more than 200 community-led projects to help 22,000 young people facing barriers to employment.
Projects across the country are receiving approximately $370 million over four years through Employment and Social Development Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) Program, the release stated.
Projects funded by the YESS Program can include mentoring, coaching, training, wrap-around services and paid work placements in a range of sectors, in order to set up participants for success.
“The Government of Canada is making sure that every young person in Canada gets access to the skills and experience they need to successfully transition into the labour market,” Ien stated in the release.
“These new projects are great examples of how the federal government and its partners can work together to create opportunities for all young people, particularly youth facing barriers and with disabilities, to hit the ground running and build fulfilling careers.”
