A new project between the provincial government and Holland College will benefit social assistance clients, says Janice Sherry, Community Services, Seniors and Labour Minister.
“We are very pleased to announce this collaborative partnership, which we hope will have a positive impact on Social Assistance clients,” said Minister Sherry. “Our department is committed to finding new and better ways to help our clients, and this project will help them by giving them the support and direction they need to access employment services in their community.”
The Department of Community Services, Seniors and Labour, in collaboration with the Department of Innovation and Advanced Learning, will partner with Holland College to provide Employment Support Services to Social Assistance clients. Social Assistance case workers and Employment Support Services staff will work together to help Social Assistance clients gain access to the community employment services that exist across the province. The project will run for one year with a possibility of an extension.
“By working with Islanders as they develop career and job skills, we can strengthen Island households and the Island as a whole. This is a perfect way in which Holland College and our department can carry out the important work of helping Islanders succeed in our developing economy,” said Allan Campbell, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning.
The Department of Community Services, Seniors and Labour will provide space for Employment Support Services staff within its existing office locations, which will be used for service delivery. The project will operate with a Coordinator, who has been hired through Holland College, and three Employment Support Services workers. While the Project Coordinator will be based out of Charlottetown, the three support workers will be based across the province with one person working full time in Charlottetown, another person in Summerside-O’Leary and a third support worker in the Souris and Montague area.
Employment Support workers will help clients pinpoint the challenges they have faced while searching for meaningful employment and, together, they will form a new approach in which clients will take advantage of community-based employment services that are available.
“The program is intended to advocate for social assistance clients by providing links to various community resources,” said Gaylene Nicholson, the Employment Support Services Project Coordinator from Holland College. “It is our plan to work with clients to identify past barriers and connect them with the proper services to overcome these barriers.”