Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, issued the following statement on today’s monthly employment release by Statistics Canada, which showed Ontario added 43,200 jobs in September.

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The theme for #NDEAM2021 is disability inclusion and the goal is to highlight the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement. Community Living South Muskoka’s Employment Services Program currently supports 40 individuals living and working in Muskoka, providing them with training, one-one coaching and skill-building opportunities to help them thrive in both their jobs and their communities.

Take a moment this October to visit odenetwork.com and read more about NDEAM2021

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Step Forward, created and run by YWCA Muskoka, is a six-week program designed to help women and gender diverse individuals develop their strengths and find meaningful employment in Muskoka.

According to a National report (feministrecovery.ca), women have borne the brunt of the economic losses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Within Canada, in March 2020, women represented 70 per cent of all job losses in the core demographic aged 25 to 54 years. YWCA Muskoka, along with YWCAs across Canada, is advocating that women need to be centered in Canada’s economic recovery efforts.

A report to District Council on Muskoka’s Labour Market said the area’s higher-paying jobs are steadily being replaced by lower-paying ones as shifts from the production of goods in industries like manufacturing and construction take place in favour of a more service-based economy. These jobs tend to pay less and be more precarious.

Francesca Fernandes, YWCA Muskoka Employment Coach and creator of Step Forward, says the program will help address these issues by collaborating and working with employers in the area who are working towards paying a living wage and who can provide stable working conditions, like paid sick days.

“Through the Step Forward program, we want to highlight not only what Muskoka-based employers are looking for, but also what the community members of Muskoka seek in positive and meaningful employment. We want to connect with employers who are willing to provide equitable working conditions and wages,” Fernandes said.

Step Forward is a free program that combines independent work, peer support, and one-to-one assistance with a trained facilitator. Participants can expect to leave with tools to navigate the process of finding employment, including marketing skills and managing the work-life balance. The program also includes networking and mentorship opportunities with local businesses and entrepreneurs. Other topics will include:

• Identifying strengths and values
• Discovering transferable skills
• Honing interview skills
• Writing resumes and cover letters
• Managing stress and anxiety
• Tips for learning new information
• Navigating job searches and applications
• Maintaining a new employment position

Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to complete free, professional trainings and/or certifications at their own pace on a variety of topics like Smart Serve, WHMIS, customer service training, Microsoft Word, Excel, health and safety, and more.

“We recognize that knowing how to find employment and market your skills might not be something we inherently know how to do or were taught how to do. By offering time and experience in the Muskoka job search we hope to better connect potential candidates with equitable and person-centered employment in the community,” Fernandes said.

Step Forward will take place ONLINE via Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 pm to 3 pm, starting Sept. 14 and ending Oct. 21, 2021. For those who cannot join during daytime hours, an evening program will begin in November on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 pm to 8 pm.

Registration is now open at: www.ywcamuskoka.com/step-forward

For more information about the program, please call Francesca Fernandes (she/her) at 705-645-9827.

Step Forward was created through a grant for Training and Employment Supports from the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, Office of Women’s Issues.

YWCA Muskoka champions positive change for women and girls through education, leadership and advocacy. We envision a future in which all women and girls are thriving. www.ywcamuskoka.com

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“Community Living Huntsville promotes inclusion and diversity throughout our community, and we have provided our Supported Employment services since 1990,” says Diane Lupton, manager of community supports for Community Living Huntsville. “We have relationships with more than 125 local businesses and organizations in North Muskoka, and are excited to support more jobseekers through the addition of this new partnership with Fleming College Muskoka-Kawarthas SSM.”

The new Muskoka-Kawarthas SSM model streamlines 17 employment service providers within the District of Muskoka, Peterborough County, Haliburton County, City of Kawartha Lakes, and Northumberland County into one employment service team managed by Fleming College.

The province’s aim is to find innovative and efficient approaches to employment services to better connect all jobseekers with sustainable employment opportunities using locally responsive, community-based, outcomes-focused, and client-centered services for individuals and businesses.

As a result, Community Living Huntsville, in addition to its long-standing Supported Employment services for people with developmental disabilities, now also offers employment supports for jobseekers supported by the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP), who have complex barriers to employment, in the Huntsville area until at least March 31, 2022.

A Community Living Huntsville Employment Specialist can help plan employment goals based on an eligible person’s interests and skills, facilitate education and training opportunities to grow a person’s networks and career, and help them obtain a job suited to them, and then provide on-the-job coaching and work with both employee and employer to make sure everyone is satisfied.

Eligible people interested in these Employment Services supports can get a referral from their ODSP case manager or contact employment@clhuntsville.ca.

https://muskoka411.com/fleming-college-launches-new-employment-service-for-muskoka-kawarthas/

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This Labour Day, as we pause to recognize the historic contributions of working people in Canada, it feels like there is little to celebrate and much to hope for.

This COVID-19 crisis has been very hard for workers across the country, and Orillia, Muskoka and the communities around them are no different. We’ve seen workers who have lost loved ones, who were put out of work, and who were deemed essential and had to keep working at great risk to themselves and to their families.

As the dust settles, we will need to start to rebuild. And if we need to rebuild, why not rebuild a fairer and more just society?

We should all be calling on our governments to replace lost jobs with better ones. Ones that pay better wages, have better benefits like pensions and health benefits, and are environmentally responsible.

We should be demanding that ALL workers deserve paid sick days, to ensure the health of our people and of our economy.

Canada is a nation built upon very different values than those of our neighbour to the south. We all must reject American-style cuts, austerity, and remember, we’re all in this together. It is in our national interest to make sure every member of our communities are healthy physically, mentally, and financially. It’s time to disaster-proof our nation.

Mike De Rose, President
North Simcoe Muskoka & District Labour Council

The opinions of the writer of the above letter does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Muskoka411.

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