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Orillia, ON
With more emphasis being placed on post-secondary education and advanced skills training, obtaining a position and advancing in the workforce can prove to be a difficult task. On top of that local businesses are struggling to find skilled workers and affordably upgrade the skills of their existing workforce.
But two local employment service centres in Orillia are here to help bridge those gaps.
For those struggling to navigate the ins-and-outs of employment, Georgian College’s Centre for Career and Employment Services (CCES) has proven to be a successful resource to use.
“We work with the entire community, not just students of Georgian College,” explained Holly Hie, site coordinator for the Orillia CCES. “Everyone can access the information and resources we provide and additional services are available to individuals who are unemployed, working less than 20 hours a week, not in school and are ready and willing to work.”
Located at Orillia’s Georgian College campus, the CCES has a team of professionals who provide knowledgeable advice to their clients. The main focus of CCES employees is not only finding individuals work or assisting in returning to school, but also helping them to build the confidence, skills and the experience they need to be successful in the workplace.
“The most rewarding part of my job is empowering people,” said a CCES employment services staff member. “In a few short minutes of speaking with people, listening to their skill sets and hearing about their education; their perception of what they can do changes. This empowers them to look at their skills and abilities in a different light, and they often leave with a smile on their face!”
With funding from The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Employment Ontario, the services and programs provided by CCES are provided at no cost—services that most of the public is unaware are available to them.
“I heard about the Employment Centre from a friend,” said Meg, a bio chemistry graduate from Carlton University and a successful user of the Employment Centre. “I had expressed issues about not being able to find entry level work in my field and in my area, so I tried it out. The whole experience was awesome and I am constantly recommending it to people.”
For the job seeker services include: resume and interview preparation workshops, one-on-one career counselling, information about who’s hiring in the area and assistance finding work or starting on a path to skills training.
“Last year our site worked with over 1,400 clients through one-on-one services, workshops and community events,” said Hie. “Eighty per cent of our clients last year moved to employment, self-employment or skills training.”
In addition, CCES offers services to the other side of the spectrum—the employer. The centre offers employers hiring incentives, access to local pre-screened candidates, interview and meeting space access, job posting services and apprenticeship support.
Of all the services provided by the CCES, the most noteworthy would be the funding opportunities that benefit the employer and job seeker as well as existing employees.
For the benefit of the employer and employee, the Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG) provides financial support to employers looking to purchase training for their staff. Both the Federal and Provincial Governments have committed to investing $192 million per year, for the next six years into the grant. As a shared investment, the grant gives employers the opportunity to invest in their workforce and provides employees the opportunity to improve their skill sets to meet workforce development needs.
“Georgian College has been successful to date delivering the Canada Ontario Jobs Grant. Employee participants and employers alike have benefitted from a variety of staff training such as blueprint reading, leadership training and systems improvements. But the possibilities are greater than this,” explained Hie. “The jobs grant is an excellent opportunity for those Employers who are committed to investing in education and training in their workforce.”
The CCES is one of two administrators of the grant in the Orillia area. Similar to CCES, Northern Lights Canada is also a service provider for Employment Ontario and delivers the Canada Ontario Job Grant. Employers who apply for a grant for more than 25 employees are approved by the Ministry, and in these cases Northern Lights provides them support and case management.
“We have approved nine grants and have two more in progress. We have committed 76 per cent of our available budget for this year and expect to commit the remainder in the next few weeks,” explained Kathy Low, Project Coordinator at Orillia’s Northern Lights office. “Success is getting the word out so that local employers can take advantage of the grant and upskill their workforce, as well as bring on new hires that need training to meet the employer’s needs. This grant will allow our local employers to be more successful and the whole community benefits.”
Another outstanding funding opportunity provided by both CCES and Northern Lights is the Youth Employment Fund (YEF) which offers benefits to the job seeker and the employer. Anyone aged 15 to 29-years-old who is unemployed, not participating in full-time education or training and a resident of Ontario can qualify for the YEF. Much like an internship, the YEF provides youth an entry into long-term employment. However, unlike the stereotypical internship, YEF candidates continue to earn an income while they work.
“The first time I heard about this opportunity was when I received a cold call from an employment services staff member at the Employment Centre,” explained Brandy, quality manager at a local plastics manufacturer in Orillia. “He was familiar with our company and had a recent grad that was looking for lab experience. It just so happened that I had a maternity leave position coming up in the fall and I knew I needed someone prior to that for a significant training period, to learn all the required technical skills.”
CCES worked with the company and provided the financial support needed to train a young candidate for the position. Ultimately, the YEF provides financial support for eligible candidates to both the employer and the job seeker by covering the cost of hourly wages, training, transportation or in some cases, the cost of tools required for the job.
With the guidance of CCES employees, candidates are set up with four to six month job placements to gain valuable experience and in most cases these placements lead to long-term employment.
For Meg, CCES provided her the opportunity she needed and she was hired on-the-spot during her first meeting with the company.
“As a recent grad, it’s hard to truly find entry level positions to apply to. Most postings say entry level, but require three to five years of experience,” explained Meg when asked about her experience working with the CCES. “The Employment Centre is extremely important. It gives new grads the stepping stones they need to get the experience employers are looking for. I can’t imagine coming into this position without the prior training—that wouldn’t have been fair to me or the company.”
Ultimately, the employment centre experience was a positive one from both the employee and the employer perspectives.
“The employment centre staff was excellent throughout the whole process and worked very hard to ensure we followed our training outline. The financial incentive was definitely a bonus and helped offset some of the training costs,” explained Brandy. “For this position in particular, the technical skills required are essential and being able to provide Meg the training for the position prior to the start of the maternity leave has been amazing! Overall, the Youth Employment Fund is an excellent way for young people to gain real life work experience and a great way for employers to bring in new employees.”
For those employers who are interested in the Youth Employment Fund, please contact either Georgian College’s Career and Employment Services Centre or Northern Lights Canada as soon as possible.
For more information on the services and funding opportunities offered by both employment services providers drop by or contact their offices at:
Georgian College
Centre for Career and Employment Services
825 Memorial Avenue, Orillia, ON, L3V 6S2
Phone: 705-329-3102
ccesorillia@georgiancollege.ca
www.iwantajob.ca
Northern Lights Canada
50 Andrew Street South, Orillia, ON, L3V 7T5
Phone: 705-325-9299
www.northernlightscanada.ca/Orillia
