MCC employment program sees results

Winnipeg

A Mennonite Central Committee-sponsored employment program called Opportunities for Employment started earlier this year in Winnipeg has placed 36 people in jobs as of mid-August, two of which were unsuccessful. The program is a two-year pilot project designed to help people in Winnipeg make the transition from welfare to work.

It was started in March by MCC, Mennonite Economic Development Associates and Trainex Centre, a division of Eden Health Care Services based in Winkler, Man.

John Wiebe, general manager of Opportunities for Employment, says the four-member staff is meeting its objectives to find jobs for about 10 people a month. In subsequent years, the number of placements is expected to increase to 250 a year.

The application rate from social assistance is high. Wiebe says his agency had 80 inquiries before the staff was hired in mid-April.

The program is based on models used by Trainex Centre and a US program called America Works. It begins with a five-day intensive orientation that includes an assessment of skills, job preparation training, tour of potential workplaces and if necessary, referrals to other agencies for more training. It also includes a one-year follow-up and support for new employees.

In helping applicants find jobs, "we make sure they understand the employer's expectations before they take a job," Wiebe explains. "They get a tour of the place and we ask them, 'Is this where you want to work?' "

The Province of Manitoba will reimburse the agency for costs related to job placements when the employee has held a job for six months. The first payments will be made at the end of the year.

Gladys Terichow, MCC Manitoba Communications

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