February 8, 2021
Province Partnering with Opportunities for Employment to Provide Supports for EIA Recipients Facing Employment Barriers
– – –Provincial Investment Will Help Manitobans Find Work, Achieve Financial Independence: Squires
The Manitoba government is investing $1.9 million in a partnership with not-for-profit corporation Opportunities for Employment (OFE) to deliver three programs that will connect Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) participants with training and employment services, Families Minister Rochelle Squires announced today.
“Every Manitoban who can work should have the opportunity to experience the personal and financial benefits that stem from employment and self-sufficiency,” said Squires. “This partnership will offer specific EIA participants training and support, so they will be prepared to enter the workforce as we continue to lay the groundwork for Manitoba’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This is another step our government is taking to protect Manitobans as part of our pandemic response.”
This investment will support OFE to connect single parents receiving EIA and others facing barriers to employment with additional tailored supports. The Single Parent Employment Program is designed for participants whose primary barrier to employment is an absence of immediate child care. OFE is partnering with non-profit organization Taking Charge! to provide support and child-care solutions for single parents as they prepare for and enter the workplace.
In addition, the successful Community Home Services Program will be expanded to include a new part-time option to gain valuable work experience for single parents with school-aged children, while their children are attending school. OFE will also launch the Sustainable Employment Program to provide intensive, on-site workplace support for individuals with significant and more complex barriers to employment.
“The new projects will provide a continuum of support to individuals with very specific needs,” said Shawn Mahoney, executive director, OFE. “Partnering with the province and Taking Charge! allows us to combine our expertise and collectively contribute to the labour market success of specific EIA recipients we may not have reached independently.”
The programs are expected to support almost 200 current EIA recipients, the minister noted.
Today’s announcement supports the Manitoba government’s plan to focus on a client-centric, assessment-informed approach to providing financial assistance. It also recognizes that helping Manitobans gain independence relies on collaboration with different levels of government, as well as with external stakeholders and service providers.
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