Territory inherits job programs

Photo by Vince Fedoroff

The Yukon government is now in charge of many of the employment programs in the territory that had previously fallen under the federal government’s domain.

The change took effect Feb. 1 after an agreement on it was signed last July. The arrangement enables the territory to assume responsibility for employment programs funded under the Employment Insurance program.

At a news conference held at Employment Central in Whitehorse this morning, Diane Finley, the federal Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, was joined by Education Minister Patrick Rouble in touting the move as one that will address the Yukon’s unique employment needs.

They were also joined by Yukon Senator Dan Lang, Judy Corley of Judy L. Corley Consulting Inc., which operates Employment Central, and Brian Bell, a former client of the service.

“We know that workers in different provinces and territories have different needs; that’s why the provinces and territories are best placed to design and deliver these types of programs,” Finley said. The Canada-Yukon Labour Market Development Agreement has made this a reality.”

The deal also makes the territory the last jurisdiction to take over responsibility of the programs.

Under the new agreement, the federal government will transfer approximately $4 million each year to the territory to deliver the programs.

That money will go to programs such as the services offered through Employment Central, däna Näye Ventures and other services.

Bell is among those who have benefited from Employment Central, which offers clients a number of services from coaching on their résumés to career counselling.

As he addressed those at this morning’s press conference, Bell told them of his experience of going Outside to pursue an education in wildlife.

It was while he was pursuing his masters’ degree in Montreal that Bell wasn’t able to get the grades he needed to continue his education and he began feeling like he “didn’t fit in the box.”

That eventually brought him back home to the Yukon, where he again had difficulty fitting into that box when he was looking for work.

He ended up at Employment Central. There, he found that what he was lacking was self-confidence.

He noted his thanks to staff at Employment Central on up to Employment Central’s funding sources like the federal government for treating him more like a person rather than a number in listening to him and helping him find work. He’s now with the Ta’an Kwachan Council.

“I’m very pleased,” he said.

Under the Employment Assistance Services program, $876,639 will go to the Employment Assistance Services program to provide job search resources and career counselling to clients and help them develop a return-to-work action plan and explore professional options.

“Employment Central has become the hub of job search for Yukoners since 2001, when we first started operations, and this funding will enable us to continue our programming into 2012,” Corley said.

“We look forward to working with the Yukon government on programs and services that address Yukon’s labour market issues and emerging trends.”

Following the news conference, Corley said it’s estimated about 3,500 people use the services at Employment Central in a given year.

That’s based on a calculation which adds the number of people coming in daily through the year divided by five.

In a given day, anywhere from 60 to 120 people come through the door at Employment Central, Corley said, noting that some of those are repeat clients.