North Bay says Yes! to JobsNow

Yes! CEO Gisele Cousineau talks about the JobsNow pilot project that is being launched in North Bay and six other Ontario cities. Photo by Phil Novak, BayToday.ca.

A new pilot project will help connect people on social assistance with the hidden job market, says Trish Guelette, a spokeswoman for one of the organizations involved in JobsNow.

North Bay/Nipissing has been chosen as one of six sites for JobsNow, a joint effort among Yes! Employment Services Inc. (Nipissing), the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board (DNSSAB), the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, College Boreal—the college will deliver JobsNow in the West Nipissing area—WCG International, and the Ontario Works offices.

“This project will help people on income assistance help find sustainable long term work and improve their lives and the lives of their families,” Guelette said Wednesday, as the program was rolled out at the Yes! office on Main Street.

“It focuses on providing personalized one-on-one support such as individualized employment counselling, job placement and retention support for those who have been selected for the pilot.”

Yes! CEO Gisele Cousineau said her organization now provides the essential services to help people find “meaningful employment,” return to school, access training, “and become productive members of society.”

JobsNow focuses on people who have been on social assistance for 12 months or more and provides them with intensive support to get back into the labour force and into long-term employment,” says DNSSAB administrator Bill White.

“Most people on social assistance aren’t there out of choice. It’s usually a lack of opportunity and sometimes a lack of support to help them overcome some of the barriers that they face and they experience,” White said.

“The JobsNow pilot really helps us present more opportunities and more support to our clients and in particular I think the model that is being introduced is one that provides a lot of post-employment support, something that we certainly weren’t able to provide within the framework of the program we were delivering on behalf of the Ministry of Community and Social Services.”