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Federal and Provincial Governments announce JEEPS Project

The federal and provincial governments have reached a partnership agreement for the start of a Job Experience and Employment in the Public Service (JEEPS) Project for Persons with Disabilities.

Julie Bettney, Minister of Works, Services and Transportation, on behalf of Paul Dicks, President of Treasury Board, and Jules Oliver, Director General, Diversity Management Directorate, on behalf of Ruth Hubbard, President of the Public Service Commission of Canada, announced details concerning the JEEPS project at the Career Centre for Persons with Disabilities. They emphasized the federal and provincial governments' commitment to fair and equal access to public service employment for persons with disabilities.

"The $1 million JEEPS project is a unique partnership between the federal and provincial governments that is the first of its kind in the country," said Minister Bettney. "It is an agreement that will enable people with disabilities to gain skills and experience through obtaining employment in the federal and provincial public service."

"The Public Service Commission of Canada is delighted to join with our colleagues from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador in establishing this partnership to increase representation of persons with disabilities," said Mr. Oliver. "This is an excellent example of embracing the diversity challenge through the development of public service employees. Partnerships such as these make good business sense."

Objectives of the JEEPS project include:

• To move a number of persons with disabilities who are employed in the provincial public service through the Opening Doors program to federal assignments;
• To establish a Career Development Centre for Persons with Disabilities to house both the JEEPS project and the Opening Doors program and to provide career planning services for persons with disabilities who are interested in public sector employment;
• To provide orientation to managers to facilitate the integration of persons with disabilities into the workplace and;
• To provide orientation to persons with disabilities upon their initial appointment to the public service and to those who are accepted for federal assignments.

Participants in the JEEPS project will be selected from the Opening Doors' Applicant Inventory List. The list contains the names of qualified candidates who will be considered for filling federal positions through external competitions, and backfilling Opening Doors positions vacated by candidates who participate in federal assignments.

Contact:

     Barbara Harris                     Bonnie Kavanagh
     Minister Bettney's Office          Public Service Commission of 
     (709) 729-5884                     Canada, Local District 
                                        (709) 772-4315.