New Project to Provide Enhanced Labour Market Opportunities

Through an investment of approximately $2 million from the Provincial Government, Stella Burry Community Services will provide enhanced training opportunities for adults who experience significant barriers to employment. The announcement was made at the Hungry Heart Café today, one of the flagship enterprises of Stella Burry.

“Labour Market Outlook 2020 identified a number of areas where the demand for labour will increase in the coming years,” said the Honourable Darin King, Minister of Human Resources, Labour and Employment and Lead Minister for the Poverty Reduction Strategy. “I am very pleased to announce this partnership with Stella Burry Community Services to undertake training in areas where we know opportunities will exist. This new initiative serves as a direct reflection of our government’s strategy to create employment, training and human resource programs and services that will improve employment outcomes for individuals who may be otherwise excluded. This will undoubtedly support a globally competitive economy for our province, now and in the future.”

The 30-month project will significantly increase the training possibilities at Stella Burry Community Services, which has been a leading example of dynamic social enterprise initiatives and has been successful at assisting adults in making labour market attachments. Under the new project, Stella Burry will provide work-based training to 80 adults in three distinct program areas – food services, construction trades and building maintenance – responding to identified labour market demands.

The organization will also pilot a new approach with the CanDo! Employment Now program where individuals can access additional hours of work without impact to their government benefits. As a result, many will be able to improve their standard of living and bridge to longer-term, sustainable employment.

“We commend the Provincial Government for this approach to assisting adults with barriers to employment make lasting connections to the labour market,” said Jocelyn Greene, Executive Director of Stella Burry Community Services. “This project will demonstrate that with the right balance of work-based training and other supports, adults who have previously been excluded from the workforce can and will make valuable contributions to their community and improve their standard of living at the same time.”

The project also introduces a more efficient way for community-based organizations to access funding. A multi-year agreement has been established that encompasses all of the existing employment-related contracts which Stella Burry Community Services has with the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment.

“This new approach will work better for our community partners as it provides greater efficiencies and a streamlined approach to reporting,” said Minister King. “Our government is very pleased that Stella Burry will be the first organization to avail of this new process. It is a reflection of our government’s commitment to provide more stable, effective funding options for community-based groups throughout the province.”

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2011 07 20                                                                            10:40 a.m.