June 1, 2023 Nanaimo, British Columbia Employment and Social Development Canada
Ensuring that persons with disabilities across the country have access to new opportunities and skills training so that they can contribute meaningfully to our economy is a priority for the Government of Canada.
Today, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, visited ETHOS Career Management Group, in Nanaimo, to announce funding for six organizations across Canada that are providing Canadians with the skills and support they need to succeed in the workforce. This $16 million investment through the Skills for Success program will provide training for over 7,400 Canadians, and some of these projects will serve persons with disabilities. These projects are:
- ETHOS' Skills Quest 4 Success Project
- TEAM Work Cooperative's Piloting Employment Project
- Saskatchewan Abilities Council's Job Skills for Success Project
- CBDC's Restigouche Project Skills for Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises to Succeed in Rural Canada
- Canadian Hard of Hearing Association's Accessible Navigation to Employment Program
- Canada Safety Council's Driver for Hire Project
ETHOS is also receiving $3 million under the Government of Canada's Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities to establish its project Entrepreneurs on the Rise - A Journey to Self-Employment for Women with Disabilities. This two-year project will provide around 200 women with disabilities in British Columbia the opportunity to create and implement their own business concepts and plans. Through one-on-one mentoring, concept development workshops and training, the women participating in this project will gain access to the fundamental skills that will enable them to confidently launch their own business. ETHOS will be working closely with Community Futures British Columbia on this project.
Today's announcement builds on the Government's ongoing actions to grow Canada's economy and build a more equitable and inclusive country, as announced in Budget 2023. It also supports the Government of Canada's Disability Inclusion Action Plan, which includes the employment strategy for Canadians with disabilities. The strategy will:
- help individuals prepare for, find and keep good jobs, as well as advance in their careers or become entrepreneurs;
- support employers' efforts for workplace diversification by helping them create inclusive and accessible workplaces for employees with disabilities; and
- increase the supply, capacity and reach of individuals and organizations that work to support disability inclusion and accessibility in employment.
