Answering Your Questions
Is Job Quest different from other employment services?
Yes, Job Quest is different from other employment services because
we are a specialized service, helping a specific group of people. We
help people who have disabilities or other
barriers that can make it difficult
to find or keep a job.
Many employment programs try to fit the person to the jobs
available. We know that the key to success is meeting the needs of
both employer and the person who wants to work. In addition to
supporting people who are looking for work, we help employers to
create job opportunities in which our clients can truly succeed.
We don’t help you to find just any job; rather we work with you to
find a good job that will provide you with lasting and satisfying
employment. Everything that we do together is guided by your
employment plan, which we develop together based on your interests,
abilities and goals.
We work with the person
Working with the person, we identify the supports that you are
missing, assist you to access those resources and provide follow-up
- because if an individual’s personal life isn’t stable, (s)he won’t
be able to succeed at work.
Beyond just assisting our clientele to “find a job”, we provide help
you to prepare in every aspect of your lives - from basic life
skills development (for example, developing social skills) to
employment preparation and training. We provide job coaching,
on-the-job training and follow-up support to our clientele and their
employers for up to three years.
We support employers
Job Quest supports employers by offering a diversity of services
both around supporting the person from Job Quest (for example, job
coaching) and with a focus to improve the overall workplace
environment for all employees.
We create opportunities for all people to succeed in employment by
proactively identifying and addressing workplace issues that
contribute to employment barriers.
We educate the public
We strive to educate the public and to remove the stigma and myths
surrounding disability and work.
We identify and address emerging community needs
Job Quest identifies emerging employment needs in the community and
develops services, strategies and partnerships to address those
needs. For example, we are in the process of developing partnerships
in the education system so that we may reach out to isolated, rural
youth and adults who are experiencing difficulty in school and the
community.
The young people we are targeting are at risk of dropping out and
requiring social assistance. By proactively and assertively working
to address the needs of these students today, we can help them to
succeed at work so that they won’t have to turn to public
assistance.
We have also joined into a partnership with CMHA and Ross Memorial
Hospital to address the very special needs of the seriously mentally
ill – the group with the highest rate of unemployment in our
country. To
read more about the Consumer Initiated Economic Development Program,
click here.