Cathy Dobson It seems there’s no end to the current shortage of workers forcing employers to reduce store hours, curtail services and, in extreme cases, shut down altogether.
Cathy Dobson
It seems there’s no end to the current shortage of workers forcing employers to reduce store hours, curtail services and, in extreme cases, shut down altogether.
But in Sarnia-Lambton there is a source of reliable employees that is easily overlooked, says Evan Dawe, spokesman for a government-funded program that offers free training for workers with disabilities.
“A lot of businesses complain they are short of staff,” said Dawe. “If they haven’t considered hiring someone with a disability, we want them to know there’s a whole population of jobseekers they should be talking to.”
The program is called jobPath and its run by Employment Transitions on Exmouth Street. People of all ages with a myriad of disabilities such as Down syndrome, autism, dyslexia or auditory processing disorders are accepted into jobPath. Many are new to the job market, having just graduated from high school or college. Others have been in the workforce before and been sidelined by health issues such as a stroke that leaves them with a disability.
All are provided a six-week training program to prepare for competitive employment.
“We focus on things like time management, communication skills and goal-setting,” said Dawe. “We treat our six weeks together like a job, teaching the importance of punctuality and a strong work ethic.”
At a time when employers often find that employees inexplicably don’t show up, a jobPath grad learns that’s not acceptable, Dawe said.
The training program also gives jobPath staff a chance to get to know their clients well and learn what kind of job is a good match.
“We get to know what they are good at and what would work best for them. That way we can make good matches based on the need of employers in our community,” he said. About 80% of jobPath grads get and maintain jobs.
JobPath is how 31-year-old Ryan McLeod found his job 12 years ago.
McLeod has Asperger syndrome and routine is very important to him.
“When I don’t have routine, I get nervous, I have anxiety, it’s just harder,” he explained.
After graduating from Northern Collegiate, McLeod got a referral to jobPath, took the training and was hired by the company that operates the cafeteria at Lambton College.
“I started as a dishwasher and now they trust me to do multiple jobs here,” he said. “I like working here. It’s my happy place. It’s my routine.”
Sarah Cusden is McLeod’s job coach from jobPath and worked alongside him in the cafeteria for the first two weeks til he was accustomed to the job. Twelve years later, she continues to check in and does the occasional site visit. If a client needs to learn new job skills, coaches like Cusden come in to help train.
“We have people working in industry, administration, in manufacturing, in retail and the service sectors,” said Dawe. “Our main selling point is that a job candidate from our program is thoroughly vetted. They are motivated, they are reliable and they receive onsite support with their coach.”
For more information, contact jobPath at Employment Transitions by calling 519-332-4004.
