1. Employment for People with Disabilities
DRAFT – IN DEVELOPMENT

2. Vision: WorkBC Employment Services
Affordability
WorkBC provides access to employment services that help people find better paying jobs – not just any job.
Inclusion
WorkBC supports people of all backgrounds and abilities to find a sense of purpose, community and a social outlet through employment.
Opportunity
WorkBC is focused on providing British Columbians with access to training and employment supports that will increase economic opportunities.
Reconciliation
WorkBC provides priority access to training and employment services for Indigenous peoples in British Columbia, helping to break the cycle of poverty.
Affordability: WorkBC provides access to employment services that help people find better paying jobs – not just any job. We offer services to people who are underemployed, not just unemployed. So British Columbians can be paid fairly and live more affordably.
Inclusion: WorkBC supports people of all backgrounds and abilities to find a sense of purpose, community and a social outlet through employment. Working offers more than economic benefits; people experience improved mental and physical health through employment.
Opportunity: WorkBC is focused on providing the lives of British Columbians with access to training and employment supports that will increase economic opportunities. Employment is the cornerstone of opportunity.
Reconciliation: WorkBC provides priority access to training and employment services for Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia, helping to break the cycle of poverty. Poverty is a barrier to reconciliation, and providing employment services helps to address the poverty challenges in Indigenous communities.

3. WorkBC WorkBC Employment Services
An integrated system of employment services and supports serving almost 40,000 British Columbians. Includes 103 WorkBC Centres in communities across BC. 64% of participants have achieved employment.
WorkBC Assistive Technology & Apprentice Services
Employment-related assistive technology and disability support services. And services and supports for apprentices to access the technical training portion of their apprenticeship.
Community and Employer Partnerships
We foster collaborative, coordinated networks of community organizations and employers across the province to anticipate emerging labour market issues or events.
Priority Initiatives
Development of new policy and initiatives for priority groups
Work is more than just a paycheque. After your name, the second question people ask you is ‘what do you do’? WorkBC is there to help people answer that question.
A key focus of WorkBC Employment Services is on improved employment outcomes – supporting individuals further from the labour market to get the services and supports they need to obtain and maintain employment.
The WorkBC program currently serves almost 40,000 people (38,735 active clients as per public Monthly Management Report):
38% BC Employment & Assistance Clients (BCEA) clients (approximately 15,000 clients)
45% federal Employment Insurance (EI) Clients (approximately 18,000 clients)
The remainder of clients are general clients not receiving BCEA or EI
The current employment outcome rate is 63.6% of WorkBC participants
Individuals receiving WorkBC Employment Services include (current statistics as of December 2018 MMR):
Indigenous Peoples 4,458
Francophones 439
Immigrants 8,617
People with Disabilities 15,481
Multi-barriered Individuals 11,133
Rural & Remote Clients 4,609
Survivors of Violence and/or Abuse 4,671
Youth 9,295
WorkBC Employment Services includes 45 community level contracts for 103 WorkBC Centres, and two province wide contracts for Apprentice Services and Assistive Technology Services .
Assistive Technology Services deliver employment-related assistive technology and disability support services to British Columbians facing disability related barriers to achieving or maintaining suitable employment.
Apprentices Services assists Clients with services and supports to access the technical (classroom) portion of their apprenticeship trade to achieve journey person status.

4. The New Program
A new WorkBC Employment Services program begins on April 1, 2019.
The new program focussed on sustained employment outcomes, gives more flexibility to service providers to get and keep employment.
WorkBC supports British Columbians to find and maintain meaningful employment.
 April 1, 2019 is an opportunity for WorkBC to be refreshed and for our Ministry to support improved outcomes with our most barriered clients.
new contract term is an opportunity to recalibrate the relationship and information sharing between the contractors and the Ministry.
 Streamlined, flexible and accessible service is key to our success.

5. Putting People First
The number of WorkBC Centres is increasing from 84 to 103 to ensure British Columbians have access to services in their community.
British Columbians can access any WorkBC Centre of their choice, regardless of the service catchment boundaries.
We are expanding Online Employment Services to provide a portal accessible to British Columbians from their home computer or their smart phone.
We know our contractors put people first. We want contractors to be sustainable and successful. Their success will be derived from the success of our clients. Sustainable jobs = outcome payments.
The minimum number of WorkBC Centres is increasing from 84 to minimum of 98 (103 to be exact!) to ensure British Columbians have access to WorkBC in their community.
British Columbians can access any WorkBC Centre of their choice, regardless of the catchment boundaries.
We are expanding Online Employment Services to provide a portal accessible to British Columbians from their home computer or their smart phone. This will allow easier access to virtual services and streamline the intake process.
We are increasing funding to persons with disabilities through a separate WorkBC Assistive Technology Services contract which will work in tandem with WorkBC Employment Services to ensure people with barriers to employment get the supports they need to find and keep a job. Standardized assessments will provide a consistent level of service across the province.
We are increasing funding to persons with disabilities to ensure people with barriers to employment get the supports they need to find and keep a job.

6. Highlight: Resources for People
WorkBC Centres:
Financial Supports, Training, Assistive Technology, Assessments, Job Counselling, Resumes, Placement and Post-Placement Support
WorkBC.ca website
WorkBC locations
Labour Market Information
Job Board, Career Toolkit
Annual Earnings Exemptions – BC was the first province employment earnings to be considered annually

7. Highlight: Resources for Organizations
Community Employer Partnerships Funding:
Labour Market Partnerships: Learn about the Labour Market in your community and what opportunities exist
Project-based Training and Job Creation: funding to train people in your community while getting a community benefit: e.g., Housing, trails, renovated community space…
E.g., Rick Hansen Foundation
Research and Innovation: Partner with a research and try new ways to support people with employment: e.g., BCWIN

8. Going Forward -WorkBC Opportunities
With a renewed program, we see an opportunity for renewed relationships with:
Communities & Employers
Indigenous Organizations
People
Our Service Providers
The Federal Government
With a renewed program, we see an opportunity for renewed relationships with our contractors and how we work with them in communities. It also speaks to how we work with other Ministries like Advanced Education, Skills & Training (AEST) so that we’re more complementary in the array of services.
Renewed relationship through the Labor Market Transfer Agreements (LMTA) and enhancing work together via complementary programming.
It’s an opportunity for us to focus on partnerships; forge deeper engagement with communities, particularly Indigenous peoples and using our Community and Employer Partnerships (CEP) streams in concert with other Ministries like our colleagues at AEST.