The Economic Recovery Work Experience Initiative is a pandemic recovery project that aims to help employers and job seekers who have suffered economic impacts from COVID-19.
The Moose Jaw Multicultural Council’s Newcomer Welcome Centre (NWC) is offering information sessions for employers who are considering the project.
“My major responsibility is that I am in-between the employer and employee,” explained Abdul Alabi, employment development co-ordinator at the NWC. He ensures that the employer is happy with the job candidate, and he can mediate any disputes.
Alabi also advocates for the employee by making sure the employer follows the regulations of the initiative.
The NWC tries to get employees ready for new jobs by helping them obtain any necessary certifications or courses. Alabi said that one of their goals is to educate newcomers on Canadian culture and the Canadian work philosophy – it might not be the same as the culture they’ve come from.
The Economic Recovery Work Experience Initiative is a one-year program that expires at the end of December.
“We have the opportunity to place and match 25 individuals with employers,” said Melissa Mitchell, program manager at the NWC. She agreed with Alabi that they want employers participating in the initiative to be happy with their employees.
“We want to ensure that the client is work-ready,” Mitchell said. “So they understand the rules and regulations, their responsibilities and rights, and what responsibilities and rights the employer has as well.”
The initiative targets clients who are unemployed or underemployed and offers up to 16 weeks of wage subsidy for participating employers.
There is no specific incentive to continue employing NWC clients after the four-month initiative, but Mitchell hopes that employers will see those four months as a government-subsidized training period that results in a valuable asset to the company.
The initiative funds work experience in the following priority work sectors:
- Hospitality services
- Agriculture
- Retail
- Health services
- Information technology
- Childcare
While the NWC has 25 places available, there are other service providers in the province as well. A full list is on the initiative’s provincial website at Saskatchewan.ca.
Employers can receive up to $6,000 in wage cost-sharing per participant. In the first month, 100 percent of the provincial minimum hourly wage is covered; 80 per cent is covered in the second month; the third and fourth months will be 60 per cent covered.
Employers will be fully supported in finding the right candidate for their jobs. In return, they must be willing to engage with the service provider and with the terms of the initiative, which includes the intention to hire employee participants long-term.
The initiative is different from others in the support it offers employers. Employer participants don’t have to apply for the program – the service providers take care of all the paperwork.
For more information on the project, contact employment development coordinator Abdul Alabi at [email protected] or by phone at (306) 692-6892.
