December 3, 2007
MARKETABILITIES MEANS MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MANITOBANS WITH DISABILITIES: MACKINTOSH
– – –New $7-million Component of Rewarding Work Strategy Unveiled on International Day of Disabled Persons
People with disabilities will now have more of the supports they need to find meaningful employment through a comprehensive initiative announced today by Family Services and Housing Minister Gord Mackintosh, minister responsible for persons with disabilities, and Finance Minister Greg Selinger, minister responsible for the civil service.
“While the average number of Manitobans on employment and income assistance is at its lowest level in over two decades, Manitobans with disabilities receiving social assistance continue to experience challenges in obtaining employment,” said Mackintosh. “There must be new strategies involving both the private and public sectors to unleash the potential of these Manitobans.”
“This disability community is one of the largest untapped work and volunteer resource pools of the 21st century. The government has been working with our agency in order to develop comprehensive solutions to not only create employment, but create sustainable employment for the disability community as a whole,” said John Young, executive director of the Independent Living Resource Centre.
A total of $7 million will be invested in marketAbilities, a new program under the Rewarding Work strategy, to help people with disabilities find and keep jobs. The new marketAbilities program includes:
· A new $300,000 marketAbilities fund will support projects to help get more Manitobans with disabilities living in rural and northern communities into jobs through support and increased co‑operation between potential employers and other community stakeholders. Approved projects can receive up to $50,000 per year for a maximum of two years. For example, Dauphin’s Almost New Store is the first funded project. The project provides a hands-on supportive work experience program in a second-hand variety store for low-income, unemployed disabled individuals including those on income assistance. Over the next two years, more than 18 people are expected to participate in the Dauphin program.
· A personal attendant community education programwill provide more supports to people with disabilities so they can more fully participate in employment and the community. The Independent Living Resource Centre’s five-week training program for independent-living attendants will be enhanced with $90,000 in annual funding. This investment will allow the program to graduate up to 150 new independent-living attendants each year, doubling the current capacity of the program.
· A specialized marketAbilities team utilizing partnerships with the community, the business sector and government employment programs will provide interested people with disabilities receiving income assistance in Winnipeg with help finding jobs, primarily through referrals to community employment programs. Initially a pilot project, the marketAbilities team will be enhanced as a permanent resource, providing intensive, specialized services that complement existing resources.
· More pre-employment support for people with mental-health concerns will be provided. Sara Riel’s Work Placement Force Program will receive an additional $191,000 to expand and enhance job-search and placement services, work-site and job-retention supports, as well as counselling and referral. This funding will help 45 additional participants and more than double the program’s current annual capacity. Enhanced funding will also provide for more intensive job-retention supports.
· The Income Assistance for Persons with Disabilities benefit will be increased by $25 to $105 per month, an increase of 30 per cent effective in January. The $6-million investment will assist 17,300 employment income assistance recipients with disabilities with the additional costs associated with living in the community as well as with participation in employment preparation and volunteerism.
· A provincial civil service diversity strategy will provide a new and comprehensive approach bringing together in one integrated effort a number of aggressive measures to promote further equity and diversity. Building on the principles of merit, equity and fairness, one commitment of the strategy is to increase the number of well-qualified persons with disabilities in the civil service to five per cent by 2012 from 2.8 per cent. The long-term goal is seven per cent.
“Manitoba remains committed to the fair representation of all citizens in the provincial civil service. The addition of more well-qualified persons with disabilities has benefited not only the public through improved services, it has helped government in meeting its succession needs,” said Selinger. “Today, we pledge to increase the number of persons with disabilities in the civil service in order to build on these benefits.”
A second program co-ordinator for people with disabilities is being added by the Civil Service Commission to support and increase community liaison, communication, education and recruitment efforts, Selinger said.
MarketAbilities complements the doubling of cash asset exemptions for people with disabilities on income assistance announced earlier this year, as well as enhanced work incentives announced in November.
Recently, the Manitoba Legislative Building became the first legislative building in Canada to provide full access at its front doors with the completion of a $1.8-million universal access ramp.
More information on marketAbilities and the Rewarding Work strategy can be found at www.gov.mb.ca/rewardingwork.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ATTACHED
Backgrounder
Previous Rewarding Work Announcements - http://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/newslinks/2007dec/marketAbilities.FH.doc