6.3 Employment History and Personal Job Plan

6.3.1 EMPLOYMENT HISTORY AND PERSONAL JOB PLAN

EIA supports employable participants to become employed within a mutually responsible relationship between participants and workers. Workers in the program provide the participant with information about appropriate opportunities, assist the participant in identifying job search resources and determine whether the participant is meeting employment expectations. Participants are responsible for maintaining an active job search.

With the exception of persons with disabilities, elderly, 5(1)(f) children and women in crisis shelters, all participants are provided with a pre-intake orientation package that includes the Employment History and Personal Job Plan form. This form is completed and returned with the completed application.

The Employment History and Personal Job Plan form provides:

1. basic information about the participant's work history and skills;
2. documentation of the participant's personal job plan; and
3. documentation of the employment expectation for the participant and confirmation of the participant's acceptance of the employment expectation.

6.3.2 THE PERSONAL JOB PLAN

The Personal Job Plan determines the specific employment expectations for each participant. In developing the plan, it is important to remember that the goal is to enable participants to enter the workplace. The responsibility of participants is to find a job and to reduce or eliminate their dependence on assistance. Therefore, no reasonable job offer may be refused. When participants are employed, they will have more opportunities to plan for the long term.

The steps included in a Personal Job Plan must be realistic for specific individuals, for the area in which they live, and for the job opportunities currently available. In reviewing the plan, the worker ensures that the participant has identified achievable steps. Unless the worker has specific concerns with the plan (such as, the participant wants to apply for positions for which he or she does not have the required qualifications, there appear to be steps missing, or employment is a long-term goal), the participant is encouraged to implement the plan.

6.3.3 EMPLOYABILITY ASSESSMENT

1. Family Responsibilities

Single parents are employable. Although family responsibilities present an additional barrier to employment for single parents, this barrier can be overcome. Once children are in school, parents have additional time available to search for a job and to meet their employment expectations.

Please note:

• Participants with at least one child under six are not required to search for work, unless they have previously received EIA support while taking training.
• Participants with children under six are encouraged to begin to think about an employment plan and to prepare for employment, in anticipation of their youngest child turning six.

While there are no employment expectations for participants with a child under six, these participants may access general job opportunities through the program and, with the support of their worker, identify goals and actions. If participants wish to participate in training opportunities, they need to consider the specific employment opportunities that training will offer. Where participants have received support, the worker assists participants to explore options that enable them to balance employment and child care responsibilities.

The above employment expectations apply to participants who home school their children. Participants are required to handle their job search or employment expectations accordingly (i.e. work evenings or home school in evenings etc.). Work expectations may be deferred on a case by case basis if the child is home schooled as a result of health issues.

Participants who have dependants with special needs, that require extensive care from their parents, are also not required to work. However, the worker may discuss the possibility of employment with the participant and assist the participant to explore options.

2. Employment History, Skills and Abilities

Goals and actions included in the Personal Job Plan should match participants' skills and abilities, as demonstrated by their experience (paid or volunteer), their education and training, and the length of time since their last job. Where participants' social or language skills may be a factor in their employability, the worker may help participants to direct their job search to appropriate employers. Where participants' skills do not match available job opportunities, the worker may consider work placements or specific training that would allow participants to improve their skills.

3. Access/Availability of Resources

Goals and actions included in the Personal Job Plan must match the resources available, such as child care, transportation and jobs. The director or designate is responsible for establishing minimum employment expectations within specific communities. Where an individual participant is affected by these factors, the worker may assist the participant in identifying ways to overcome these barriers. Any actions identified may be incorporated into the participant's Personal Job Plan.

4. Physical or Mental Health, Physical or Mental Capacity

Where participants' limitations are not confirmed through a doctor's certificate, the worker may help participants identify jobs that match their capabilities. Referrals to appropriate rehabilitation programs or other agencies, or a deferral of employment expectations for a specific period of time, may also be applicable.

5. Children Under 18

Children under 18 are encouraged to remain in school and to complete their education. When a dependent child is 16 or 17 years of age and is not in an educational program, the child is subject to employment expectations: The child, the participant and the worker will develop the child's Personal Job Plan together.

6. Readiness/Motivation

All participants want to work. The Personal Job Plan helps participants to identify the work they are ready to do and the actions they can take to find employment.

Considering each of these factors, the worker reaches an agreement with participants regarding the Personal Job Plan, including the number of employers to be contacted, the types of jobs to be considered, how often to report, and any other actions to be taken.

6.3.4 COMPLETION OF THE FORM

Completion of the Employment History and Personal Job Plan is the responsibility of participants, however, the worker must ensure that all areas of the form are completed in the initial interview and that the information provided is self-explanatory. The form is intended to help participants determine their employability, what they need to do to become employed, and to provide the worker with necessary information. Where the worker and the participant cannot come to an agreement on the plan, the worker makes the final decision. Once the plan is ready to be implemented, it is signed by both the participant and the worker and each receive a copy of the completed form.

6.3.5 WHO IS SUBJECT TO EMPLOYMENT EXPECTATIONS?

Employment expectations are set out in sections 10(1) to (3) of the Regulation, "Obligations Respecting Employment."

Employment expectations apply to:

• all adults in a general assistance (GA) household;
• single parents whose youngest child is six years old or over;
• single parents with children under six years old who received EIA while participating in an employability enhancement measure;
• 16 and 17 year old children who are not attending education or training; and
• minor GA applicants (for more on employment expectations for minors, see section 9.2.3

Employment expectations do not apply to:

• aged participants and participants with disabilities;
• children attending education or training;
• participants with dependants in need of special care;
• participants residing in crisis intervention facilities;
• single parents with at least one child under six years old, unless they received EIA while participating in an employability enhancement measure; and
• minor single parents in the last trimester of pregnancy or with a child under six years old (for more on minor expectant mothers and minor single parents, see Section 8.3.1.

All EIA participants are encouraged to take advantage of EIA's employment services, whether or not employment expectations apply. Where employment expectations do not apply, participants may assess EIA's employment services on a voluntary basis. (For more on who is not subject to employment expectations, see section 6.5.3).

6.3.6 TRANSITION TO EMPLOYMENT EXPECTATIONS

For participants who are employable and were enrolled prior to May 1, 1996, the case review process will be used to inform these participants of their employment expectation, to make arrangements for them to attend an orientation session, and to prepare an Employment History and Personal Job Plan.

In the month the participants' youngest child turns six years of age, participants are notified of their employment obligations and arrangements are made for them to attend an orientation session and to prepare an Employment History and Personal Job Plan. These participants may attend an orientation at an earlier point, at their option, as a means of planning ahead for employment.

6.3.7 DEFERRAL OF EMPLOYMENT EXPECTATIONS

See section 6.5.3 for more information on "Deferring Employment Expectations".

Back to Table of Contents