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:
- basic information about the participant's work history and skills;
- documentation of the participant's personal job plan; and
- documentation of the employment expectation for the participant and confirmation of the
participant's acceptance of the employment expectation.
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.
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.
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 receives a copy of the completed form.
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).
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.
See section 6.5.3 for more information on "Deferring
Employment Expectations".
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