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NEADS receives funding from Government of Canada to hold employment forums in British Columbia

(Ottawa, August 28, 2012) - The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is pleased to announce that we have entered into a contribution agreement with the Government of Canada in British Columbia to hold three one-day “Strategies to Employment” Forums in Victoria, Vancouver and Kelowna during the coming academic year. This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada's Youth Awareness program with just over $78,000 to support the costs of planning and implementing these events. The employment forums will be held in Victoria on October 13th at the Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour, in Vancouver on November 9th at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown and in Kelowna in February or March, 2013 – location and date to be confirmed.

“In today's environment, it is more important than ever that all Canadians have the skills needed to participate and succeed in the job market," said the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages and Minister Responsible for British Columbia.  "That is why, through Economic Action Plan 2012, our government is investing an additional $30 million over three years to help people with disabilities gain employment."

The overall vision of the project is to assist post-secondary students/graduates with disabilities in conducting effective job searches and to learn strategies to help them overcome the barriers they may face in finding employment upon graduation.  By participating in the forums, students and graduates with disabilities will be in a better position to obtain paid employment following graduation. All events will be accessible, inclusive and cross-disability focused.  Speakers will include campus career counsellors, human resources/recruitment experts from private sector companies, representatives from government employment programs, and persons with disabilities who have successfully transitioned from college or university education into a career. Youth with disabilities in post-secondary programs of study will be the primary participants, but we will also seek to involve disabled youth in high schools in each community. Each employment forum will include an exhibit area with displays from private sector companies, government programs, employment agencies and non-governmental organizations that have employment programs.

We will be using an accessible online registration system as we have done with previous NEADS events. More details about these events will be posted on the NEADS website in the coming weeks. For further information, please contact the NEADS office: National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS), Rm. 426 Unicentre, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, tel. (613) 380-8065, ext. 201,

Victoria Strategies to Employment event page:

http://www.neads.ca/en/about/projects/jss/victoria2012.php

Captioned videos of workshops in Victoria:

http://www.neads.ca/en/norc/videos/

Vancouver Strategies to Employment event page:

http://www.neads.ca/en/about/projects/jss/vancouver2012.php

Captioned videos of workshops in Vancouver:

http://www.neads.ca/en/norc/videos/

Vancouver Strategies to Employment signed Youtube video, by Jessica Dunkley, Project Assistant:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHDW3Zg9eNg

For more information, please contact the NEADS National Office:
National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
Rm. 426 Unicentre, Carleton University
Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6
tel. (613) 526-8008
www.neads.ca