ESPC Documents/PUBLICATIONS/A.06.B FACT SHEETS/2010 March fact sheet Federal Budget.pdf
Category: **Digital Resources
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Room for change: The Champion’s Centre’s Progressive Approach to Alberta’s Homelessness Crisis
Room for change: The Champion’s Centre’s Progressive Approach to Alberta’s Homelessness Crisis.
Book by Rush, Halbauer & Hopchin, The Champion’s Centre, 2006.
I’ve always admired people who aren’t afraid of dreaming big, and Klaas Klooster fits that profile well. Recognizing the need for long-term housing solutions for those who are chronically without a home, especially those suffering from mental illnesses, Klooster dreamt of The Champion’s Centre. Room for change recounts the journey of bringing that dream to reality, and it is an inspiring and eye-opening tale.
The Champion’s Centre was founded in Ponoka in 2002. It “combines ecologically and financially valid concepts of compressed housing for the disabled, those that are homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless.” The Centre houses over a dozen men in individual units, and provides them with services such as a hot meal, cleaning, and personal encouragement. The Centre also incorporates small businesses into its premises; this model provides funding for the organization and gives part-time work opportunities to residents who are capable of taking on the responsibility.
A second Champion’s Centre was founded in Medicine Hat in 2006. Since this book was published a location was opened in Brooks and plans for an Edmonton Centre have been set in motion.
The Champion’s Centre model is unique with respect to other group homes. The Centre receives some of its funding from the government and other community organizations, but it also generates its own support through its on-site businesses. As a result, tenants are able to live for substantially less than if they maintained an independent residence.
This book is an engaging read, providing narrative accounts from staff, volunteers and residents at The Champion’s Centre, as well as from staff at other temporary shelters. They discuss some of the obstacles and rewards they meet in their day-to-day work, and they reflect on the necessity of having many types of people involved in this kind of project. While visionaries like Klaas Klooster provide a dream for new initiatives, others bring forward practical know-how related to maintenance and support raising. Klooster reflects on the value of having community support for a project like this and relays some advice on how to garner it.
The book also provides a discussion of the ties between homelessness and mental illness, giving a brief summary of several of the mental illnesses that contribute to homelessness. The point is made that “while humanity may still lack the power to eradicate mental illness, it certainly has the power to eradicate homelessness.” The Champion’s Centre has focused on providing housing for those with mental illnesses because of the high prevalence of mental illness among people who are without a home.
Read this book if you work with the homeless or recently housed; if you are interested in the link between mental health and housing; if you need inspiration for bringing your dreams to fruition.
Visit The Champion’s Centre website
Review by Jennifer Hoyer
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Valorizing Immigrant’s Non-Canadian Work Experience
Valorizing Immigrant’s Non-Canadian Work Experience.
Report from Canadian Council on Learning, 2009.
As a result of Canada’s low birth rate, and the retirement of an aging population, immigrant workers are becoming increasingly important in Canada’s labour force. This report explores foreign work experience and its role in the assessment and recognition of immigrants’ qualifications for Canadian jobs.
The identified barriers that immigrants face when searching for work in Canada include (1) lack of recognition for foreign credentials, (2) language barrier, and (3) the lack of valorization of foreign work experience. Unfortunately, most programs and initiatives today are only designed to address the first two.
This becomes a major problem, placing immigrants in a Catch 22 situation where they are unable to get a job without Canadian experience, and are unable to get Canadian experience without a job.
This report further examines foreign work experience through innovative practices, challenges, and government support
Innovative Practices to Valorizing Foreign Work Experience
One innovative practice includes the preparation, organization, and conduct of interviews. Organizations such as RBC, Assiniboine Credit Union, and Manulife train or coach immigrant applicants in cross cultural communication techniques to explain and understand how foreign experience relates to the Canadian labour market. This approach requires thatimmigrants learn about the cultural context of the Canadian workplace, the Canadian labour market, and the operations and informal culture of the industry sector; and recruiters and managers learn about the different effects of cultural differences on communication.
Innovative practices also include bridging programs that integrate immigrants’ foreign experience into the assessment of their knowledge and skills, the demonstration of competencies, resume preparation and job searches, and customized internships and placements. These bridging programs are evident in a few organizations including The Immigrant Skilled Trades Employment Program (ISTEP), Workplace Integration of Newcomers (WIN), and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).
Challenges
One of the prevailing challenges is the lack of recognition by employers of the value of work experience acquired outside Canada. This is often due to the inability of employers to understand how foreign work experience may relate to the Canadian workplace and contribute to it. This causes many employers to simply refuse foreign work experience as valid experience for employment.This report also argues that the “diversity advantage” that immigrants with foreign experience can bring to our economy to enhance our international competitiveness is utilized by few employers; some who may even argue that it does not exist.Addressing this problem will require investments of time, effort, and money to provide effective communication and well-designed education and training.
Government Support
Many innovative practices for valorizing foreign work experience have been exercised by the Immigrant Settlement Agencies (ISAs), with support from Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Immigrant Settlement and Adaption Program and some provincial governments. As well the federal government’s Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR) program in late 2003 with a budget of $68 million stimulated a variety of initiatives.These initiatives have resulted in an increased openness among employers to understand the experience and needs of immigrants, and to take unaccustomed risks in recruitment, hiring, and workplace integration practices.
Promising Developments
Although there are many promising developments surrounding the issue of valorizing foreign work experience, it is evident that Canada’s employers and governments still face many challenges in creating a smooth transition for immigrants looking for work in Canada. Organizations must begin to recognize and value immigrant experience to not only address the trending worker shortage in Canada, but to also identify the opportunity of hiring immigrants as a ‘diversity advantage’ where they are gaining new skills and experience that will further drive organizations to new strengths and economic competitiveness.Read this report if you are an organization interested in valorizing foreign work experience, or are an individual interested in immigration work related issues.
Read the report online.
Review by Darlene Paranaque
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Stretched to the Limit: Economic Impact Survey, Alberta’s Nonprofits & Charities
Stretched to the Limit: economic impact survey, Alberta’s nonprofits & charities by the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations. Results from October 2009.
No one needs to be reminded that times are tough; as we develop coping mechanisms for the current economic situation, many nonprofit organizations are unsure of what the future will bring.
The Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (CCVO) has released data from its third survey of nonprofits in Alberta, and results line up with the general atmosphere: Nonprofits have been hit hard by the economic downturn and are afraid of what further economic hardship may bring.The sector has done a good job of coping with the various impacts of the recession. Organizations have looked to streamline their operations, letting go of staff where necessary while trying to maintain programs. Cost cutting is done in areas that will not affect programs; in some instances this results in greater collaboration, partnerships, and mergers. Many programs have been saved by these efforts.
Another major impact of economic hard times has been an increase in service demands, especially in the health and social service sectors. Respondents in this survey revealed that many clients are coming to them who have never had to look for outside help before. As organizations are struggling to find finances to meet existing needs, the demand for their services is increasing.
The CCVO’s survey shows that nonprofit organizations have seen decreases in revenue received from every source: fundraising campaigns, corporate support, earnings, government grants, and every other type of support.
While organizations have efficiently dealt with tighter budgets up to this point, this survey indicates that there is little room for them to deal with further constraints if current conditions continue.
The survey data represents responses from organizations across Alberta, although most participants were from nonprofits in Edmonton and Calgary.
For more information on this or the CCVO’s other surveys on economic impacts of the recession go to their website at www[dot]calgarycvo[dot]org.
Read this report if you work in the nonprofit sector and would like to know how your organization measures up with current trends.
You can find this report in our library, or download the PDF online through our library catalogue.
Review by Jennifer Hoyer