Skills Catalyst Project
About
The Skills Catalyst project is focused on supporting employer readiness and employability of postsecondary job seekers with disabilities through a Training Series for Accessibility in Employment.
The READ Initiative received funding for this project from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.
Objectives and Description
As the Ministry announced in a September 11th press release, the READ initiative is working with a consortium of business, community and education partners to create accessibility videos and materials for employers and employees to support the employability of post-secondary students with disabilities. The project looks to align education, training, and employment services to prepare both workplaces and jobseekers for success in inclusive work environments.
The series will focus primarily on the various roles in a workplace that contribute to creating an inclusive environment to ensure that people are able to play their part in connecting post-secondary talent with disabilities to inclusive workplaces. The roles we are exploring are: business leader, HR professional, people manager, colleague/team member, and job seekers/new employees with a disability. We are looking to create content that businesses, employment service providers and educators can use as “stand-alones” for self-guided learning around key topics, or incorporate into their own workshops/sessions focused on inclusive hiring and workplaces. All content will be publicly available online.
Team
Accessibility Institute Lead
Tara Connolly
Project Manager
Ingrid Argyle
Project Assistant
Darby Mallory
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For more than a century, the OCC has undertaken important research on Ontario’s most pressing policy issues, advocating for solutions that will foster the growth of Ontario businesses and lead to the creation of jobs in the province. Through our focused programs and services, we support businesses of all sizes, encouraging workforce development and inclusive economic growth. This work is based on the belief that strong businesses are the foundation of a prosperous Ontario.
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The Ottawa Board of Trade advocates for collaborative and sustainable community prosperity, builds support for local businesses as they launch, pivot or grow, champions the City of Ottawa as the best place to live, work and invest, and drives initiatives that remove barriers, save costs and unite local businesses.
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Employment Accessibility Resource Network (EARN) is a community initiative, led by United Way East Ontario, that brings together in partnership employers, service providers and other stakeholders with the goal of increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities and promoting inclusive and accessible workplaces.
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Changing Lives. Dedication to student success is Algonquin College’s guiding principle and is demonstrated through the quality of its programs, staff, the continual expansion of its facilities, and by forging strategic partnerships.
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La Cité is Ontario’s largest French-language college of applied arts and technology. Established in 1989, it is located in Ottawa (with a satellite campus in Hawkesbury and a business office in Toronto) and now offers more than 90 programs to some 5,000 students.
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The University of Ottawa, often referred to as OttawaU, uOttawa, or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Partners
Please stay tuned for project updates and opportunities to inform our work!
Contact
For questions or comments, please email Ingrid Argyle.