Minister's Award of Excellence

November 20, 2006

JobStart is the proud recipient of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities Minister's Silver Award for Excellence in Service Quality.

From left to right - Minister Christopher Bentley, MTCU, Heather Sant, Executive Director, JobStart, Sue Forrester, Manager, Program Design, MTCU, Julia Knapp, Director, Programs and Services, JobStart, and Beno John, Board President, JobStart.

Local Agencies LaudedNovember 22, 2006

Two Etobicoke job training agencies are among 16 recognized by the province this week for their efforts in the government’s Job Connect program.

Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Chris Bentley presented the awards Monday to JobStart, Community Microskills Development Centre and others at a dinner in Toronto.

“The outstanding results of these Job Connect services in building strong partnerships with employers go alongside their success in helping people in their communities upgrade their skills, become apprentices and find jobs,” Bentley said in a statement.

The awards recognize achievement in service quality, service innovation and service results.

The minister chose Community Microskills — one of only four recipient agencies across Ontario — for best performance results in the province.

“It’s adequately resourced, a holistic program that works from giving clients basic information to assessing their employment suitability and needs and providing them whatever supports they need,” said Community Microskills executive director Kay Blair. “Most employment service programs, those supports are not there. We offer wrap-around service for clients that demonstrates stronger outcomes.”

There are four components to the province’s Job Connect program: information and resource services (light support to perform job searches, such as access to a computer, the Internet); Employment Preparation Program (individualized counselling for youth 16 to 24 to gain skills to find and keep jobs); Job Development Placement Services (higher levels of support, including working with and in cases, subsidizing employers) and Summer Job Services (provides students 15 to 24 years old with summer work experience).

JobStart received a silver service award for demonstrating continuous improvement year-over-year for three years in four areas: customer service, capacity, clients securing jobs in their area of interest or study, and efficiency, said executive director Heather Sant.

“We’re really leading in placing young people in apprenticeships through the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program in schools. In a partnership with the Toronto District School Board we have a literacy basic skills instructor who works five days a week with Job Connect clients to help prepare them for their GED (General Educational Development) test or get in to an apprenticeship.”

Published with the permission of The Etobicoke Guardian.