News & Highlights

May 5, 2016 Leave a Comment

JVS Toronto joins forces to break the cycle of poverty in the Jewish community

Poor elderly women sitting on a street as people walk by

Last week the Canadian Jewish News ran an article called Long-term solutions to poverty complex, agencies say. The article stated that $20,386 after taxes is the poverty line in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Thirteen percent of the GTA’s Jewish community is living around or below the poverty line — an increase of 5,000 people over a 10-year period.

“Certain life circumstances, which can really happen to anyone… can take your life in a different direction,” states York University sociologist Randal Schnoor in the article.

JVS Toronto (JVS) knows this statement to be true. As an agency dedicated to finding employment for all, JVS’ job seekers deal with challenging life circumstances that require extra support. We work with at-risk youth, individuals with disabilities, newcomers, Syrian refugees and anyone looking for work.

Last year, for example, JVS provided employment support to a Jewish Family and Child (JF&CS) client who found herself living in a women’s shelter. While JVS’ expertise is helping people find work, essential partnerships with other agencies like JF&CS, allow us to reduce the impact of these challenging life circumstances. We are very pleased that our joint client relocated to British Columbia and is working at her dream job in a daycare centre.

JVS is one of the Toronto-based agencies participating in UJA Federation of Greater Toronto’s Collective Impact Steering Committee to develop solutions to reduce poverty. We are proud to be a voice at this table to collectively give the power of stability to those in need in our community.

February 29, 2016 2 Comments

JVS Toronto draws on 69 years’ of experience to help Syrian refugees find employment

The weather was unseasonably warm on December 10, 2015 when the first planeload of Syrian refugees landed at the Pearson International Airport in Toronto.

Canada has welcomed 24,008 Syrian refugees since November 4, 2015. With 12,667 refugees landing in Toronto, Ontario quickly exceeded its pledge of receiving 10,000 refugees.

Refugee settlement needs were urgently addressed through the Government of Canada involving hundreds of communities from coast to coast. Settlement and community integration involves numerous agencies and proudly, JVS Toronto is one of them. With extensive newcomer employment programs already in place, JVS Toronto was well-positioned to quickly initiate employment supports for those Syrian refugees ready for active job search.

Through a proactive call to the Armenian Relief Society, who is accepting around 200 Syrian refugees a week, JVS Toronto started providing employment orientation sessions to promote all the employment services available in Toronto.

Connecting Syrian refugees to jobs in Canada

Two Employment Counsellors, one fluent in Armenian, allowed JVS Toronto to provide one-on-one employment counselling at the Armenian Relief Society. This work has identified the general profile of Syrian refugees: of Armenian descent, families made up of two and three generations, well educated, some former business owners, some trades people, very motivated to work and open to any survival job opportunities.

Through our EMETemployment program, employers were contacted about the advocacy of hiring Syrian refugees. So far, we’ve had five refugees receive job interviews with two of those being hired! This is a great achievement in four short weeks of extending employment services to Syrian refugees.

We are now looking at providing additional employment activities and building other partnerships to meet the specific needs of this population.

January 27, 2016 2 Comments

Getting a job as a professional accountant in Canada

Accounting is a regulated profession in Canada. You will need to learn the process of how to achieve the same status and work as an accountant here in your new home. However, you bring with you a wealth of transferable skills to the labour market here in accounting and bookkeeping.

Here are 5 suggestions to start learning as much as you can about the accounting profession here in Canada before you arrive.

[Read more…]

October 5, 2015 Leave a Comment

Do You Have the Skills that Canadian Employers are Demanding?

Whether you are rethinking your career, writing your resume, or preparing for an interview, the importance of knowing the skills that employers are demanding cannot be underestimated. Skills are the lens through which employers focus on candidates. Ultimately, if the employer doesn’t think you have the skills that they require, you will not get hired.

What does this mean for you, the job seeker? It means that you will benefit from investing time in learning about what specific skills that employers need — read job postings, speak to employers and employees in you target companies. Don’t assume that you know what they want. It also means that you need to be clear to employers about the skills that you have — in resumes, LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and when you network.

Earlier in 2015, Workopolis surveyed 256 Canadian employers about their hiring plans, and gathered some useful information for job seekers. Most interestingly, the 2 in 3 employers surveyed admitted to struggling to find candidates with the backgrounds they require.

What do Canadian employers say candidates are lacking?
Experience – 38%
Soft skills – 29%
Technical skills – 23%
Education – 4%

Interestingly, education wasn’t as important as experience. Another interesting finding is that soft (personal) skills valued even more by employers as hard (technical) skills. The Workopolis report is well worth reading — it also outlines the 10 most sought after skills in job postings specific to these 10 popular sectors:

Accounting / Finance
Admin/Clerical
Arts / Media
Engineering
Hospitality and food service
Human resources
Manufacturing
Marketing
Skilled trades
Technology and Digital Media

July 30, 2015 3 Comments

Once in a lifetime opportunity for JVS Toronto program participant at Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games

Unique experience and “dream come true” for YCCS participant Ana.

July 30, 2015 – On a run-of-the-mill Friday in early June, Ana’s dream came true. Since attending a volunteer orientation in December 2014, Ana had been hoping for a coveted spot as a Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games volunteer. Ana’s “once in a lifetime opportunity” became a reality with a surprise phone call confirming that her application was accepted just one week before the opening ceremonies. Ana would be one of 10,000 volunteers supporting 6,100 athletes this summer in Toronto.

For Ana, this is more than just a unique volunteer experience. It’s a chance for her to practice the skills she’s learned as a participant in JVS Toronto’s Youth Community Choices for Success (YCCS), a life-skills and vocational program for individuals with learning and developmental disabilities. YCCS supports youth, who have a dual diagnosis (mental health issues coupled with a developmental disability), with vocational planning, employment and life skills workshops, and assistance securing a volunteer placement.

Ana, volunteer — Ana was excited about volunteering at the Pan Am Games.

Coaching Ana throughout the Pan Am experience was Cicely Arthur, YCCS Employment Counsellor with JVS Toronto. Luckily, Cicely’s volunteer application was also accepted and she worked alongside Ana for guidance on challenging tasks and demands during each shift.

“By working closely with each YCCS participant, we get to know their needs and challenges and can coach them according to their learning profile and skillset,” Cicely explains.

A new job every day

First shifts for Ana and Cicely were at the Rogers Centre to welcome visitors and direct ticket-holders to their seats. The following week she was on duty at the Pan Am Park in Exhibition Place as a security guard, as well as a soccer game host that provided visitors with the experience of playing soccer while blindfolded. Each shift allowed Ana to apply the communication and life skills she’d been taught through YCCS.

“It was like going to a new job every day,” says Cicely, who provided Ana on-the-job coaching and encouragement.

Cicely explains, “We’d role-play before each task, and I’d pretend to be a visitor looking for information in order to prepare Ana on how to act and respond.”

“Each task became easier the more I did it,” says Ana proudly.

cicely and ana, volunteers — Cicely and Ana during their volunteer shift at the Exhibition grounds.

Challenges grew confidence each day

Workplace disability accommodation is a key aspect of YCCS to enable participants to integrate into work-like environments. Ana managed the hectic Pan Am environment well and was able to work for increasingly extended timeframes.

“Individuals with developmental disabilities often have a hard time communicating their needs clearly. A large part of our support involves coaching them on effective self-expression in the workplace,” notes Cicely.

While many of the tasks were initially outside her comfort zone, Ana showed a tremendous level of adaptability and commitment to learning new skills, and completed her volunteer placement with new confidence and independence.

“My favorite moments of the Pan Am Games were watching the opening ceremonies, meeting new people every day, and the weekend gate security shift at the Exhibition Place,” says Ana.

“I was able to leave her by herself for her gate security shift!” adds Cicely, who saw Ana’s skills continuously grow throughout the experience.

A valuable experience for all

Cicely believes it’s vital to support individuals with disabilities to help them achieve the level of independence they strive for and provide them with opportunities for integration into the community.

“Without [programs like YCCS], we’d see many people with disabilities growing older, dependent on their families and government support. Many can experience a low quality of life by being homebound,” she says.

“This is about so much more than just preparing people for work,” Cicely states. “It’s really about helping build a person’s identity.”

For Ana, her volunteer experience has been a dream come true, and she leaves with valuable work experience and memories that will last a lifetime.

To learn more about YCCS and JVS Toronto’s disability services, click here.