The ACTEW Blog

This is a reminder to service providers and other stakeholders that information on the new Second Career Strategy will be available on the Employment Ontario Partners’ Gateway site at www.eopg.ca by June 1, 2008.

The Second Career Strategy (SCS) is designed to provide financial support to recently laid-off, unemployed workers, who require training in high-demand, high-skill occupations. SCS was part of the Skills to Jobs Action Plan announced in the Provincial Budget in March. Almost all of the money to be invested in Skills to Jobs will come from the Labour Market Agreement (LMA) which was earmarked to serve marginalized workers, such as those ineligible for Employment Insurance.

A letter sent to all service providers and community stakeholders on May 16 by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities explains that SCS will now be part of the suite of EO’s services and programs:

"During the implementation stage, the assessment and recommendation of SCS clients to MTCU will be integrated into the Ontario Skills Development program processes and practices now in use by EO assessment centres."

Visit www.eopg.ca for more information on SCS. If you did not receive the May 16 letter, please contact Mercianna.Fernandes@ontario.ca at MTCU, or ACTEW at policy@actew.org.

Labels: MTCU_Updates

The Northern Ontario Women's Economic Development Conference took place April 29 and 30 in Thunder Bay. Organized by PARO, and sponsored by ACTEW among others, this event brought together entrepreneurs, community workers, academics and local government workers to look at a wide variety of issues related to northern women’s economic security.

Highlights include:

• Women's stories of economic success: Woven throughout the conference were stories of women's success as entrepreneurs, politicians and community activists. In establishing a business women, such as gallery owner Louise Thomas or contractor Pamela Johnson, often consciously focus on positively affecting the social economy of their community as well as bringing in revenues.
  
  
• Technology: Five communities, including reserves with no road access, attended the conference remotely and participated in workshops via web casts. Roz Lockyer, Executive Director of PARO, reported that northern women want to utilize technology more for learning and professional development according to PARO's recent survey of the region. There was strong interest in participating in the technology training opportunities that Lynda Beavis, ACTEW's northern representative of the Content-Sharing Constellation Network, will provide in coming months. (To learn more about these workshops contact lori@actew.org.)
  
  
• Transportation: "Northern Women on the Move" was a workshop that explored how transportation affects women's economic security. Siobhan O'Leary and Maggie McDonald, researchers with Rural Women Making Change Research Alliance, presented the outcomes of surveys of women living in rural communities in Ontario. Workshop participants, including three web casting remote communities, shared strategies for overcoming women’s varied transportation issues.
  
  
• Activities at the local and municipal level: Kathy Poling, Mayor of Sioux Lookout, described breaking down systemic barriers within municipal government in order to be more inclusive of the aboriginal community, women and youth. Jody Rebek-DiCerbo, Managing Director of Destiny Sault Ste. Marie, explained her city's economic diversification strategy. Dr. Gayle Broad of Algoma University explored the economic and social benefits of social enterprises, such as farm circles in Northeastern Ontario and worker ownership of local industries.
  
  
• An economic overview of the region: Dr. Bob Rosehart, Northwestern Ontario Economic Facilitator, described some of the region's challenges and his recommendations for stabilizing and enhancing its economy and communities based on his recent report: "Northwestern Ontario: Preparing for Change".

Labels: Issues_and_Trends, Meetings_and_Events, Resources_and_Research