Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

forwarded by PSAC member, Anne-Marie Sleeman

VICTORIA - The Province is launching an enhanced WorkAble Solutions website that will directly connect British Columbians with disabilities who are looking for work to employers that have jobs available,Employment and Income Assistance Minister Claude Richmond announced today.

“Many people with disabilities find it difficult to secure employment that matches their skills and abilities. At the same time the demand for skilled workers is great,” said Richmond. “This site provides an excellent meeting place to bring together qualified job seekers with disabilities with employers who have positions that need to be filled.”

The WorkAble Solutions website, located at: www.workablesolutionsbc.ca is an online tool to assist B.C. employers and British Columbians with disabilities in accessing valuable employment resources. One highlight of the site is a directory of job listings where employers can post their openings and applicants can submit their resumes and apply online.

The website meets the standards of the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Accessibility Initiative, which is focused on developing strategies, guidelines, and resources to help make the web accessible to people with disabilities.

The launching of the improved WorkAble Solutions website follows the recently issued provincewide 10 by 10 Challenge, aimed at increasing the employment of people with disabilities in communities across B.C. by 10 per cent by 2010. The current employment rate of working-age persons with disabilities is only 44 per cent despite the fact that 34,000 have college diplomas, 30,000 have trade certificates, and 28,000 have university degrees.

To assist British Columbians with disabilities in preparing for the labour market, the B.C. government is investing $21 million a year on the Employment Program for Persons with Disabilities, which includes pre-employment, self-employment and planning and training employment services.

Both the 10 by10 Challenge and the WorkAble Solutions website are projects of the B.C. government’s Minister’s Council on Employment for Persons with Disabilities - a council, comprised of business and community leaders, dedicated to the development of supports and services to increase the employment participation of persons with disabilities and the promotion of more accessible and inclusive communities.