Our offices will be closed Thursday, September 30th
We will use this day to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools, whether it be on quiet reflection or participation in a community event.
If you were interested in also taking the time to learn about what you can do to help work towards reconciliACTion for Indigenous peoples in Canada, you could consider:
Knowledge Keeper sessions are online for you to view at your convenience Check them out on our Youtube channel https://bit.ly/3uiuiBK
Skills for Success Day (formerly Essential Skills Day) is an annual initiative taking place each September to raise awareness about the key skills needed to succeed in learning, work and life. These skills, as identified by the Government of Canada (reading, writing, numeracy, digital, problem solving, communication, collaboration, adaptability, creativity and innovation), are the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to change.
Workplace Literacy in Canada
Canadian employers spent, on average, $889 per employee on learning and development in 2016–17, an increase of $89 per employee since 2014-15. The average number of hours of learning per employee per year is also on the rise, increasing from 25 hours in 2010 to 32 hours in 2016–17 Learning Cultures Lead the Way: Learning and Development Outlook—14th Edition, Conference Board of Canada, 2018).
Investment in workplace literacy also leads to cost savings from reduced errors and waste (UPSKILL Health – Technical Report on worker and business outcomes: Social Research and Demonstration Corporation, 2016).
Workers who participated in essential skills training were nearly 25% more likely to report a reduction in their work-related stress levels than those who had not received this type of training (UPSKILL Health – Technical Report on worker and business outcomes: Social Research and Demonstration Corporation, 2016).
To harness even more resources you can go to ABC Life Literacy Canada by clicking here:
Image Description: Bright coloured accessibility icons make up the background. A film strip on the right features 3 employees from PG organizations, top to bottom: HSBC, Gabi & Jules, BC Transit. In the centre is a white box, text reads: “The Eight Workplace Factors that Unlock Inclusivity: Clear Role Models, Employee Resource Groups, Parental Leave, Fair and Transparent Pay, Training, Flexible Working Options, Freedom to Innovate, Mental Well-Being Policies. — Enabling Change: Getting to Equal 2020: Disability Inclusion, Accenture.”
SEPTEMBER IS ACCESSIBILITY MONTH AT SMALL BUSINESS BC
Across British Columbia, there are more than 614,000 individuals aged 15-64 that have a disability. These skilled and diverse individuals represent an important talent pool that remains under-represented in the workforce, despite comparable education and skillsets.
The business case for hiring disabled individuals has never been stronger. For companies looking to gain a competitive advantage, 90% of consumers prefer businesses that employ people with disabilities. Is your business taking steps towards becoming an accessible employer?
“No one should be shut out of meaningful work and participation in society because of barriers to accessibility,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “By supporting employers as they hire, train and promote people with disabilities, we are supporting long-term and meaningful employment for the over 20% of British Columbians living with disabilities.”
Introducing Accessibility Month at Small Business BC
September is Disability Employment Month in British Columbia. It offers an important opportunity to celebrate and recognize inclusive employers and the vital contribution people with disabilities make in the workplace.
Small Business BC is marking the occasion by hosting Accessibility Month: ‘It Matters’, a month of free business education featuring ASL interpretation and closed captioning. Accessibility Month covers a variety of popular business topics, from business planning to marketing and payroll.
This year, our theme of ‘It Matters’ highlights that individuals with a disability are equal in every way, and we all have an important role to play in empowering their success through the creation of a more accessible world. By offering broader access to skills and training, we hope to encourage more people to join us on this important journey toward removing barriers and creating a more inclusive workplace.
In keeping with current public health guidelines, all educational sessions will be delivered remotely via webinar. These presentations will show the ASL interpretation and on-screen live captioning alongside the webinar speaker.
How it Works
Whether you’re looking to start or grow your business, our educational calendar for the month is stacked with informative and practical sessions that will put your business on the road to success. Demand is expected to be extremely high and places are limited. Book as early as possible to avoid disappointment. If you do happen to miss out on the webinar of your choice, we will be opening a waitlist.
Google is teaming up with Stanford University in an effort to make its workforce more neurodiverse.
The technology giant said recently that it is launching a new program aimed at bringing more people with autism into its cloud workforce and supporting them better.
With Google Cloud’s Autism Career Program, the company said that it will work with experts from the Stanford Neurodiversity Project — part of the university’s medical school — to train as many as 500 Google Cloud managers and others who are integral in the hiring process to work more effectively with candidates who have autism.
Stanford will also help coach job applicants with autism and the support will continue if candidates are hired.
In addition, there will be changes to the interview process for those who are part of the Autism Career Program in order to be more accommodating, according to Rob Enslin, president of global customer operations for Google Cloud. Candidates with autism may receive extra interview time, be offered questions in advance or be able to do their interview in writing.
“These accommodations don’t give those candidates an unfair advantage,” Enslin said in a blog post about the new program. “It’s just the opposite: They remove an unfair disadvantage so candidates have a fair and equitable chance to compete for the job.”
Enslin cited statistics showing that just 29% of those with autism have paid employment, a situation he called “tragic” and one he said is in many cases the result of unconscious bias.
“This bias often unintentionally marginalizes great candidates and means businesses miss out on valuable talent who can contribute and enrich the workplace,” Enslin said. “This program is just one example of Google Cloud’s commitment to inclusion, and it is an important step forward to building a more representative team and creating value for customers and stakeholders.”
Two separate programs, IT Network Technician and IT General Programming starting on August 16, 2021. Both programs will repeat on September 16, 2021. Both programs are 6 months in length and will finish on February 28 and March 28, 2021 respectively.
The eligibility criteria for the candidates are as follows
1. Be a citizen or permanent resident
2. Be unemployed, underemployed(less than 30 hours a week ) or precariously employed
3. Be able to financially support themselves during the training
4. Be 15 years or older
5. Meet the admission criteria of the college
Wage subsidy is a valuable tool we use at WorkBC to help people get back to work. It can save employers thousands of dollars and help job seekers stand-out.
Check them out on our Youtube channel 
https://bit.ly/3uiuiBK
Oct 16th
