The B.C. government recently released a 10-year action plan (Accessibility 2024) to make B.C. the most progressive place for people with disabilities in Canada by 2024.

One of the first actions is to make September Disability Employment Month and EK Employment is keen to help spread the word.

We are responsible for delivering the Employment Program of BC and are your local WorkBC Employment Services Centre.  Building connections and helping people find work is our specialty.

Hiring people with disabilities is a mutual benefit for employers, employees and communities across the province.  People with disabilities make great employees. Businesses experience less turnover when they invest in a person with disabilities as they typically have higher rates for retention and are five times more likely to stay on the job than people who do not have a disability.

Through collective efforts, the Employment Program of BC has made significant gains in the quality and flexibility of the services offered to persons with disabilities since the launch of the program in April 2012.  Services and supports are intended to help people with disabilities maintain employment, enter the workforce, or achieve higher levels of independence. This can include, for example, accessing financial support for assistive technology, specialized assessments, wage subsidies, skills training, job coaching, customized employment, and much more.

The Facts:

The number of people with disabilities who have successfully reached their employment goals since the launch of the Employment Program of BC in April 2012 is close to 7,000.

Since April 2012, the Employment Program of BC has spent almost $1.4 million to assess needs and provide assistive technologies to almost 600 job seekers with disabilities.

There are more than 546,000 people in B.C. over the age of 15 who identify as having a disability – that’s almost 15 percent.

The employment rate for people with disabilities (age 15-64) is 18 percentage points lower than people without disabilities.

On average, total employer contributions needed to accommodate an employee with a disability is under $500.

Consumers with disabilities in Canada spend $25 billion a year and growing on goods and services.

Employers need skilled workers – people with disabilities are a largely untapped resource able to fill the employment gap.

We invite you to visit us at one of our store fronts or kiosks, or look us up online at www.ekemployment.org.

EK Employment Elk Valley

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