Local job-seekers and employers are invited to drop by the new Cloverdale Employment Services Centre Thursday to learn more about programs and services.
Guest speakers at the Nov. 22 grand opening include Minister of Social Development Dr. Moira Stilwell, centre staff, and David Young, the CEO of Sources Community Resources Society.
The centre provides free job search assistance and workshops, including resumes, interviewing, networking, accessing the hidden job market and more, along with employment counselling, wage subsidy program resources, and information on self-employment.
The resource centre also has computers, internet access, telephones, fax, copying and job postings for job hunters, who range from mature workers looking for part-time employment to augment pension income to those who have grown frustrated with their job search or are looking for help putting their resume together.
The centre is a WorkBC Employment Services centre, which is part of the Employment Program of B.C. – launched on April 1, 2012 when the provincial government restructured how employment services were delivered in B.C., said Cheryl Scardifield, program manager of the Cloverdale Employment Services Centre.
Today’s grand opening runs from 1:30 - p.m. to 3 p.m. Emcee is Bill Reid of the Cloverdale District Chamber of Commerce.
The centre offers services for employers, too, including free job posting, pre-screening and access to a pool of qualified job candidates, wage subsidy program information to offset training and hiring costs, and job creation partnerships.
The services are free to all unemployed and underemployed people in the community. The centre offers customized services for immigrants, youth, aboriginal people, francophones, persons with disabilities, survivors of violence and abuse, and people with multiple barriers to employment.
The Cloverdale Employment Services Centre is located at 101 5783 176A Street. It has a staff of 11, serving residents of Cloverdale and Port Kells. Clientele ranges from youth just entering the workforce who are lacking work experience to highly educated and skilled people with many years invested in the labour force, she said.
Since the new program was launched, the centre has seen more than 3,000 visits and has provided direct, individualized employment services to more than 800 community members, along with more than 400 people seeking apprenticeship supports and funding.
Cloverdale’s employment participation rate is the highest in Surrey at 73.8 per cent, and the lowest unemployment rate at 3.9 per cent.
Sources, previously known as Peace Arch Community Services, is a veteran when it comes to providing employment services, operating both the Employment Resource Centre in White Rock from 1998 to 2004, followed by the Employment Resource Centre in Cloverdale in 2004.