By Jen Palmer
After many years of struggling to find work, Gary Kennedy has found employment and a renewed sense of confidence through participating in Centre 507’s new job bank program.
“[The job bank] has helped me tremendously,” Kennedy says.
Centre 507 is a drop-in centre located at 507 Bank St. that provides emotional and material support to socially and economically disabled people in the area.
The centre opened the job bank program to help their clients find employment in September. Kennedy is one of 22 current participants in the job bank program.
Kennedy worked as an auto mechanic for 26 years and retired in 1992 from the job he had since he was 18 years old.
Even though he was a supervisor for nine years, he decided to move on to odd jobs in landscaping and construction.
After several years he separated from his wife, spent too much money, and was unable to find work. “I didn’t push myself as hard as I should have,” he says. “I kind of let that slide myself. One thing led to another and I needed some help.”
Kennedy started coming to Centre 507 and was hired part-time in July 2006 to help clean in the mornings during the week. Since joining the job bank in September, he has also worked at four other one-time jobs for individuals in Ottawa.
“These are people who have skills,” says Margaret Johnson, a Life Management Skills worker at Centre 507 who initiated the job bank. “There are people here who just need an opportunity to use those skills, to have a sense of accomplishment again.”
Those who register for the program go through an interview process. They sign a contract requiring them to attend meetings and workshops, and must commit to showing up on time, working hard and maintaining appropriate behaviour.
Centre 507 continues to accept applicants from those who need some extra help to find employment.
No applicant is turned away, but some may be required to attend more workshops than others. Sessions include job searching, job preparation, resume writing and communication on the job.
The first participants began, like Kennedy, working at Centre 507 cleaning and painting. They also handed around 1,000 brochures to community businesses, explaining the job bank and the services it offers.
The program then ranked participants based on their performance, attitude and attendance at training sessions. Those at the top of the list are called first when a job opportunity comes up.
So far, seven people have gone out on jobs from the centre. These jobs include doing yardwork for businesses and working for commercial cleaners.
Employment usually begins with one-time jobs but some job bank applicants have been hired part-time.
Johnson says she is encouraged by the growth she sees in those who have started the program, and is impressed with their progress.
“They blow me away all the time, just with their abilities, their confidence – how it’s growing – their eagerness to learn and to contribute.”
According to Sarah Todd, a social work professor at Carleton University, job banks aren’t just useful to the participants but also to employers.
“It’s great for employers,” she says. “It’s more efficient because they know they will have people who can perform well in interviews and will work well.”
Jodi Dooling is an individual who is thankful for the new job bank. She hired Kennedy and another client from the 507 Job Bank to do some painting and general work around her house, and said she was extremely satisfied with their work.
“They’re very hard-working, they’re very polite,” she said. “I was kind of surprised – they’re just normal people who’ve had some hard times. I would certainly recommend them anytime to anyone.”
Johnson is excited for the future of the job bank. She says she hopes to create awareness in the community about the benefits of hiring from the job bank, and about the people who frequent Centre 507 – to help the community realize that these are ordinary people who are hard-working and want to make a difference in their community.
The Centre is funded by the federal government, the United Church and individuals who feel compelled to give.