Niagara Organizations Battling Unemployment

By ANTON MWEWA
Staff Writer

It is no secret the economy is not what it once was.

The recent international economic crisis has left many of the world’s once-booming economic sectors in ruin. In the ongoing attempt to rebuild and stabilize, one of the main issues of the crisis has been unemployment. There are few places in Canada that have had to deal with the issue the way Niagara has.

The Niagara region has gained a reputation for having one of the worst unemployment rates in the country. According to Statistics Canada, while the country started 2011 with an unemployment rate of 7.6 per cent, the Niagara region began it with a 9.4 per cent rate.
Despite the high unemployment rates, or perhaps because of them, organizations such as the Job Gym, the John Howard Society of Niagara and CERF Niagara still manage to keep busy.

With offices in Fort Erie at 469 Central Ave., St. Catharines at 210 King St., and Welland, the Job Gym manages to service the entire region. CERF Niagara also has offices in St. Catharines at 40 King St.

Deanna Villella, manager at the Welland branch of the Job Gym, 620 Niagara St., says jobs are still available in the area, but they have become harder to find.

“Most people think they can find jobs in a few weeks, when it actually could take a couple of months to find work,” says Villella.

She says she thinks that although fewer jobs are being offered, what makes the situation seem worse is the fact the nature of the jobs has changed.

“Jobs before the crisis were higher paying. People may have been used to a higher wage and now that wage is difficult to find.”

Lucie Huot, general manager of CERF Niagara at the 76 Division St. offices, agrees. Dealing with the employment needs of the francophone community in the region, CERF Niagara assists its clients with all aspects of the job search and preparation.

“The economic downturn has reduced the number of existing opportunities,” says Huot. “However, there are still many opportunities for those willing to accept low-paying jobs.”

Huot says the francophone community faces the same strenuous unemployment rates and employment opportunities are “very limited” for a unilingual individual.

This means that unless the job-seeker has teaching skills for use in schools or has some experience in the health field, few jobs are available from which they can choose.

Although finding a job remains a daunting task, organisations such as the Job Gym and CERF Niagara offer as much assistance to job hunters as possible.

Both are funded by the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development, and both provide their service free of charge. The service seems to be working, with the Job Gym managing to maintain a 79 per cent success rate in finding jobs for its clients, even in these difficult economic times.

Villella says unemployment in Welland is “a unique issue” compared with other areas because Welland has gone from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-providing one.

Despite this, she adds, the unemployment crisis may not be as big an issue as it seems to be.

“We probably have 200 or more people come through our doors every day,” she says. “If it was a huge crisis, we’d only be finding 10 per cent of people jobs.”

To achieve its 79 per cent success rate, the Job Gym offers job seekers a full-suite service, the same kind offered at CERF Niagara. These organizations help job seekers and employers make a connection in the labour market and provide everything from job placement, to job counselling and employment referral.

Clients usually work with the organization from four to 12 weeks, meeting regularly with job counsellors to set goals and aspirations and ultimately to get a job.

Villella says the Job Gym is popular with the public and the organization’s website receives over 50,000 unique hits every month. Although the employment situation appears to be in a downturn, new employment postings go up every day.

Despite the fluctuating state of unemployment rates, there is still some hope for Welland.

Huot says there is effort being made by the regional, local and provincial governments to create training opportunities for displaced workers. More and more people are taking advantage of government programs, such as Second Career training, to develop new skills they could use elsewhere.

Villella says she remains confident the unemployment situation is going to take a turn for the better soon.

“There are some exciting things happening in Welland,” she says. “I think the mayor and the council are doing a lot of positive things to attract business. I see the job market turning up. For the region, I’m not sure, but definitely