A Community Economic Development Perspective

on Welfare-to-WorkThe Social Purchasing Portal

Two Keys

The forces that make it difficult for people on welfare

to find and keep employment are both individual and

communal.

Restorative programs are more effective

when they help both the individual and the community

to become stronger.

The Dual Economy

•Mainstream growth

•Expanding pockets of poverty

Community Economic Development Is A Solution

CED Activities• Affordable housing• Community based businesses• Micro-enterprise development• Employment development programs• Individual asset building• Neighbourhood revitalization• Community safety programming

CED Principles• Comprehensive, multi-faceted• Integrates social, economic,

cultural• Conceived and directed locally• Local self-reliance & ownership• Focus on marginalized populations

The Challenge:

To scale up CED activity across Canada

3 Targets for Investment

• Strengthening community planning & implementing capacity

• Increasing availability of equity and credit capital

• Strengthening human resources

Strengths of Community Sector

In Human Resource Development

• Closeness to the people

• Accessibility

• Integrated and flexible responses

• Problem solving entrepreneurship

Design Considerations for Community Based HR

Development

• A continuum of services

• Attention to the demand side

• Focus on partnerships

A Vancouver Example

•Remove barriers to success

•Utilize existing training programs

•Encourage individuals who are seeking jobs

•Assist people moving from welfare to work

•Create a demand driven model

The Challenge: Create real opportunities for the potential

employees from DTES?

FTE – Fast Track to Employment

Entry/

Assessment

GAP Pre-

Employment

Skills

Training

Employment

& Retention

Social Integration 25 Employment Development

Partners

Private Sector

Partners

Continuum of Community Partners

Supply Side Demand Side

“GAP” Pre-Employment Skills and Trades Training

Employment

Integrated Case Management

Removing Barriers to Employability

Preparing for Employment

Specific Employment Preparation

Transition to Employment and

Retention

Stability of Living Situation

Personal Management Skills

‘Soft’ and ‘Hard’ Skills

Employment Placement

Able to Enter a Work-like environment and

schedule

Career Exploration Workplace Personal Skills

Relationships with Employers

Stable Housing Career Planning & Goal Setting

Industry Designed Curriculum

Social Enterprise Employment

Physically Healthy Academic Upgrades Work Environment Simulation

Supported Work Placement

Addiction Free English as a Second Language

Required Skills Level Achieved

Internships

Daycare Workplace Computer Literacy

Subsidized Employment

Literacy Communication Skills Ongoing Peer Meetings

Personal Presentation Skills and Aptitude Assessment

Employment Retention Assistance

Work Environment Experience

Citizenship – a Role in the Community

Employment Strategies

Demand Driven

Costco Convention

Centre Olympics

Procurement Supply Chain & Market Forces

Individual Placements

Social Value Partners

Social Enterprise

Development Opportunities

Traditional One-to-One

Placements

Community Businesses & Partnerships

Economic Integration

Social Purchasing Portal

Using supply chain relationships and decisions to create business and employment opportunities in the community

Purchasers 0f Goods

and Services

Suppliers of Goods and Services

Employment Opportunitie

s

All things equal, preference to FTE Partners

Agree to Offer Employment

Opportunities to FTE

Continuum Provides Trained

Employees

Welcome! Fast Track to Employment and the BC Technology Social

Venture Partners invite you to join an innovative partnership of

industry, employment trainers and businesses with a common

goal. The goal? To build healthier communities by creating

employment opportunities for the hard to employ and initiating

targeted business growth.

About the SPP How it Works Benefits

The Social Purchasing Portal is a web-based application that

integrates supply chain economics and corporate social

responsibility to achieve community benefits. Simply, the Social

Purchasing Portal (SPP) provides an on-line environment for

The ToolSocial Purchasing Portal

www.ftebusiness.com

Purchasing

Demand

Economic / Social Impact

Goods and

Services Provider

Agree to Add Priority for SPP

Suppliers

Agree to Support SPP

Goals

Locally Defined SPP Value Added Outcomes

How does it work?

+ =

Purchasing Partners include…

Suppliers include…

Success stories… only the beginning

•Pivotal Corporation catering purchases from Cook Studio result in business growth and

employment from their training participants

•Contracts to Logotex from SalesWorks and Bell Mobility create business growth and two jobs for

community residents

•Mills Basics hires a warehouse person from the community

•Novex Couriers is contracting a warehouse project to Starworks, who employs persons with disabilities

•Using demand based model & market forces for employment creation

•Employment focused, targeting long-term unemployed and the hard-to-employ

•Utilizing the services of existing employment development and community service providers

•Creating community/private/public partnerships

Building the FTE Model

Conclusion

• W2W strategies s/b long term, inclusive

• Partnerships between private sector, community, government

• Holistic, integrated, community led employment delivery systems

• Removal of government silos• Community and individual renewal