The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW), in collaboration with The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), is pleased and excited to present the Workplace Essential Skills Partnership (WESP). The WESP is an employment program designed to provide job seekers with disabilities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) the opportunity to enhance their employability in preparation for a variety of labour market sectors. The WESP includes a continuous intake and assessment process along with an intensive six-week employment enhancement program offered four times during the year. The WESP is designed using the model of the highly successful Skills Training Partnership (STP) Program, a pre-employment program for persons with disabilities that has a proven track record of success in other parts of Canada, (For more information on the STP pre-employment model refer to www.ccrw.org ).
The CCRW Job Accommodation Service (JAS™) will provide employment accommodation consultation and assessment to all employers that hire a WESP participant. Follow-up will be conducted to secure participant and employer satisfaction and to further entrench a commitment to the proper accommodation of new employees with disabilities throughout the program. All classes will be facilitated at the state-of-the-art CNIB Centre located at 1929 Bayview Avenue. A WESP Vocational Coordinator will be permanently located at the CNIB.
Accessing the Workplace Essential Skills Partnership – The WESP is available in the Greater Toronto Area to job seekers with cross-disabilities and can be accessed through these methods: Online: Primarily through the CCRW’s employment portal WORKink at www.workink.com, through the CCRW website at www.ccrw.org, or through the CNIB website at www.cnib.ca. Via Telephone: By contacting WESP staff at the CCRW head office in Toronto at 416-260-3060 (See contacts listed below) or the WESP Vocational Coordinator at the CNIB at 416-486-2500 ext 8237. Through community service providers: By contacting your local community service provider for persons with disabilities and asking to be referred to the WESP. Session Dates: There are three session start dates:
1. October 24, 2005 – December 16, 2005
2. January 16, 2006 – March 10, 2006
3. April 3, 2006 – May 12, 2006 4. May 29, 2006 – July 7, 2006
CILT
