Launched in April, the Ontario government's JobsNow pilot program is helping long-term Ontario Works clients find and keep sustainable jobs. Just six months into the pilot, JobsNow is already producing encouraging successes.

Regional Results

JobsNow is a partnership between the province, WCG International and municipal social services offices. WCG runs the employment retention pilot projects in six municipal areas: Hamilton, Ottawa, Windsor, Nipissing, Peel and Durham.

As of October 13, 2005, results in the pilot communities were as follows:

Job Placements

JobsNow is based on the principle that different people need different supports to find and keep a job. The program works one-on-one with individual social assistance clients and employers to match the right person to the right job. That job could be full-time or part-time. Some placements give clients the opportunity to develop skills and gain much needed on-the-job experience. Other placements let participants demonstrate their existing abilities and give them the chance to advance and grow in their jobs. It all depends on each individual client and his or her needs.

JobsNow clients have found employment in a variety of areas, from sales and service to finance and administration to trades and transport, at an average hourly wage of $9.71. These aren't make-work jobs; JobsNow is finding real, sustainable employment that is helping people move toward becoming independent and leaving welfare for work.

About JobsNow

JobsNow focuses on helping people who have been on social assistance for more than 12 months to re-enter the job market through a combination of access to job opportunities and longer-term job retention supports. JobsNow provides participants with individualized:

• Job matching services
• Pre-employment supports
• Job orientation information
• Follow-up on any job-related issues.

JobsNow emphasizes job retention because research has shown that individuals who are employed for a period of more than 12 months have a higher likelihood of remaining in a job. Current Ontario Works employment supports include up to six months of job retention services.

The JobsNow pilot continues to May 31, 2007.

WCG International

WCG is a leading Canadian firm in workforce development and job placement and retention services.  WCG was selected to run the made-for-Ontario JobsNow pilot based on its successful employment partnership with the government of British Columbia. Because WCG's payment is based on actual savings that result from moving clients off of Ontario Works and into sustainable jobs, JobsNow will produce a net savings for both the province and participating municipalities.

Improving Social Assistance

JobsNow further restores integrity to social assistance by building on the improvements the McGuinty government has already made – improvements that emphasize treating social assistance recipients with dignity and respect, improving employment outcomes and making the welfare system more efficient and effective. This is part of the government's plan to build a more prosperous Ontario by investing in its people.

JobsNow Success