New injection of $90 million for ‘second chance’ work and training program through Ontario’s Skills Development Fund
When her work as an Amazon re-seller dried up during the pandemic, Colleen Scanlan started scrambling. She began doing odd jobs off Kijiji but those postings also stopped.
So Scanlan, a 46-year-old mom of three, started applying for jobs - only to face repeated rejections because of a decade-old minor criminal record.
It was literally the only time that I've been in trouble," she said of the theft conviction. Can they just not see me for who I am, instead of what is on paper?"
Then Scanlan found an ad for the Hamilton and Burlington area John Howard Society's WorkPath Employment Services program. The program, which received nearly $500,000 in funding from Ontario's Skills Development Fund according to the province, has connected more than 40 people with criminal records or justice system involvement with jobs in the manufacturing sector.
It took a few months to get an interview but Scanlan has now been working at a Hamilton manufacturing plant for almost a year, and says she has proven herself to be more than capable even in a male-dominated industry.
The job also means she is no longer living paycheque to paycheque, or having to take on multiple minimum-wage jobs to make ends meet, she said.
Now, an additional $90 million from the province is being invested in the Skills Development Fund to support more employment and training programs. This third round of funding will prioritize people with prior involvement in the criminal justice system, at-risk youth, those with disabilities, Indigenous people and Ukrainian newcomers.
Applications for the fund open on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.
Giving people a second chance" is critical to breaking the well-documented cycles of poverty and incarceration, said Monte McNaughton, Ontario's Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, in an interview.
One small mistake can hold someone back for an entire lifetime," he said.
The John Howard Society of Ontario has repeatedly found that getting a job can be extremely difficult for people with prior involvement in justice system, even though it is illegal under the Ontario Human Rights Code to discriminate against people with a criminal record.
It isn't only good for labour shortages, it is good for taxpayers," McNaughton said, noting that some of the programs funded are intended to help people on social assistance find meaningful careers with benefits and retirement plans.
He is hoping to see programs that will lead to employment in advanced manufacturing, skilled trades, health care and the tech sector.
The previous two rounds of funding delivered 388 training projects working with 393,000 people, according to a press release.
Scanlan is grateful that her success, along with that of several others who have gone through the John Howard Society program, is opening the door to more funding that can help others facing the same black cloud" of stigma.
My motto is, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again," she said. There are programs and resources and people out there to help you, it may just take a while."
Alyshah Hasham is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and court for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @alysanmati