Supported Career Initiatives
Cosmo's Supported Career Initiatives is a non-profit program that provides supported employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Supported employment is a placement at a business where the individuals in the program are supported with the guidance of an Employment Support Worker. There is a focus on teaching and helping the individuals to be employed in their community. Participants learn job skills such as how to interact with co-workers, job safety, and accountability to their work. Employing people with disabilities is the primary objective.
The individuals are assessed to ensure that their employment placements and learning activities reflect their needs, goals and abilities. On-going training is provided to enhance social skills and work skills to maintain employment.
A few of the current job contracts include:
- Sask Power (Removing graffiti and repainting transformers)
- RCMP Depot Division (Composting and recycling duties)
- Sobeys (Stocking shelves and janitorial duties)
- Catholic School Board (Janitorial)
- Loblaw Companies (Warehouse janitorial duties)
- Tim Horton's (Janitorial)
- Crawford No Frills (Janitorial)
- Western Pizza/Montana's (Dishwashing)
- Cummins Sales and Service (Filing and janitorial)
- Shoppers Drug Mart (Janitorial)
- Sask Liquor and Gaming (Warehouse duties)
- The Keg (Janitorial duties)
Individuals at various work placements.
For businesses looking to hire the individuals, there are a few things you should know.....
- On going training is provided to the participants to enhance social skills and work skills in order to maintain employment.
- Participants are provided with an Employment Support Worker who is on-site at the business to ensure job completion. Employment Support Workers provide transportation to and from the businesses and also supervise participants during coffee and lunch breaks. This is at no cost to the employer.
- The income earned from employment goes directly to the participants. This enables them to fully participate as a citizen in their community.
- The Cosmopolitan Learning Centre has full insurance coverage for the Employment Support Workers and the participants, as well as coverage for Worker's Compensation.
The individuals of the Supported Career Initiatives bring with them the
following qualities to each employment placement:
- Reliability
- Dedication
- Dependability
- Longevity
- Positive Relationship Building
- A large pool of trained participants to ensure contract completion.
- A great sense of community involvement.
Looking to hire and employ people with disabilities? Here is the process to hire and employ the participants...
- Interested businesses enter into a job contract agreement with the Cosmopolitan Learning Centre/Supported Career Initiatvies for the services they wish to receive.
- Specific day(s) of the week that the business requires the participants would then be booked. This could also be half day contracts that would be completed in the morning (8:30am - 11:30am) or in the afternoon (12:45pm - 2:45pm).
- The contracts are then performed by job crews consisting of 1-4 participants who are provided with the guidance of an Employment Support Worker.
- The wage for the job placements remains equivalent to today's labour market. Because the job placements may require 1-4 participants to complete the job duties, the participants split the wage and therefore receive equivalent to job worth.
- The fee for the contract is based on the amount of time and wage the employer would pay in today's labour market.
- Once a contract has been finalized, the business is then invoiced at the end of every month for the services provided. The Cosmopolitan Learning Centre is required to charge the applicable taxes for our services.
Please note that there are set holidays which consist of three weeks per year, all statutory holidays as well as one scheduled staff training day. During these times the contract fee is prorated. Businesses are informed of these days well in advance.
For more information on employment of people with disabilities and to find out more about the services we can provide for you and your business, please contact:
Suzanne Hermann , Public Relations & Career Initiatives Consultant
Phone: (306)569-0535 ext. 237
Facsimile: (306)569-5858
Email: s.hermann@cosmolearningcentre.ca