What’s Going on in Employment? An Update

The Employment Centre at The Mustard Seed as we now know it has been operating since August, which means that we’ve had just over four months to work with our 80-odd clients towards achieving what we’re calling “sustainable employment.” We’ve spent a lot of time talking about definitions, data and decisions as we’ve been rolling this all out. While these are essential to a successful program, I thought it would be helpful to provide some insight into what’s been happening amidst it all in the real lives of our hard-working, hope-filled clients; the people who are the real focus of all of this.

Mary came in for help with interview skills which gave her the confidence to land the cleaning job for which she’d been hoping.

Tom struggles with addictions and has worked one-off day jobs for the last few years. We introduced him to an employer who offered him a construction job where he worked steadily for close to a month. He’s still working through his challenges, but is recognizing the value in steady employment that he didn’t see before.

Jennifer is working part-time in a job her coach assisted her in securing, but is making money to get her FoodSafe training and fulfill her dream of working full-time in the food industry.

David came through the Employment Centre to get a job with Facilities at The Mustard Seed, and is now able to afford a trip home to the US for Christmas.

Vanessa is in her mid-20s and has never had a job. She was able to work with a coach to get into a paid training program that will give her the work experience she needs to enter the world of employment while earning enough income to pay her rent.

George, despite his serious mental health issues, was able to see real change happen through perseverance and readiness to change. In a matter of days, he came for a haircut with one of our volunteers, searched for a job with his coach, secured an interview and received a job offer and has been working steadily as a dishwasher downtown ever since.

Tony, a new Canadian and a skilled glazier, came to us for help finding any kind of work just pay his rent and help out a sick loved-one. Instead, he worked with his coach who accompanied him to an interview that landed him a job in his field. He’s been employed successfully for over three months now and has achieved full benefits doing the trade he loves.

Marcel was frustrated with temporary work, so came to us to find something more permanent. We introduced him to an employer with a contracting business, and since then he has been learning new skills on the job and taking pride in the things he’s been able to build, abut also in showing up consistently every day.

These are just a few of the life stories our clients are writing daily. There are others that don’t seem so positive: some battling addictions and other health issues, some lacking the motivation or skills to get into their dream job. This is a reality for many of the people The Mustard Seed serves, but they all have one thing in common: they’re here. They’ve taken the initiative to work with an Employment Coach to take positive steps forward, however small or large those steps may be. So while we take steps to make sure we’re serving them with the best policies and programs possible, I hope this has given a glimpse into what’s happening on the ground, because their individual successes are also worth talking about.