“We want to help people in the community who are looking for a job. We want to help them prepare for employment, we want to help them find a job that they can have for the long term. For employers in the community, we want to help them hire the right people,” says CONTACT Employment Services job seeker Tiffany Tyrrell-Shand.
CONTACT Community Services has been working to support the South Simcoe community for over 40 years through housing, community support and employment services.
With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, these services have been more important than ever, especially employment services, employers feeling the impact of labor shortages and job seekers needing full-time opportunities as the cost of living increases.
“The pandemic has been a really interesting experience when it comes to the labor market, because people have really had the opportunity to assess what made the most sense for them and their families,” said Emily McIntosh, director CONTACT Community Services Executive. “A lot of that had to do with connecting people to meaningful work where they actually get meaning from the jobs they do, and they get a living wage.
“That’s where affordable housing also comes in. When we work with someone and they don’t have a place to live, we work with them on that, and then they move on to the continuum to also secure this meaningful work.
With the number of job seekers on the rise, CONTACT Community Services employment services – which offer all of their services free of charge – have become a vital cog in the Bradford community. Located at 95 Holland Street, CONTACT Employment Services works with job seekers to prepare them for opportunities.
“We want to help people in the community who are looking for work,” said Tiffany Tyrrell-Shand, job seeker at CONTACT Employment Services. “We want to help them get ready to work, we want to help them find a job that they can have for the long term. For employers in the community, we want to help them hire the right people. We really try to focus on local employers to help give them the tools to succeed in the community, as well as their employees to succeed.
CONTACT Employment Services offers different ways to help those arriving, depending on where they are in the job search process.
“Usually the first thing we do when someone comes in is work on a resume,” says Tyrrell-Shand. “Some people have something, some don’t, so we can create one or work on an existing one. Then we want to prepare them for the job by determining what type of job they’re working for, and sometimes people don’t know that. We really try to find what excites them because that way they will stay there for a long time. We prepare interviews with them. We go through different obstacles that they have – maybe they have anxiety – we’re here to help them overcome those obstacles and fears so that they stay in the job and love the job.
With the possibility of receiving scholarships, grants and other assistance, CONTACT employment services use them to help both employers and job seekers.
“We’ve got the backing, so if someone wants to work in construction but needs a fly-toe shoe, we’re able to provide it,” Tyrrell-Shand said. “We can even provide uniforms or clothing. We work with the clothing line, so if someone needs something to wear for an interview, we can get them a full outfit for free. We just want to put job seekers in a position to succeed.
Even job seekers without work experience will have the opportunity to meet employers and find a job that suits them.
“I have connections with employers,” Tyrrell-Shand said. “I can go to employers and talk to them and ask them to hire someone for a few weeks and see how the training is going and we will pay part of the job seekers salary for that period. This is where I come in to sell employers hiring a job seeker who may not have the experience.
Having relationships with employers in the community is paramount to CONTACT Employment Services as they work together to find employment for these job seekers.
“It’s 50% of the piece, it’s how you put the puzzle together,” McIntosh said. “With Tiffany as a job developer, her whole mandate is to be in the community to build those relationships. Employers know that if they work with us, that the candidates we send are ready to work and that we are able to support them appropriately throughout the process. We have participated in various community events to spread the word and right now we have so many employers who are hungry for labor because there is such a shortage.
Once a job seeker has secured a job, CONTACT Employment Services continues to stay in touch with them to be part of their support system in their new opportunity.
“We’re really trying to follow up because we want to know how the work is going,” Tyrrell-Shand said. “Is there something they struggle with? Are you all right ? We find that by staying in touch and that also helps with retention. We are there to advise them and give advice to the workforce. We want to be there for them at all times. It’s not just a job for us, our hearts are in it and we want to see people succeed.
“The process is very simple, anyone can walk through our doors,” McIntosh added. “And our services are for everyone. You can be highly educated or looking to go back and graduate from high school and we’ll be here for you.
Learn more about CONTACT employment services here. CONTACT Employment Services can be reached by phone at 905-778-9058 or by email at employer@contactsouthsimcoe.ca.
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