Jobs
open,
gov t
says

NEARLY 900 jobs were
open across the north at
last count for people col-
lecting welfare, says an
official from the human re-
sources ministry,

Mike Long said the job
count as of late summer
comes under a new pro-
gram whereby private
companies receive money
for placing people in jobs

and keeping them em-_

ployed.

“The idea is that having
people working is far bet-
ter than being on income.
assistance,” said Long.

“And these are sustain-
able jobs, not three-month
seasonal ones,” he said.

The job placement pro-
gram was introduced in
July and builds upon an ef-
fort begun by the previous
NDP government.

Private contractors
hired by the provincial
government work with
welfare recipients to gauge
their skills before being
placed.

Those on welfare may
be required to participate
in the program as a condi-
tion of receiving assis-
tance,

The contractors are paid
in regular installments
based on the success of
keeping their clients em-
ployed, said Long.

“There are milestone
payments [to the conirac-
tors] along the way but
they receive the final one
only after a person has
been employed for 19
months,” he said,

As of late summer, pri-
vate contractors had
placed 222 people in jabs,
Long continued,

“Since this program just
began in July, we haven’t
had the full impact yet,”
he said, f MPEG

“Those jobs that are va-
cant are held in a job
bank, wailing for some-
body to fill them. It’s not
just for income assistance
clients.”

The 876 vacancies are
spread across the north, in
the northeast where oil and
gas has created a lively
economy, to the northwest
where woods industry pra-
blems have created high
levels on employment.

No specific job vacancy
figures were available for

“Those jobs that
are vacant are
held in a job bank,
waiting for some-
body to fill them.
it’s not just for in-
come assistance
clients.”

just the northwest.

The jobs that have been
filled across the province’

pay an average of between
$10.80 and $11.20 an hour,
said Long.

' “Given that a single
person on income assis-
tance now receives $510 a
month, at that kind of
wage, it is far preferable
than receiving assistance,”
he said.

The job placement pro-
gram and a training pro-
pram introduced just this
month follow provincial
government plans to cut
welfare payments as part
of the effort to reduce
overall provincial govern-
ment spending.

As it is, the province

has already reduced in-
come assistance payments
and is now limiting the
length of time people can
be on assistance.

And just this month the
province announced a
training for jobs pilot pro-
‘gram to take effect Dec. 1.

Five thousand income
assistance recipients will

be registered with the pro-"

gram and e4ch will have
to work out a tailor-made
employment plan.

People on disability

payments are also being ~~
asked to take part inem-. .:

ployment programs.

Northerners choose school

MORE NORTHERN residents who left the welfare
tolls did so to return to school than was the case in
the south, a provincial government survey reveals.

Just over 40 per cent of those who received income
assislance in the north as of Sept. 2001 but were not
recipients as of April 2002 went to school compared
to just over 30 per cent in Vancouver and approxima-
tely 23 per cent in the remainder of the lower main-
land.

But fewer northerners, according to the same
Study, left the welfare rolls to return to work. |

Approximately 45 per cent of northerners went to
work compared to 57 per in Vancouver.

The results come from a first of a series of quarter-
ly surveys attempling to track people who have left
income assistance.

Officials assembled a list of 1,833 people to survey
who received income assistance as of last September
but were not receiving assistance as of this April.

Across the province, more than 50 per cent of
those responding to the survey said they left to return
to work while 35 per cent left to attend schoo! or take
some form of training.

The plan is to conduct surveys four times a year for
the next three years.

It is part of a provincial government effort to move
people from income assistance to work.

Whal the survey does not do is track why people
went to school as opposed to work, says human re-
sources ministry spokesman Mike Long.

“Anything like that would be speculation. There

could be more employment opportunities in the
south,” he said.

Generally speaking, the economy in the south is
more buoyant than in the north because of the sofl-
wood lumber issue and general resource industry slow
down. In the north itself, the northeastern economy is
doing well due to oi] and gas compared. to the north-
west. The northwest’s resources industry problems
have been made worse because’ of the tengthy Skeena
Cellulose closure. ;

Officials began with just over 5,500 names but in
the end, could find only 1,833 ta talk’ ta about the sur-
vey.

The great majority of those wha could not be found
where younger males, said-Long.

Typically, they were not at the same address: used
when they were collecting benefits. --

“We don’t know where they went but we do know
they are not back [on social assistance],” he said.

“If they were back on assistance, they would be on
our system,”

“They could have found employment or left the
province,” Long continued.

For those who did respond to the survey, their eco-
nomic circumstances are much better than they were
while on assistance.

Single men reported a monthly average income of
$1,831 compared to the income assistance maximum
of $510. Single parent families reported an average
monthly income of $1,655 compared to the maximum
income assistance amount of $909,

"O

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