The Career Foundation’s Empowering Abilities Program (EAP) team chats with Dean Askin, Communication Strategist for ODEN (Ontario Disability Employment Network).

They discuss the role of ODEN and how National Disability Employment Awareness Month got started. They also discuss the Light It Up for NDEAM event, which takes place on Thursday, October 21st. Finally, the episode provides information on how individuals, community organizations, and businesses can get involved to show their support for NDEAM.

If you would like to take part in the event or learn more, you can contact Dean directly at:
[email protected]

The Career Foundation’s Empowering Abilities Program (EAP) team talks about closed captioning and descriptive text. Learn about the benefits of sharing accessible audible content with customers, clients, and general audiences — especially if you assist people who are deaf or who have difficulty hearing.  The team also provides reasons why employers should consider making all of their content accessible to everyone.

Guests include: 

• Simone Cupid, Media Accessibility Specialist for Accessible Media Incorporated (AMI)
• Rachel Brown, Program Coordinator Interim Academic Accommodations at McMaster University.

A transcript has been made available for this episode. If you experience any technical issues accessing this episode, please contact us at: [email protected] 

In this episode, The Career Foundation’s Empowering Abilities Program (EAP) team talks about workplace accommodations. They discuss how providing accommodations can contribute to the success of persons with disabilities in the workplace. They also discuss success stories from pervious clients who benefited from accommodations. The episode also provides tips and resources on how employers can ensure that their workplace is as accessible as possible. Finally, listeners will learn about the importance of an accessibility plan.

Resources:  

• Contact Us - The Career Foundation
• https://www.ontario.ca/page/how-create-accessibility-plan-and-policy
• Resources | ODEN (odenetwork.com)

This three-part episode looks at growing career opportunities for youth—particularly youth that do not have post-secondary education. We speak with three youth leaders who have done extensive research on up-and-coming, promising career paths that youth can access with the right tools and resources. Our panelists include Kamilah Ebrahim, Saad Rasool, and Ben Williams, each of whom provide some great advice to youth just starting out in their careers. 

We discuss our youth-led research project called, “YouthFutures,” which was developed in partnership with Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity. We explore labour market trends and their impact on youth, as well as tips on how to break into top sectors including Technology, Finance and Healthcare. 

Some questions we address include: 

1. How can we encourage more women to enter the Technology sector? 
2. How can a young worker advance their career in Canada’s competitive Finance sector? 
3. What are some examples of free or low-cost training programs in Technology, Finance and Healthcare? 
4. How can youth overcome the apprehension to enter these competitive industries? 
5. How can youth access less “traditional-sounding” roles in Healthcare, such as Dietary Aide or Medical Office Administrator? 

We also explore specific career paths and how to enter them, including: 

• Data Scientist
• UX/UI 
• Cloud Computing 
• Call Centre Specialist 
• Bank Teller
• Tax Preparation Specialist
• Dietary Aide
• Personal Support Worker 
• Medical Office Administrator 
  
  

Resources: 

• LinkedIn Learning (first month free, or free with a Toronto Public Library card!)
• Coursera
• AWS Cloud Computing Training
• The Career Foundation’s Workforce Development Centre
• Food Handler Certification Course
• Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity 
• National Youth Summit (April 23 and 24, 2021) 

In this episode, The Career Foundation’s Empowering Abilities Program team will be talking about their program that supports persons with disabilities. They will also discuss the many ways that employers can benefit from our new Employer Toolkit. The toolkit provides tips and resources on how employers can introduce more inclusive hiring practices and/or workplace initiatives that support persons with disabilities.

Listeners will also learn about the Empowering Abilities Program and how to register for our no-cost employment services and supports. 

Resources: 

•        Services and Jobs for Persons with Disabilities - The Career Foundation
•        Workforce Development Centre - The Career Foundation

Welcome to The Career Foundation’s Future@Work Podcast and Webinar Series! This week, we discuss the importance of good mental health in the workplace and what’s needed to maintain a strong state of wellbeing as we approach the one-year anniversary of COVID-related lockdowns.

Guest panellist, Zdenka Goralikova (Registered Psychotherapist and founder of The Present Therapy), talks about the common difficulties workers and their employers are facing as they continue adjusting to remote work. We discuss strategies employers can take to build trust and boost morale among staff, and tackle the important question: is asking for help a demonstration of weakness? Finally, we talk about what a healthy mindset should look like in the face of disruption, change and uncertainty. 

About Our Panellist: 

Zdenka Goralikova is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) at the College of Registered Psychotherapists in Ontario (CRPO). After immigrating to Canada from Europe, she was inspired to study  Gestalt Therapy due to its emphasis on personal development. She personally benefited from her own therapy experience to take control of her life and overcome personal challenges. After several transformational events took place in her life, Zdenka identified her value in life and relearned the importance of self-love so she could empower and support her clients.

Read more about Zdenka’s story and her professional services here:  https://thepresenttherapy.squarespace.com/

Evelyn Akselrod is joined by Fahd Gulzar, from Amazon Web Service's Public Sector Programs Team (Canada). Amazon Web Services is committed to developing the current and future workforce by helping students and professionals get the skills and training needed to find employment in the tech sector.

Fahd explains the meaning of Cloud Computing and how Amazon uses this technology to benefit the world. They discuss the various types of jobs in Cloud Computing, how someone without a technical background can work in the industry, and how to get relevant training and certification at a low cost.

Types of Training Available via Amazon Web Services:

• Student-Level AWS Education: Registered post-secondary students can pursue different career pathways in Cloud Computing, comprised of 20-50 hours of curriculum and learning content. This is available to students at no cost.
  
  
• AWS Certifications: Various certifications available to help individual obtain industry-recognized certifications and education to help fill skills gaps. There are a mix of free and paid, on-demand trainings available on the AWS website. Fahd recommends taking the Certified Cloud Practitioner course to get started. 

More information about Amazon Web Services can be found on our website: https://careerfoundation.com/amazon-web-services/

Future@Work host Evelyn Akselrod dives into the third and final segment of our three-part series on inclusion and diversity in the workplace. This episode features Ali Mohamed and Nicole Tieze, from The Career Foundation's very own Empowering Abilities Program. The program provides specialized services to persons with disabilities, including job coaching and certification training, paid work placements, retention supports, and more.

Our guests discuss some common misconceptions around hiring individuals with disabilities, along with strategies to build more accessible and inclusive workplaces. They also talk about various training and employment opportunities made available through our Empowering Abilities Program.

For more information, please visit our website: https://careerfoundation.com/empowering-abilities

In this episode of our Future@Work podcast and webinar series, Evelyn Akselrod dives into the second segment of our three-part series on inclusion and diversity in the workplace.

Today, we focus on gender equity and the impact COVID-19 has had on women's economic inclusion. We are thrilled to be joined by two leaders in gen-equity: Anjum Sultana, from WYCA Canada (the world's oldest and largest gender-equity organization) and co-author of a feminist economic recovery plan for Canada, and Jessica Ketwaroo-Green, who is working hard to raise awareness of the 'shadow pandemic' and its serious implications on the lives of women.

Our guests discuss the importance of creating broader, community-focused systemic change to enhance women's gender equity. They also talk about the 'shadow pandemic' (the recent international surge in gender-based violence), access to childcare, and advice for women to help them continue advancing in their careers.

In this episode of our Future@Work podcast and webinar series, Evelyn Akselrod introduces the first of our three-part series on inclusion and diversity in the workplace. She is joined by a special team of Accenture employees (Gwenna Kadima, Patricia Poon, Rosie Given, and Emily Bolton), who each lead an area of inclusion and diversity at Accenture, a Fortune Global 500 company. 

Accenture was recently named to the 2021 list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for the 11th consecutive year. In 2018 and 2019, Accenture was ranked the No. 1 company in the world for diverse and inclusive workplaces. Accenture has been a leader in establishing a diverse board of directors, advancing workplace equality, developing diverse talent, and convening a global dialogue on how to provide inclusive environments for individuals who identify in different ways. 

Evelyn and the Accenture team discuss Accenture’s strategic priorities and how other organizations can start or enhance their own journey to inclusion and diversity in the workplace. They also talk about the low-cost strategies and various resources available to business leaders looking to educate themselves and their employees on: gender equality and gender expression; best practices for including more persons with disabilities; ethnic and racial diversity in the workplace; mental health & wellness, and more.