Media

National not-for-profit, job-creation campaign connects people with disabilities to employers committed to diversity

People with disabilities urged to register with Magnet, a powerful online job-matching platform -

Toronto, March 9, 2016 – Canadians with disabilities in search of good jobs that match their skills and aspirations are being urged to register with Magnet, a powerful job-matching network using next-wave technology.

Called the Disability Discovery Project, this diversity recruitment drive is aimed at removing barriers to employment for people with disabilities and connecting interested employers to a truly diverse talent pool.

Magnet’s data-rich network, led by Ryerson University and supported by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce radically alters how people with disabilities find meaningful employment and how organizations source talent from this largely untapped labour force.

Creating a profile is fast and intuitive. The system even provides a unique “self-ID” feature that provides job seekers with a positive way to privately and securely identify their disability as a strength. Once registered, candidates are matched to employers committed to hiring people with disabilities based upon their skills, preferences and talent requirements.

The need is great. More than half (53 per cent) of all Canadians with disabilities are unemployed and the average income for people with disabilities is $10,000 lower than the general population. (Source: Canadian Survey on Disability, 2012)

“We are building a movement to address chronic unemployment and underemployment among Canadians with disabilities,” says Tim Rose, Diversity Project Lead, Magnet. “Our goal is to prove once and for all that people with disabilities are a rich source of talent that employers cannot afford to ignore. If you are a person with a disability seeking employment, join us and let Magnet draw out your potential.”

More than 70,000 job seekers and 6,000 employers have registered on Magnet’s ground breaking platform. Membership also includes more than 25 universities and colleges, along with an array of community-based employment stakeholders and industry organizations.

“Magnet is all about breaking down barriers to meaningful employment”, says Mark Patterson, Executive Director, Magnet. “Every person with a disability, particularly those who have been left behind by the system, is welcome to plug themselves into the Magnet advantage and get connected to a better future.”

The National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) is supportive of the Diversity Discovery Project. “We support this proactive recruitment drive to help persons with disabilities with post-secondary education launch their careers with companies that they want to work for,” said Emily Duffett, Chair, NEADS.”

Registering and building a profile on Magnet is free. Visit http://www.magnet.today/

To learn more about Tim’s personal journey to find meaningful employment and how to create an effective Magnet profile, click https://vimeo.com/158116052

For information on posting jobs and navigating the platform as an employer, click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV7YxYXtMyI

Social media channels:

Web: http://www.magnet.today/

Twitter: @MagnetToday and #DiscoverPWDs

LinkedIn: Magnet.Today

Facebook: Magnet.Today

YouTube: http://youtu.be/6XhtNzQp-18

http://youtu.be/xT9-3v7s138

https://youtu.be/wbUE861a0jg

About Magnet:

Magnet is a new network powered by data-rich, job-matching technology that connects job seekers with employers based upon skills, preferences and talent needs. The network is also a unique source of real-time labour market information for decision makers and community planners. Magnet’s goal is to address unemployment and under-employment specifically as it relates to youth, new immigrants, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and other individuals facing barriers to employment.

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Contact:

Dave Bennett, Xposure PR, dave@exposurepr.com, 905-339-6668