Projects
Job Search Strategies Forums Project
Introduction
With support from the BMO Capital Markets' Equity Through Education Program, NEADS has held 20 successful Job Search Strategies Forums for post-secondary students and graduates with disabilities since 2005.
Upcoming Forums include:
- Vancouver, British Columbia (February 4, 2011);
- Toronto, Ontario (March 11, 2011).
Successful transition from school to work is vitally important for Canadian post-secondary students and graduates with disabilities. NEADS believes in offering opportunities for those in our network to move from academic success to challenging and rewarding careers. These forums make a significant difference to talented, job-ready persons with disabilities.
These are interactive forums -- with guest speakers -- held in different geographic regions of Canada. They focus primarily on issues related to career transition for graduates and post-secondary students with disabilities, such as preparation for the job market, issues around disclosure, resumé development, conducting a job search, arranging workplace accommodations, promoting your skills set, mentoring opportunities for students and employers alike etc. Another feature of the project is the further development and enhancement of the NEADS Online Work System (NOWS) www.nows.ca , our dynamic job site. Currently the job site has over 1500 post-secondary students and graduates with disabilities and 85 employers registered.
The Forums: An Overview
- Five forums on Job Search Strategies and Practical Techniques for Success in the Employment Market to be held in four regions of the country and a workshop at our next national conference. Dates and locations for the events, as selected by our Project Planning Committee:
- Interactive forums -- with guest speakers -- in different parts of the country focus primarily on preparation for the job market, issues around disclosure, resumé development, conducting a job search, arranging workplace accommodations, promoting your skills set, mentoring opportunities for students and employers alike etc.
- An average of 70 participants at each forum and five to six guest speakers. Participants are post-secondary students and recent graduates with disabilities.
- There is a cross-disability focus to these events, and NEADS actively invites both official language groups to attend. Board members will act as hosts of each forum.
- Invited speakers include: employers from different sectors of the Canadian economy, career counsellors, the NEADS Online Work System (NOWS) team, non-governmental disability organizations (national, provincial, community), and student leaders.
- Reports on each forum -- with recommendations from participants and transcripts of presentations -- are produced and made available on our Website and in a condensed version in the NEADS Newsletter in both official languages.
Services at the Forums:
- Each event is held in a fully accessible, centrally located, venue.
- American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, captioning or notetaking and simultaneous English/French interpretation are provided as required.
- Materials/handouts at the forums are made available in accessible formats for participants.
- A lunch is served.
- Travel subsidies are arranged for students and graduates with disabilities who face unique equity concerns within the disability community.
- A professional meeting report will be written after each forum and photographs will be taken. The reports and photos will be available on the NEADS website.
Reports
- Toronto - October 14, 2005
- Edmonton - November 19, 2005
- Victoria - February 4, 2006
- Montreal - March 18, 2006
- Ottawa - November 11, 2006 (national conference)
- Halifax - September 30, 2006
- Winnipeg - February 2, 2007
- St. John's - March 31, 2007
- Thunder Bay - October 3, 2007
- London - November 2, 2007
- Vancouver - February 2, 2008
- Fredericton - March 28, 2008
- Ottawa - November 12, 2008 (national conference)
- Saskatoon - October 17, 2008
- Calgary - February 28, 2009
- Montreal - March 28, 2009
- Halifax - October 17, 2009
- Regina - November 7, 2009