JobStart Provides a Head Start

 South Etobicoke, Ontario: One of the many ways JobStart helps job seekers find employment is through access to our Community Computer Lab. The Community Computer Lab ensures that local residents have free access to the information highway and to the potential it offers for job creation and economic and social development at the community level. The site allows individuals to – access the internet, practice and improve computer skills, set up and use an e mail account, job search and do homework, finding and search for community and government services and web searching. The Community Computer Lab is available in part due to the commitment and enthusiasm of qualified local volunteers. Volunteers are there to meet and greet clients, provide an orientation make them feel comfortable and to offer advice and assistance. Given the recession and an already unstable job market South Etobicoke residents are reliant more than ever on JobStart to help them prepare for and find employment. We serve a diverse range of job seekers including youth, students, persons with disabilities, adults and newcomers to Canada

Some alarming statistics:

• Last year JobStart served over 7,000 new clients with 66,000 visits from job seekers
• Examples of key findings of Poverty by Postal Code: Almost 1 in 5 families in 2001 were living in poverty, In 1981 the rate of family poverty in Canada was 12.8% and the rate climbed to 19.4%in Toronto, poor families are concentrated in neighbourhoods where there is a high proportion of families living in poverty compared to 20 years ago. In 1981, just 17% of poor families lived in such neighbourhoods, compared to 43.2% in 2001.
• Examples of findings from Canada 2006 Census: Data indicates that single parent families comprise 18%, Central South Etobicoke continues to have a sizeable population of new arrivals to Canada. The population of new immigrants grew by approximately 25% between 1991 and 2000 and 18% between 2001 and 2006.
• The immigrant population by age indicates that 22% are between the ages of 15-24; 45% between ages of 25-44; and 8% are 45 years and over.
• The population of immigrant status is 42% for Central South Etobicoke
• Earlier this year 4 factories closed in South Etobicoke leaving approximately 1,600 people out of work.