Exploring Different Models: Three Social Enterprises that Promote Employment Skills
The Counselling Foundation of Canada and Enterprising Non-Profits (enp) are pleased to host a FREE webinar series for organizations interested in learning more about social enterprises that promote employment skills. This three-part series will run on three Wednesdays in July. It will provide an introduction to social enterprise with a focus on those that promote employment training and employment opportunities, an exploration of three case studies of successful employment training social enterprises from across Canada, and the support that exists for organizations seeking to explore how they could potentially launch a social enterprise, including Innoweave and enp services.
Additionally, Innoweave will host a standalone introduction to social enterprise webinar on September 12.
Session #2: Wednesday, July 24 from 12PM to 1PM ET
Exploring different models: Three social enterprises that promote employment skills
Social enterprises offer a variety of employment models: training, transitional and permanent employment. The models cover a broad range of purpose and targeted populations: people with disabilities, immigrants, youth, people with multiple and complex barriers and others. They use many business models to achieve their goal.
Through interviews with three program managers, we will learn:
- Different business models that can be used
- The variety of employment models available
- How to evaluate business types with employment objectives
- Successes and failures to learn from
- Key recommendations from practitioners
Facilitated by David Lepage (Team Manager, Enterprising Non-Profits)
David is the Team Manager of Enterprising Non-Profits (enp) supporting the development and growth of social enterprises. Enp provides resources, technical assistance, workshops, grants and is collaborating on creating an enabling environment for social enterprise across Canada. He has worked in the non-profit arena for over 35 years, in inner cities, and remote communities, diverse cultural communities, in multiple roles, from board, manager, staff, and funder.
Register for the event here.
Case Studies:
1) StreetSuds/BuandeRue, a program of Montreal’s St. James Drop-in Center, provides a laundry service for businesses and community organizations around Montreal. Beyond offering a professional and high-quality laundry service, StreetSuds/BuandeRue operates as a transitional employment program for formerly homeless individuals and individuals at-risk of homelessness who are looking to re-enter the workforce. The program provides job and life skill training opportunities to numerous individuals per year transitioning from a life of welfare dependency and instability to self-sustainability and autonomy.
Alain Spitzer (Executive Director, St. James Drop-in Center) and Alyshia Wagstaff (Program Coordinator, StreetSuds/BuandeRue)
Alain was born and raised in Montreal. After completing his education at Trinity College Dublin in 2002, he joined the staff of the Salvation Army Booth Centre in downtown Montreal. He has spent the past 10 years working with Montreal’s less fortunate (those who are struggling with homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse), and has been the Executive Director of the St-James Drop-In Centre since 2005.
Alyshia is the coordinator of StreetSuds, a transitional employment program started by the St. James Drop-in Centre. She has been involved in community work since the age of 16, as a worker, volunteer and Board member for various community organizations in and around the city. She graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work from McGill University in 2012. She has worked with diverse marginalized populations such as youth, women, and individuals struggling with mental health problems, addiction and homelessness.
2) Furniture Link, a program of Furniture Bank in Toronto, is one of the largest social purpose enterprises in Canada. This program provides job and life skills training and/or employment to at-risk youth, individuals suffering from minor mental disabilities, the learning disabled, people receiving Ontario Disability Support Program benefits and other marginalized people with limited employment opportunities. Furniture Link is a creative initiative that promotes the involvement of participants and has proven to be successful in lifting people out of poverty and into reasonable hope for financial independence.
Suzanna Kislenko (Executive Director, Furniture Bank)
Susanna joined Furniture Bank in 2012 as part of an evolution of the organization and its social enterprise, the largest in Toronto Enterprise Fund’s portfolio. In her time at Furniture Bank, Susanna has led the organization into a new chapter of growth, partnership building and preparation for large scale expansion. Susanna’s tenure at the organization has included the launch of Leg Up, Furniture Bank’s skills building and employment program targeted at marginalized youth and newcomers.
3) The Smokehouse Kitchen Project, offered by The Prince George Native Friendship Centre in British Columbia, is a six-month pre-employment/employment training program that offers cook “Level One Curriculum”. This curriculum is designed to set participants up with the relevant prerequisites to “ladder” into an entry level position in the hospitality industry, pursue further culinary training, or continue on with a more streamlined academic focus (grade twelve/hospitality management). The Smokehouse Kitchen Project includes three distinct but interrelated components; culinary Arts, Baking & Pastry Arts and Theory.
Barb Ward-Burkitt (Executive Director, Prince George Native Friendship Centre)
“…Wahiyow CaWapata Scoo…” (Far Seeing Woman), also known as Barbara Ward-Burkitt. Barb is of Cree ancestry from the Fort McKay First Nation in Northern Alberta and has resided in different Northern BC communities for most of her life. As the Executive Director of Canada’s largest Aboriginal Friendship Centre, she has provided leadership in a manner that is motivating and inspiring not only to staff but to grassroots community members. Her 40 years of commitment to the Aboriginal Friendship Centre movement reflects her own personal philosophy of empowerment of Aboriginal people and advocacy for community growth.
Register for the event here.
Last year Barbara Walters asked four billionaires for their Top 20 Secrets of Success. The #2 secret? "Always be True to Yourself." It turns out that applies to communities, too. Join national thought leader Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute for an inspirational presentation: Ed will share this and other secrets of successful communities that he has gleaned over the course of decades working in small towns across the country.
