On April 2^nd 2012, the Provincial government will launch a new system of employment programs for British Columbians. Under this model, all employment services will be centralized and consolidated into WorkBC Employment Services Centres, which will be operated by various organizations.

People who want help finding employment through WorkBC will need to contact an Employment Services Centre. The model differs from the previous system in that the Centres will provide help to people from all communities including people with disabilities, immigrants, youth, women and people receiving basic social assistance.

Please note no changes have been made to the rules about seeking employment for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) benefit recipients or for people receiving the Persons with Persistent and Multiple Barriers to Employment benefit (PPMB).

About Accessing the Centres
After April 2^nd job seekers should go to the WorkBC website http://www.workbc.ca/ or phone toll-free at 1-877-952-6914 between 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm for answers to job, career or labour market questions.

To locate their local WorkBC Employment Services Centre, job seekers can go to this map: http://www.workbc.ca/workbccentres/interactive_map.htm. Please note that the phone numbers of the Centres are currently not provided on the map and need to be accessed from the various Centre’s websites or through the phone directory.

We’d Like your Feedback on the New Service Model
There is concern in the community that people with disabilities will find the new system less accessible and useful because the Service Centres are not specialized but rather provide assistance to all types of job seekers.

We’d like your feedback on how this new system is working. Please share your experience with the new system by emailing feedback@bccpd.bc.ca.

Help us spread the word about the RDSP!

Two Douglas College students have worked with the Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN) to put together a survey on RDSP Awareness.

The Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP) is a government-funded, long-term financial planning tool for people with disabilities. Beneficiaries of the RDSP can be eligible to receive up to $3 from the federal government for every dollar they invest, with the potential to earn an additional government grant of $1000 each year for 20 years. Most importantly, the RDSP won’t affect any provincial disability payments.

Of the 500,000 Canadians who are eligible for the RDSP, only 10 percent have signed up.

If you are a person with a disability, or someone who provides care to someone with a disability, please complete this 5-minute survey. The information you share with us will make it easier to reach other eligible Canadians who aren’t yet aware of the benefits of having an RDSP.

The survey is completely anonymous and all questions are optional: http://kwiksurveys.com/?u=RDSP

We regret to report that Violet Puskas has been found and has sadly passed away. We are all very sad that this gentle, kind woman who volunteered with the BCCPD is no longer with us and send our sincere and heartfelt condolences to her family. She is very much missed by us all. Thank you Violet for everything you did for the BCCPD and our clients. Rest In Peace.