Evidence of meeting #27 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was self-employment.
2:20 p.m.
Bloc
France Bonsant Bloc Compton—Stanstead, QC
Wouldn't it be logical if you asked them for three years and not to have to take six months just to fill out those stupid papers so you can have your money?
2:20 p.m.
President and CEO, Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work
Do you want to come to work with the CCRW?
2:20 p.m.
President and CEO, Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work
I'm getting ready to retire, so I'm with Mr. MacGregor on this.
One of the important pieces here is that just recently, through the Office for Disability Issues in the former government, they actually provided core funding to eighteen key organizations in Canada to March 31, 2008. So this year I do not have to fill out any papers or forms for core funding.
However, for every other project that's currently funded, we have to submit proposals and funding...requesting continued support. So we don't know from year to year whether or not all those results that we're able to demonstrate for people with disabilities will continue.
2:20 p.m.
Bloc
France Bonsant Bloc Compton—Stanstead, QC
I'm asking you the question because on the resources for placement carrière-été, the student thing, we deposited a recommendation for a three-year period instead of one year. There are strict limitations working with disabled people, so you don't have the money to get one person to work only on the paper stuff. It's very expensive, and it's frustrating too, because you never know from one year to another if the door will still be open or not. C'est pour cela que... three years.
2:20 p.m.
President and CEO, Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work
Yes, exactly, and I would fully support your observation with regard to three years, particularly as it relates to human resources.
Just as an example from the partners for workplace inclusion program, which has five sites in Canada, we are funded year by year through the Opportunities Fund. Even though we demonstrate our results, we exceed our targets and our objectives, and we're demonstrating everything we are required to demonstrate as indicators under the Opportunities Fund, we are required every year to submit a letter of intent. That has to then be reviewed. We're currently at the stage where we're waiting to be asked to submit a proposal to continue our work. So we're very familiar with that degree of anxiety that occurs every year, wondering if we will be able to continue.
The other piece to that, when you talk about paperwork and people, is that we have five sites across Canada employing a total of only ten people--in all of those five sites accumulated--yet we are able to overachieve our results and demonstrate to the Government of Canada that we're able to make that employment issue happen for people with disabilities.
So I completely support your observations.
2:20 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you, Madam Bonsant.
I want to just say thanks to everyone for being here. I think Ms. Barron made it very clear that every issue we have before us today we could study not only all afternoon, but all day. We realize how all these issues cross borders and cross departments, in terms of employability, and that's why as a committee we decided unanimously that we would look at this issue. As I said, we started with a fairly narrow focus, and it expanded to older workers and to persons with disabilities, because, quite frankly, this whole issue of employability, as you're all well aware, affects so many people.
I just want to say thank you once again. Your input and insight has been most valuable, and we appreciate it greatly. So thank you very much for your time.
The meeting is adjourned.