Good morning.
To meet the needs of our clients, SPHERE-Québec has developed over the years an innovative approach allowing persons with disabilities who are eligible for our services to enter the labour market.
I would like to tell you about two concrete examples of projects that have made a difference for our clients.
First, we have worked with a number of partners and developed adapted training models. We have adapted professional training programs that are available in our educational institutions. The content, the teaching style and the length of training have been adapted. We have worked on those types of projects in the retail sector, providing training for grocery clerks and floral assistants, as well as in the restaurant industry, providing training for assistant cooks.
The model makes it possible to alternate between internships and studies. Employers whose companies welcome the interns commit to keeping the participants who complete the program employed. Seventy per cent of participants complete the program and are integrated into the labour market.
We are currently working with other partners on implementing this type of training in a number of regions. Our main partners include Emploi-Québec, vocational training centres and school boards in the regions in question, employment services for persons with disabilities and rehabilitation centres.
If needed, at the end of the training, SPHERE-Québec will still be involved in the integration of participants into the workforce, with a customized action plan that will include measures such as salary subsidies, adaptation of workstations, special equipment, interpreting services, travel expenses, and so on.
Another model that is working very well is the one based on having an attendant or mentor in the workplace. For instance, we have trained many workers in a number of Rôtisserie St-Hubert franchises in Quebec. A person from outside the company or an employee whose schedule is freed up for a given number of hours per week provides support to the workers in their training. This customized support makes it possible to adapt the teaching methods based on individual needs. This is to the employer's benefit because, in the end, they are keeping a person who is trained according to the company's needs.
In our current economy, the labour shortage is becoming a problem in a number of economic sectors. Employers are looking for competent people to work in their companies. On our side, we have people who are actively looking for paid work, who are motivated and who are only asking to be trained.
Those projects meet the needs of both employers and the persons with disabilities.
Thank you.