Employment Services - COSTI Annual Report

Accelerating engagement by providing opportunities for success.

Newcomers come to Canada and bring with them new ideas, energy, skills, resources, and a strong desire to succeed and contribute to their new country. In order to contribute, they must first be given the opportunity to develop the tools and skills needed to secure employment and pursue a career in their new country. We want everyone who comes to Canada to be successful. That’s why we made it a priority to extend our work prior to the pandemic, beyond bricks and mortar, engaging with newcomers both virtually and in-person. Offering professional development, pre-employment training and employment opportunities at the local and provincial levels, and also providing pre-arrival information, referrals and consultations internationally, allows COSTI to connect with clients no matter where they happen to live.

7,782

adults accessed employment services online and in person at five locations

65%

of adults and youth who were unemployed and under-employed secured employment

60%

of individuals seeking employment have post-graduate or bachelors degrees

70%

of employers we work with are small to medium-sized companies

COSTI believes that access to sustainable jobs puts people on the right track for success and enriches our communities. We work with over 2,000 employers who share the same belief. Last year, 7,782 individuals with international work experience, young adults, high school and university graduates came to COSTI looking for help to get them one step closer to finding the right job or career.

The full complement of employment services was delivered virtually throughout 2020/21. While COSTI successfully placed many clients, job seekers and employers faced many challenges and looked to COSTI for support. The majority of employers we work with are located in “COVID hotspots” and are primarily sole proprietors and small firms. Many were faced with laying off employees, unable to hire, or having to close their doors permanently. Clients living in hotspots were fearful and reluctant to seek employment while barely surviving on the federal government’s recovery benefits, and others were unable to participate in webinars and job fairs due to lack of technological tools and/or computer literacy.

While we anticipate some of the challenges to continue into next year, COSTI believes that a shift in service delivery through the development of innovative programs, flexibility in our working hours and restructuring and enhancing our popular online services to include industry-specific workshops, will allow us to meet the anticipated high demand for our services in the coming years.