Three decades of aid for women
Times
Change marks anniversary Agency has helped 50,000 job seekers
BARBARA
SIMMONS
SPECIAL TO
THE STAR
For the past 30 years, more than 50,000 women
struggling with the trials of unemployment, underemployment, inequities in
the labour force and career indecision have found support, confidence and
direction from a small non-profit agency.
Toronto's Times Change Women's Employment Service, located on the
17th floor at 365 Bloor St. E., prides itself on being a safe harbour in
turbulent times for women living in the city by offering free career
guidance and job search help for as long and as many times as needed.
Their clients include: those laid off due to downsizing/restructuring; new
immigrants and refugees; women with disabilities and chronic health
problems; women of a racial minority; under-employed women; single
parents; those re-entering the paid labour force after working for years
in the home; women attempting to leave abusive homes or work situations;
retired women in need of additional income; and young women attempting to
become financially independent.
Women who are not working, or working no more than 20 hours per
week, are eligible for free career and educational counselling, while the
computer room and resource centre are available to all women for free.
For many career professionals and participants, Times Change is
unique in that it offers "one stop shopping" for employment and training
needs and helps to alleviate the social isolation that many unemployed
women feel. Its atmosphere is calm, professional and friendly.
Many career and educational professionals have come to rely on
Times Change's reputation and participant feedback to make it the referral
source of choice for women needing to clarify career/educational goals,
master contemporary work search strategies or benefit from the support of
a group approach. The agency's resource centre, which is shared with the
Office Workers Career Centre and is the only place on the premises open to
men, offers a job board, up-to-date occupational binders, labour market
data, educational and training information, phones, faxes and computers
for Internet access.
The first step for many women is the Getting Started Workshop: a
2 1/2-hour introduction for women to identify their work-related
concerns and determine which services can best meet their needs.
It's not uncommon to hear testimonials about this agency. Pranoti
Menon, 35, says her experience at Times Change not only enhanced her life,
it re-started it.
As a newcomer to Canada, Menon relied on the agency to help her
find her way: "I had been a stay-at-home mom in India, but I knew I would
have to help support my family here.
"I took the job search workshop where the women in my group came
from all different backgrounds. The interaction gave me confidence, an
understanding of teamwork and, most importantly, I learned how people
interact in the Canadian job market."
Times Change has helped those whose self-esteem has been hit by the
harsh realities involved in finding a career direction or looking for
meaningful work.
Carole D., who asked that her last name not be used, had been
under-prepared to find work. The 49 year old with a Grade 12 Canadian
education used the services off and on over the years for job search and
in between jobs. She learned how to prepare a professional résumé and got
to see how she came across to employers. "By watching myself in videotaped
mock interviews it was an amazing thing to see how I grew professionally
over the years."
Her efforts have paid off. She recently beat out the competition
for an advertised permanent position with a non-profit health
organization. "It took me only a month and a half to find this position.
In the past it took a least a year to land my jobs."
In an innovative move away from standardized assessments, Times
Change has developed its own workbook for the career-planning workshop.
With the guidance of the counsellor, participants assess their skills,
work styles, values, income needs and interests. They examine the changing
Canadian economy and trends, research occupations, education and training
options, and are given guidelines for making good decisions and setting
realistic goals.
The workbook, which is also available in English and French in
CD-ROM format and has a leader's guide for counsellors throughout Canada,
is accessible to women who prefer to do their career exploration on their
own, or who are ineligible to use the counselling services.
Many community agencies limit usage based on very specific
criteria, whereas Times Change seems peerless in its non-exclusionary
history and mission. The staff of nine - four employment counsellors, an
educational counsellor, an intake/outreach co-ordinator, a computer
support co-ordinator, a computer support technician and a financial
administrator - work as a collective. There is no executive director, but
there is a volunteer board of directors.
"All of us earn the same hourly rate, all are equally accountable
to provide a supportive, accessible environment, respectful of diversity,
and all share responsibilities, including answering the telephones," says
employment counsellor Nurjehan Bharmal.
Times Change survives on a year-to-year basis, funded by The
Ontario Women's Directorate, United Way and Human Resources and Skills
Development Canada. The latter is the major budget provider, giving 62 per
cent of the annual funding.
More than 1,700 women are expected to use the agency's services in
2004-2005, and Times Change anticipates that 65 per cent of the employment
counselling clients will be employed or self-employed as a result of its
interventions, and that more than half of those taking educational
counselling will be similarly employed or return to school.
Wai Chi Wu, 48, who came from China with a Grade 10 education, is
one of those returning to school. She spent 20 years doing factory work
here before medical problems forced a career change. She signed up for a
Times Change career-planning workshop after being referred by her English
teacher at the Jones Avenue Adult School.
"I was embarrassed about my English and concerned about my age, but
the women in the group were so encouraging and helpful. There were about
15 in my group. The first two times I attended I was very scared, I almost
didn't go back, but I said to myself that if I want to change, I need to
take small steps.
"After the workshop, I had individual help from Pat Bird, the
educational counsellor. She was very kind, and helped me understand my
options. I became interested in a college community worker program. Pat
tested my spelling as that was the most difficult for me, and she
recommended a spelling and grammar book to help me prepare. I continued my
ESL classes and, when I was ready, I took the admission test at George
Brown College and was accepted to the program."
She credits the caring women in her group and knowledgeable
counsellors with helping her make career and life changes: "I hope my
story can help other people. It is very difficult for people my age to do
a career change, but if I can do it, someone else can too."
Times Change is celebrating 30 years of surviving and thriving this
month. Women who have been helped by the agency, and the professionals who
helped them achieve their goals, will be celebrating this Tuesday night at
the Boiler House Restaurant in the Distillery Historic District. For
details and reservations call 416-927-1900. Log on to http://www.timeschange.org/ to learn more about the
services of Times Change.
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