Helping Mitigate Barriers to Employment

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In a recent project, Career Professionals of Canada’s Résumé Strategist Mastermind Group analyzed a number of barriers to employment. Here is a snapshot of their findings.

Our clients may be struggling to address one or more barriers. Employment barriers might be actual concerns, those that are perceived by the employer, or those that are perceived by the candidate. No matter which situation, our role as practitioners is to help the candidate gain insight, improve self-esteem, determine viable career paths, and leverage resources to mitigate the barrier.

Sometimes a real or perceived barrier can become an enabling factor in a person’s success. For example, someone who has low self-esteem or is shy might have many hidden accomplishments. As career practitioners, we need to help them uncover those strengths. But, for some clients, there is a danger of relying too much on the career practitioner. This becomes a serious concern when the barrier is not an area of specialty for the practitioner. In those cases, it is best to direct clients to reliable resources so that they can start to research and do the work required towards their own career development in Canada.

Here are some links to resources that you might share with your clients:

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) provides employment resources and other services for clients who are referred by a physician.

Ontario Immigration Canada provides resources for English and French as a second language as well as citizenship classes for new immigrants.

Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, a registered charity, is dedicated to improving the lives of children, youth, and adults with learning disabilities.

Canadian Mental Health Association offers a Making It Work Guide that highlights and describes various “return-to-work” strategies and provides practical tips for implementing them most effectively.

Employment and Social Development Canada through extensive research, along with other national and international agencies, has identified and validated key literacy and essential skills.

Ontario Human Rights Commission offers an online Disability and human rights brochure which applies to employment and membership in unions, trade or professional associations, among other areas.

Do you know of Canadian online resources that can help clients deal with barriers to employment? Please share these with your colleagues by commenting below.

Thank you to the Résumé Strategist Mastermind Group Members for doing the research and selecting this solid list of Canadian resources for job seekers with barriers:

Learn how to join a Mastermind Group facilitated by Career Professionals of Canada and get professional development throughout the year.

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