So let me start the saga, my tale, of trying to get the Canadian government to help me get a job.
I called an agency that is supposed to help disabled people find employment. I called and received an appointment in two weeks. I went to an "orientation session". I was asked to fill out a form: name, address and other questions to find out if I was in any other government programs and what type of income I was getting (nothing). I was also asked to bring my CV (resume). They said they contacted employers that were interested in employing people with disabilities. They could act as a liason for us and help us get any accomodations required. There were about 6 other people there. One woman with vision problem, one with crutch, one woman told me that she had limited mobility of one arm, one with epilepsy and other problems (she seemed very aggitated and talkative), one I think with autism (she was echoing alot). Then we were told that we would come back for another appointment.
I got the second appointment the next week. I had an interview with a woman who asked me more questions about what work I had done and what kind of work I would like to do. I was trying to explain to her what my barriers to employment were (actually stupid NT's) such as my chemical sensitivities and my AS. She wrote down Non-verbal learning disorder because I couldn't pronounce Persasive developmental disorder and she had never heard of Asperger's Syndrome. I asked if she had any experience working with people with autism or AS. She said no. I gave her a list of problems of my AS: trouble making friends, eye contact, needing written instructions. I told her no phone work. She suggested data entry. She asked if I needed a job coach. I do not think I do. She was very nice except she told me that some placements are volunteer for one month or so before an employer will hire. I said no, maybe volunteer for two weeks but not one month. Anyway some stupid job like filing or data entry, I do not need two weeks training to learn. She told me that I had to make a third appointment with the placement officer.
So now, week 3: no job. I need to get another appointment. I think that if I get a volunteer placement for two weeks that I should get bus fare at least. How does the government expect people that have NO INCOME to work for free? Maybe I suggest they provide free cyanide pills.
What should I do? Should I stay with this program?
M, I wouldn't work for free even if they do call it training. You have been trying so hard for so long to get a proper job placement or other employment. Have you considered going to the newspapers? I know it's a drastic step but it seems to me that some media coverage for the poor employment services for disabled people in your area is required. Disabled people should not be required to give free labor in order to gain the promise of employment. As well, if you do go to the newspapers there might be an employer out there willing to hire. I have found that reporters who do human interest stories are often interested in covering such issues.
I am considering that I might work for two weeks or one week for free, provided that bus fare is given. I was also told that most of the jobs are short term contracts: three months, 6 months or 1 year.
I would certainly expose any abuse or exploitation I experience. If the same companies are doing this over and over, somebody in the agency must be profitting from it. Right now, this is the best I can do. So I will have to try and see what happens. Going to a newspaper might be premature right now.
I just only feel that this agency is more used to helping clients who suffered an accident and could not longer return to their previous employment. They should not just be set up to service physically disabled clients but also people with autism, mental challenges (retardation or head injury) and people with mental illnesses. So this might be a challenge for them to learn how to help me and others like me. So I will stick with it for a while.
continuing the saga:
Week four: another appointment. This person seemed very confused that I was interested in doing so many different types of jobs. I am desperate. I will do almost anything for money since I have no income. He told me that employers were only interested in hiring people with experience and/or training. It seemed to me that the only successful placements they could make were for NT's with perfect work records who perhaps had a car accident and now have a disability.
He told me that a few people had come in with AS but he really did not know what it was. I was trying to explain to him about social skills and reading facial expressions. He said he found it "fascinating". I gave him some literature on employment of people with AS which he put in my file and did not bother to read.
I was told to continue with my own job search since he had nothing to offer me. There was only a phone banking position available that is not suitable for me. He also asked what salary. I said I would settle for $10/hr. He asked me if $8/hr would be okay (minimum wage is $7.50 and he did not even know that) I also told this person that I needed help in job interviews and none was offered.
Seems to me that this disability office has only found jobs for the people who work there. I am greatly disappointed.
More of my journey. I did get a 6-week job stint without the placement centre's help. I did not tell the employer I had a disability.
The placement centre has called me twice. Once for a information session about working as a telephone bank teller which I can not do because of audiotory processing issues. Anyway the location was too far and we would be competing with anyone else who applied to the bank. The bank employee tended to emphasize how the workplace had been adapted to physical disabilitites.
The second call was at 4:50 pm asking if I was available for a free seminar the next afternoon. I was not told what the seminar was about but that "people can pay $300 for this". I asked what the subject of the seminar. It was relaxation techniques and balancing work and home life. I was not interested since I do not have a job. It totally baffled me that someone would actually pay $300 for such a seminar. I politely declined.
Almost 4 months now and no job and no real useful help.
The government agency website had a job posting for a cleaner job at a museum. I applied. I have relevant work and volunteer experience. I am hoping I will be considered since they are open to hiring a person with a disability. The only problem is that it is at least 1 - 1 1/2 hrs away from my home by public transit. Most likely any work I could get would be at least one hour away by public transit anyway.
That is far, especially if it would only be part time, say 2-3 hours per day, with 3 hours travelling. Ugh.
The position is full-time but not for a full year. It seems it is also posted up on the museum's public website so then I will have to compete with other applicants. They seem to emphasize that "immigrants" are welcome and not mention anything about disability. The government website just cut and pasted the job description into their webstie. I suppose the government worker will just send in the applications and a proposal that they hire disabled people. So I have just lost about 70% of my hope since the position is not specifically being held for people with disability.
Well good luck with it anyway.
Never heard anything about the cleaner job back from the government agency. The government worker did call me to ask how my job search was going. I told him about two interviews I had for part-time jobs. He asked me whether I felt I was qualified or had experience in the areas that I had applied for jobs - I said no. He asked me about the "office assistant" one where the job duties were really a mystery - see 5 minute interview thread for that one. He said I should be "careful about those types of jobs". What was that supposed to mean?
So really how I am supposed to get work experience when I can not get work. I will take any job. I do not understand how working on my resume/cv can help much either. I have taken such courses. Either people read them and conclude they do not want to hire me and do not call me for an interview. People who do call me for an interview do not seem to have read my resume. They spend most of the interview time asking me about what they could have read on my resume or telling me that I am not qualified or experienced enough for the job.
If the odd occasion happens that I receive a rejection letter, it usually says that someone was hired "that more fitted their needs" or that "a more qualified applicant was chosen". In fact, sometimes I have known that I was more qualified that other applicants in terms of education and experience. The term "that more fitted their needs" might translate as "does not have autism". Being more "qualified" means "no autism".
I did get a job once in a government lab. They received all but 5% of my pay from another government agency. So really, they were getting a worker for free. I am beginning to think that this is the only type of employment that I will be able to get.
Yeah, I "hear" what you're saying, M. I too have found it hard to find a job with job agencies. I've been through 2-3, including a LifeSkills course (not good for much)
another all-inclusive program with cold calling (useless) a bunch of feel-good
videos of some kind (don't remember), part of a course taught with the use of overheads (the instructor quit part-way through) and a computer course for how to type up your resume (spent most of the day mucking around with a fellow classmate in MS paint). We started with 80 people, ended up graduating 7. Great odds, eh?
One of the problems, I think, is that the Canadian goverment (or provincial, whoever provides the funding) thinks that these job agencies are catchall places for every kind of disability, or for people on welfare to find a job, so without due care and lots of prescreening, you can get a really funky mix of people . Some of these people think that being there is a free ticket, and that they are not really expected to put in the effort to find a job, so they fail. Basically I lucked into a place that was a little more caring, a little more kind, a place that actually hooked you up with people willing to give you a chance and hire you. Most places just treat you like sausage, Once you get out the other end, and don't have a job, well, too bad for you, we tried
which province are you in? maybe you could contact your benefits worker/local autism group, see what they recommend ?
J B