Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Operating Manual
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Section 11 - General Overview
Federal-Provincial Role in Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities
In 2018, the Government of Manitoba entered into a renewed bi-lateral labour market transfer agreements with the Government of Canada. The new Workforce Development Agreement (WDA) consolidated and replaced the former Canada-Manitoba Job Fund Agreement and the Labour Market Agreement for Persons with Disabilities (LMAPD). Changes to the agreements were informed by consultations that occured across Canada and collaborative discussions between federal, provincial, and territorial governments. The WDA increases the Government of Manitoba's flexibility to design and deliver programs that respond to the province's unique client and labour market needs.
The province of Manitoba is responsible for designing its own vocational program or range of services and for establishing program eligibility criteria. The primary goal of Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities is to provide goods and services to eligible individuals to enhance their opportunities to prepare for, obtain, and maintain competitive employment. These services may be as simple as a referral to a job vacancy or as complex as a multi-year training plan involving a variety of supports.
The federal government requires that a number of conditions be met in order to support the program and to verify cost-shareable items, such as:
- maintenance of financial records and statistics;
- administration, promotion, and coordination of the program;
- measurement of outcomes; and
- the availability of an appeal process.
The province is required to maintain records of all expenditures, revenues and refunds to support claims for cost-sharing. Cost-shared items must be clearly identified as provincial costs incurred in the provision of vocational services to eligible participants.
In cases where an agency or department provides a range of services, only eligible costs directly attributable to vocational services are cost-shareable. Records must contain information to substantiate the program's eligibility and must demonstrate that goods and services have been provided as part of the vocational process for eligible participants. Participant eligibility is decided by the province.
Shareable costs under bi-lateral agreements between the federal and provincial governments are detailed and complex. Costs directly related to the preparation for, obtainment of and maintenance of employment are generally cost-shareable. All expenditures related to an individual's vocational training plan must be approved.
Overview of the Vocational Process
Manitoba's Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities is designed to provide, and/or ensure access to, goods and services that will assist participants to prepare for, obtain and maintain employment.
The vocational process aims at an individualized Vocational Goal for each participant. It includes a number of inter-related phases, including:
- determining eligibility through an application, referral or intake process;
- assessment;
- planning with the participant;
- implementation of the participant’s vocational training plan;
- follow-up; and
- closure of the participant's file.
Counselling and service coordination occur throughout the vocational process. When Vocational Goals change, amendments must be made to the documentation of the participant’s vocational training plan. Individual circumstances may warrant bypassing one or more of the process phases identified above.
Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Mandate
Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities' mandate is to provide funding for a range of employment related supports, services and training primarily for unemployed adults who have a disability.
Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Delivery System
Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities is part of a larger range of services designed to enhance the participant's independent and productive functioning in a variety of community-based residential, social, recreational, educational, and vocational environments.
Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities, with its emphasis on vocational training and job placement strategies, is designed to address the vocational needs of Manitobans who are:
- Canadian citizens or legally entitled to remain and work in Canada on a permanent basis; and
- living with a disability and who have the potential to pursue a substantially gainful occupation.
The Program addresses the vocational needs of participants with the following disabilities:
- intellectual;
- physical;
- psychiatric;
- vision;
- hearing; or
- learning.
The Government of Manitoba, through Manitoba Economic Development, Investment, Trade, and Natural Resources, is responsible for the overall administration of Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities and the Workforce Development Agreements with the Government of Canada. This includes employment-focused programs and services managed by the Departments of Economic Development, Investment, Trade, and Natural Resources, Health and Seniors Care, and Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery (internal and external Mental Health Programs, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, and Behavioural Health Foundation Career Options for Students with Disabilities). See Appendix I.
For Manitoba Health and Seniors Care and Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery, staff of Regional Health Authorities generally deliver programs and services provided by the Mental Health Division. In some cases mental health workers have access to and/or refer participants to programs and services funded by Manitoba Economic Development, Investment, Trade, and Natural Resources.
Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities & Services in Manitoba
Designated Service Delivery System
Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities is delivered by Manitoba Economic Development, Investment, Trade, and Natural Resources, Regional Health Authorities and Designated Agencies (DAs) funded by Manitoba Economic Development, Investment, Trade, and Natural Resources. Vocational Counsellors employed by Manitoba Economic Development, Investment, Trade, and Natural Resources and Designated Agencies provide case coordination services. The designated service providers include:
- Manitoba Provincial Government – Vocational Counsellors located across the province provide services to persons with an intellectual, learning or psychiatric disability.
- Regional Health Authorities – Mental Health Workers are located across the province under the administration of Regional Health Authorities and provide services to persons with a psychiatric disability. Some regions employ Employment Development Specialists.
- Designated Agencies – receive funding through the Province and are designated to provide services to people with specific disabilities. The three designated agencies are:
- Manitoba Possible – provides vocational services to persons with a physical disability, including persons who are deaf and hard of hearing but excluding persons with a visual disability or spinal cord injury.
- Spinal Cord Injury Manitoba Inc. – provides vocational services to persons with a spinal cord injury.
- Vision Loss Rehabilitation Manitoba – provides vocational services to persons with a visual disability.
Specialized Services of Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities
In addition to Case Coordination Services provided by the provincial and designated agency service delivery system, a range of specialized agencies are utilized extensively to provide services in accordance with Individual Vocational Training Plans. These services include:
- Assessment, Employment Services and Employment Supports – provided by four agencies that receive funding from the Department of Economic Development, Investment, Trade, and Natural Resources. These four agencies are:
- Career Connections Inc. – located in Brandon and provides Assessment, Employment Services and Employment Supports to persons with an intellectual, psychiatric, physical or learning disability.
- Employment Preparation Centre – located in Winnipeg (operated by Manitoba Possible) and provides Assessment, Employment Services and Employment Supports for persons with a physical, psychiatric or learning disability.
- steps2work – located in Winnipeg and provides Assessment, Employment Services and Employment Supports primarily for persons with a psychiatric or learning disability.
- Segue Career Options Inc. – located in Winkler and provides Assessment, Employment Services and Employment Supports primarily for those with psychiatric disability, but also for those who have an intellectual, physical, or learning disability.
- Alternative Services – participants in rural areas are at a disadvantage in terms of accessing Assessment and Employment Services. Therefore, the program provides a mechanism to cover costs incurred by an Employment and Training Centre to deliver services outside of its normal geographic area provided. To do so, it must be demonstrated that the costs are less than reimbursing the participant(s) to commute or to cover short-term living arrangements. The program may also consider purchasing services from other suppliers providing costs are more economical and quality standards are not compromised.
Another component of Alternative Service provision is the possibility of program funds being used to assist Employment and Training Centres to purchase disability-related assistive technology on a lease or long-term special fee assessment basis. - Education and Training Services – Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities can purchase services from other externally operated organizations such as community colleges, private vocational schools, private language schools, universities, and other training services. Refer to Appendix IV for further details on these services.
- Assessment, Training-on-the-Job, and Support Services – individualized services include Assessment, unpaid work experiences, and training-on-the-job which may be contracted with a variety of public services or private businesses.
- Support services assist people with disabilities to pursue training or employment opportunities by accessing goods and/or services. Goods and services may include:
- building modification;
- assistive devices;
- vehicle modification;
- special equipment;
- transportation;
- tutoring;
- sign language;
- note taking; and
- Employment Supports – Goods and Services.
