Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities

General Information

Institution:

Employment and Social Development Canada

Country:

Canada

Contact person:

Eppo Maertens

Position:

Director

Email:

[email protected]

Website of the program:

https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/opportunity-fund…

Which of the following topic(s) applies to the program?:

Topics:

EMPLOYMENT

Employment services

Program Description

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Description:

Through the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities (OF) program, the Government of Canada provides $40 million per year to third party service providers to assist persons with disabilities prepare for, obtain and maintain employment or self-employment, thus increasing labour market participation and independence. The OF also offers employment-focused interventions to assist persons with disabilities who have limited or no attachment to the labour market. These interventions cover a wide range of programs and services including skills training, job placements and wage subsidies that encourage employers to hire persons with disabilities. In June 2018, the Government of Canada announced a new investment of $18.4M over six years starting in 2018-2019 to expand support to employers, including small and medium-sized enterprises, and to create supportive workplaces for employees with disabilities. Enhanced programming will include development of matching services that connect employers and persons with disabilities and the establishment of effective recruitment and retention strategies.

Objectives:

The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities (OF) helps persons with disabilities enter and stay in the labour market, thereby increasing their economic independence and contributing to the overall growth of the middle class. The OF does this by funding projects that help persons with disabilities obtain information, tools, skills and work experience to facilitate their transition into the labour market and to strengthen their labour market attachment. The OF also funds projects that raise awareness among employers of the benefits of hiring persons with disabilities, and projects that help employers create inclusive workplaces.

Year of Start:

Before 2010

Estimated duration:

Undefined

Geographic coverage:

National

Target population:

Workers

Unemployed

Employers

People with disabilities

Evaluation and Documentation

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Specify if the program has any internal and external evaluations, if applicable, include key findings:

The Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities undergoes a program Evaluation every five years to provide a status on the progress and performance of the program. The latest OF Summative Evaluation was completed in 2014 and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/reports... The OF is currently undergoing the second phase of another evaluation, which is expected to be finalized by 2019.