Survey to support employment of KFL&A residents impacted by pandemic
The Eastern Ontario Workforce is hoping to hear from everyone in the Kingston area whose employment has been impacted by COVID-19. Through a public survey, the non-profit board will learn more about obstacles workers are facing regarding finding and keeping gainful employment.
On Monday, Mar. 15, 2021, the survey, administered by workforce development boards across Ontario, will be open for public input. Individuals in the workforce are encouraged to complete the survey if the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on their employment.
The Worker Impact Survey is administered by the Eastern Workforce Innovation Board. Don’t let the initial questions fool you – the board is looking to hear from anyone and everyone in the area who has experienced any employment changes during the pandemic.
“The survey is for anyone who has had to change jobs because of COVID, became unemployed, wants to change jobs now or is looking to enter the workforce in a new way,” said Mike Sheppard, Marketing Lead with the Social Schmoes. “So, it is open ended to a few different scenarios. The first question in the survey deals with employment status, so almost anyone can fill it out, but I would say anyone who felt their work was impacted by COVID would be the target market.”
According to their website, the Eastern Workforce Innovation Board is one of 21 boards that comprise “Workforce Ontario — Leaders in Workforce Planning.” These local boards are non-profit, community-based organizations comprised of volunteers from business, labour, education, and community groups. Their mission is to provide leadership in labour market planning across Ontario through a collaborative forum.
“A survey like this will be one of the major reports that the Eastern Workforce Innovation Board creates. These boards are not only designed to serve the workforce, which they are by providing information to the workforce, they are also here to collect data and report back to all levels of government,” Sheppard continued. “The more information the workforce has, the better chances they have of getting some support in our area. As an example, the Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG), which helps employers apply for funding to hire workers, was created because of feedback from Workforce boards in Ontario. So the Eastern Workforce Board will take all this data, create a report, and present it to all levels of our government to advocate for the support workers need.”
Take the Worker Impact Survey here. Prizes are available to be won.
This article is sponsored by Eastern Workforce Innovation Board. If you are interested in a Business Feature on Kingstonist, contact [email protected]