Employment Services:

Employment Services provides specialized employment services for deaf, deafened and hard of hearing consumers 16 years of age and older for whom barriers often include: difficulty accessing information over the telephone; difficulty in securing sign language interpreting services; difficulty in booking interpreters on short notice for job interviews; serious attitudinal barriers in the expectations, perceptions, beliefs and behaviours of employers regarding the employability of deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people.

• ES has specially trained counsellors, including staff who can communicate directly with consumers because they are themselves, deaf, deafened and hard of hearing, as well as hearing staff who use sign language, understand the culture and have the expertise to meet their communication needs.
• A full range of employment services are offered in CHS regions, employment services are offered directly and indirectly via partnerships with outside agencies.

Interpreting Services Job Interview

With funding from Human Resources Development Canada, we now have a sign language interpreter available for YOUR job interviews in the Metropolitan Toronto area.

To request an interpreter for your interview, please contact:

Wendy Chamula, Program Assistant
Voice: 416-928-2500 Ext 235
TTY: 416-928-2519
Fax: 416-928-2523
Email: wchamula@chs.ca

How Employment Services Works

ES uses a case management model which establishes a one-on-one relationship between the ES counsellor and the consumer.

• Referral Services:
  Information on training and employment placement, enabling consumers to pursue their employment goal.
• Employment Literacy:
  Improving ASL/English literacy skills in areas such as filling out job application forms, reading job postings, understanding interview questions and written aptitude tests.
• Résumé Services:
  Résumé assistance to facilitate the job application process.
• Employment Resource Services:
  Resources to maximize independent job searches including computers, fax machines and other office-related equipment, organization of resources, maintaining a job board, etc.
• Job Search Training:
  How to conduct an effective job search; e.g. current information on economic and employment trends in the region and how to job search on the Internet.
• Job Leads/Job Development:
  Partnership links between consumers and employers; job orders from employers; cold calls daily to maintain job market information; communication and cultural sensitivity workshops.
• Employment Intervention/Job Maintenance Services:
  Effective management and prevention of employment crises or conflicts including support, education and employment consultation to manage employment crisis; support to initiate mediation/consultation process to maintain a job and deal with issues.
• Job Accommodation/Supports for Employment:
  education, technical devices and access to communication to ensure an accessible workplace.