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Monday is the last day of work for our staff teams at Pathways and the Job Shop, as funding for those programs has been wound up. The programs officially closed March 31st. The two programs have been active for nine and eleven years respectively and they have provided assistance to thousands of people during their time with us.

Tradeworks will miss the great people, and we wish them well in the future – Ray, Larry, and Antoinette, have been with us for more than ten years and have been the face of our programs.

Many of these people will be finding other work in the neighbourhood and remain committed to local residents. Tradeworks looks forward to working with them in new roles. Tradeworks thanks all staffers for their efforts, commitment and constructive initiative over the decade of real community service.

The government of BC has, on March 6th, introduced legislation to allow for a ‘community contribution company’, this is their release: http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2012/03/bc-introduces-act-allowing-social-enterprise-companies.html

Bill 23 is online, but the amendments to the BC Corporations Act are a little cryptic.  As the release emphasizes, the model is likely best suited to innovative social enterprises.  Largely it follows the framework in last year’s consultation paper, the CCC has a community purpose (“a purpose of providing health, social, environmental, cultural, educational or other services, but does not include any prescribed purpose”) and is obliged to annually provide a “Community Contribution Report”.  The CCC is restricted from transferring assets at anything less than fair market value, paying dividends above a prescribed level, and otherwise distributing benefits to insiders or shareholders to the detriment of the ‘community benefits’.  And then there are provisions particular to dissolution, merger, and conversion.  Details will be easier to understand when related regulations are published.

Overall, the onus will be on shareholders and other stakeholders to monitor actions vigilantly.  The provision for government regulation is light.

Similar initiatives have been introduced in the UK and some states in the US.  The activity in these jurisdictions has varied, and in the UK complementary tax policies and grant programs made for a larger scale roll out.  In BC, a lot will depend on how foundations and venture philanthropists view the model when and if it is enacted.

The legislation will be under review in the BC legislature through the coming weeks.

The planned major overhaul of BC’s employment services funding prompted Vancouver Councillor Kerry Jang to speak up February 14th.  Council passed a motion that directed City staff to review the implications of the changes and monitor the potential for negative consequences.  More and more agencies are expressing concerns that the Province’s homogenized ‘one stop shop’ model will leave many of those with special requirements poorly served; the developmentally disabled, immigrant farm workers, the multi-barriered struggling with depression.

The new Employment Program of BC consolidates a wide array of services into 73 WorkBC Employment Service Centres around the province.  Seven will serve the City of Vancouver as of April 2012, and a host of existing services will be closing down.  The biggest weakness is how each Employment Service Centre (“ESC”) will help those with special needs.  The model may work for reasonably skilled job hunters.  The model assumes that each ESC will refer clients with particular needs out to subcontractors with expertise – however several players with years of specialized experience have been squeezed out of neighbourhoods they once served; the CNIB, Developmental Disabilities Association, PEERS, Coast Foundation, Tradeworks, Progressive Intercultural Services, Strathcona Employment Assistance,  etc..  The pool of subcontractors for most ESC’s is relatively small and tends to cover larger subgroups only; such as the physically handicapped, new immigrants, and French speakers.

Some people are going to fall through the cracks, and they will be those less able fend for themselves – those with mental health issues, brain injuries, genetic anomalies, FAS, limited literacy skills, and other similar weaknesses and multiple barriers. If someone requires more help, but the fee maximums under the new fee schedule preclude it, the client will be on their own.  Similarly, the homeless and those recently leaving the criminal justice system will have fewer ‘re-entry’ points.   There is a substantial cutback in ‘street level’ services as a result of this new model.  (This is a primary reason for us to ensure Pathways Information Centre is retained.) The biggest threat to the City, in the inner-city, will be increased demands on libraries, community centres and police resources.