Kopar Administration Ltd. has signed a five-year contract to deliver the provincial social development ministry's new employment program in Prince George.
The centrepiece will be a WorkBC Employment Services Centre the city's downtown, at 1511 Third Ave. - two doors west of Victoria Street - scheduled to open April 2, 2012.
There will also be three satellite offices run by partner organizations: Carrier Sekani Family Services, 987 Fourth Ave.; Collge ducacentre College, 1752 Fir St.; Prince George Young Men's Christian Association, 2020 Massey Drive. - catering to specialized populations.
The contract is worth up to $10.1 million a year depending largely on how many clients are served and the success the agencies have in finding jobs for them. They'll deal with clients ranging from those who are "job ready" to those who need more support to build their skills.
"Under the new Employment Program of B.C., the ministry will have access to robust data to monitor the operation of the new program," said the ministry in a statement. "This will be significantly better than any data we used today, allowing us to more closely monitor the performance of the new program, as well as the success of our clients."
Several other service providers are also involved: Sandra Day and Associates Ltd.; TRADES (UFCW Local 24); Prince George Nechako Aboriginal Employment and Training Association; Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society; Prince George Brain Injured Group; AiMHi; and Immigrant and Multicultural Services.
"The new WorkBC Employment Service Centres will integrate all services currently offered through a single door and make it easier to help people fined work and provide stability for their families," the ministry stated in an information bulletin. "No unemployed British Columbian will be left behind because the new service providers must ensure that everyone has access to the same services, regardless of where they live in the province.
"All service providers will determine the best way to ensure effective service delivery to specialized populations and smaller communities.
"As a result, specialized populations - including immigrants, youth, Aboriginal people, Francophones, persons with disabilities, survivors of violence, persons with multiple barriers and people living in rural and remote areas - will receive the full suite of quality services through the new integrated centres, regardless of where they live."
In all, contracts were awarded for 84 storefront offices and 114 satellite offices.
In 2009-10, there were five, 162 case-managed clients.
