Government grants allow post-secondary students who are Deaf and hard of hearing to pursue career opportunities through internships
Toronto, ON (June 29, 2016) – This week, 16 post-secondary students, many of whom are Deaf or hard of hearing, started summer jobs at Canadian Hearing Society (CHS) office locations throughout Ontario through an internship program funded by the Canada Summer Jobs program.
“Appropriate and barrier-free employment is a right for all Canadians – Deaf or hard of hearing,” says Julia Dumanian, CHS President and CEO. “Supporting Deaf and hard of hearing youth as they move into the workplace is vitally important to ensure their future career successes. At CHS, we are proud to offer summer job opportunities for college and university students.”
The internships are part of CHS’s focus on employment and education. Communication devices, interpreting services, captioning and visual alerting devices are available for staff and clients, allowing CHS to offer students an accessible and unique environment where we strive to eliminate barriers to communication.
CHS provides a variety of rich and rewarding internships for college and university students. Students are able to gain hands-on experience that will contribute to their long-term career goals. Positions include research assistant, program support worker, American-Sign Language (ASL) worker, communications assistant and special programs assistant.
“The intent is to provide valuable work experience for Deaf or hard of hearing students in Ontario and encourage them to strive for their academic and career goals,” says Brian McKenzie, CHS Director, Training and Employment Services. “These students will learn new skills and save money for their education when they return to school in September.”
CHS Employment Services continues to work with employers to provide work opportunities for individuals who are Deaf and hard of hearing and to make their workplaces more accessible. More than 1,840 people have been supported by CHS Employment Services in the past two years, with more than 25 per cent of those being between the ages of 17 and 29.
About the Canada Summer Jobs program
Canada Summer Jobs provides funding to help employers create summer job opportunities for students. It is designed to focus on local priorities, while helping both students and their communities. It provides funding to not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses with 50 or fewer employees to create summer job opportunities for young people aged 15 to 30 years who are full-time students intending to return to their studies in the next school year.
About the Canadian Hearing Society
Trusted since 1940, the Canadian Hearing Society has been providing industry-leading products, programs and services to Deaf and hard of hearing Canadians to ensure barrier-free access and increased quality of life. Employment Services has provided job search assistance and employment supports for job seekers and employers for more than 70 years in offices across Ontario. For more information, visit www.chs.ca.
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Media Contact:
Marie-Lauren Gregoire
Communications Manager
Canadian Hearing Society
Email: mgregoire@chs.ca
Phone: 416-928-2500 ext. 272