In the 1980’s, the provincial government recognized
that there was an increasing number of young people
between the ages of 16 and 24 that were unemployed.
Of particular interest to the provincial government
was the increasing number of employment-disadvantaged
youth, who were looking for work unsuccessfully and
as a result Youth Employment Counselling Centres,
were developed.
The Youth Employment Counselling Centre in Cornwall
opened in November 1985. The agency opened with an
original staff of three and continued to grow. The
constant rising demand for service necessitated increasing
the number of staff and expanding the facilities and
consequently the Centre began offering a variety of
services which were developed to meet the individual
needs of segmented groups within its’ target
population.
In 1992, in view of the economic and employment situation
in Cornwall, the Youth Employment Counselling Centre
became incorporated as the Employment and Education
Resource Centre of Cornwall and District, Inc. Once
again, the Centre expanded its employment related
services and programs, in order to meet the needs
of its growing client base: the long term unemployed
displaced by plant closures or technological changes;
adults; and those who were attempting to re-enter
the labour force after an extended absence from employment.
In December 2002, the Employment & Education
Resource Centre decided it needed a new look and has
since launched its new name and logo: Job Zone d’emploi.
It currently employs 42 dedicated professionals and
is led by a committed and community oriented Board
of Directors.
A Strategic Planning process undertaken in 2001,
revealed several keys to the organization’s
stability and growth: a consistent focus on the types
of services it provides; a stable, high energy, caring
and loyal staff; a proactive approach to identifying
needed programming; consistent support from provincial
and federal governments; and an ability to form, support
and maintain partnerships.
