There's a lot going on right now in the advocacy world. One thing that may not be on your radar is the BC Budget 2021 Consultations undertaken by the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. This is an excellent opportunity to draw attention to an unfunded or underfunded initiative that you have in your area of service.
At ASPECT, when we present to the committee we try to address global issues that affect the barriers to employment. In my first submission four years ago, the barriers to employment are and still remain, supports for mental health and addictions, transportation, housing, and child care. We now have programs that are rolling out from the provincial government to support these areas with longer-term strategies in place.
The COVID-19 crisis is presenting more urgent challenges to employment as well as its services and supports. We have a new list of requests to the Finance Committee:
- Aggressive investment in connectivity throughout the province.
- More investment in early childhood education and child care.
- Investment in tech availability and tech training for those most vulnerable.
The world of work looks quite different these days, and as we are seeing in some of the news stories posted below, significant long-term shifts being made to the work environment. There is a serious concern, however, that those most vulnerable are being further left behind. Not only is it our responsibility to speak on their behalf but also to speak for all workers as we do our part as employment service providers to re-ignite the provincial economy.
Have your say by presenting to the committee by
registering online. If you are not able to present or provide a submission, never worry because ASPECT has your back.
Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT CEO
