As numbers surge into the 3rd wave of the pandemic, our Virtual Member Discussion this week touched on what organizations are doing now and what the immediate future might look like. We discussed that there are those concerned about the AstraZenica side effects amongst our community and those who are concerned that staff within their organizations will not consent to receive the vaccine at all. The concern was how to accommodate the rising level of anxieties that the promise of the vaccine brings.

One member on the call told us how, in their remote community, an employer brought a public health expert to answer workers' concerns. The vaccine hesitancy within the group almost completely disappeared. 

One member from the March of Dimes, which has its roots in the polio outbreaks of the mid-1900s, provided a resource that their organization produced in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Called "Mission Immunity" this web page provides a ton of resources to understand the available information. Some of the questions answered on the site are:

1. Why get the shot?
2. Are we sure the vaccines are safe when they were created so quickly?
3. What if I decide not to get vaccinated?
4. With variant strains becoming dominant, will the vaccines still be effective?
5. What about long-term side effects?

Some members on the call shared that their organization's policy is to give their staff the day off to get the vaccine. This, I think, is a generous encouragement going beyond the half-day being proposed by the province.

Finally, I understand that vaccines are a charged topic for many, and I'm taking a risk writing about it in Aspectives. I know even in my own family, there are some firm opinions on both sides of the COVID-19 debate. Our common ground lies in our exhaustion with the pandemic and its effect on our lives. I hope that you will take the information that has been provided here as an act of support and encouragement rather than one of judgement.
 

Janet Morris-Reade
CEO

This week I wanted to focus on an essential piece of research called the Social Service Labour Market Research Project. The project was funded by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training, and lead by the Federation of Community Social Services of BC, the Community Social Services Employers Association of BC, and the Social Planning and Research Council of BC. 

ASPECT served on the advisory committee, and many of our members participated in the research conducted in 2019. The results timelessly fill a void in academic investigation.

Research Questions:

• What is the current state of employment in BC’s community social services sector?

• What labour market data is needed to fill in the gaps of what we know about the community social services sector in BC?

• What are the recruitment and retention issues within the community social services sector in BC? (from p. 5)

• Social services organizations are experiencing an increasing degree of complexity in their work—in the needs of clients, in their funding, and in the recruitment and retention of their employees and volunteers.

• There is ample room for improvement when it comes to education and training within the social services sector.

• Organizations are struggling to meet multiple and growing service demands with the limited time and resources currently available to them.

• There is a lot of potential in terms of how people understand the sector and are welcomed into the sector as employees or volunteers and there is a lot of interest from those already within the sector to improve how this is done. (from p.8 )

The report confirms much of what we already knew about the impact of cyclical funding and the resulting challenges to attract and retain qualified staff. Check out a Data Aggregate version of the report, too. 

Anyone negotiating contracts that include staff compensation and/or those who search for words to describe the labour market inequities within the sector will find the report to be a gold mine of information. There is a lot to unpack in this information-rich report that I hope you'll take a moment to read.

Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT CEO

My CEO Report is a bit of a mixed bag this week. 

ASPECT Conference 21

Register now before March 31st and you'll receive a $100 discount for the ASPECT Conference 21. This is for those of you who want to spend your professional development dollars on high-quality learning before the fiscal year-end. The call for presenters will come out in April and the program will be set in June so registering now is like buying a mystery grab-bag at the corner store.

Based on our highly reviewed offering last year, here's what you can expect:

1. Two-days of 22 virtual sessions from which to choose.
2. Two keynote speakers, government representation, panel discussions, and collaborative workshops.
3. Content for frontline workers, career developers, and organizational managers and leaders.
4. An interactive conference platform with Play-to-Win prizes and promotions.
5. 30-minute breaks between each session to help you rest from potential zoom fatigue.

Register Now


AEST Appendix K

In the recent Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training call for qualifications, there was an "Appendix K" call and many of our members are waiting for the Request for Proposal. Although an official communication is coming soon from the ministry, I can tell you that the RFP will not come within the next two weeks. 

The processes within the government to undertake proposal evaluations, award notifications, and contract negotiations take time, especially in light of the many opportunities coming out at once. 


ASPECT Virtual Annual General Meeting

We have set the date for our virtual AGM on Wednesday, April 7 at 1:00 pm. This falls at the same time as our weekly member meetings and we will likely have time after the AGM to have a discussion as usual for those who wish to attend.  

Please click on the links below to access the AGM documents:

1. Agenda
2. Minutes from the 2018-2019 AGM held March 17, 2020
3. Slate of Directors
4. Proxy Form
5. Financial Review 2019-2020 (one will be sent upon request)
6. Provide Feedback to the Board

We look forward to seeing you there!
 

I have been watching the Prime Minister again this morning, and we finally have some unexpected good news with regards to the pandemic: the Jansen Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been approved in Canada, plus the existing vaccine suppliers are promising larger, earlier deliveries allowing people to be vaccinated ahead of schedule. This news, along with statements from Dr. Bonnie Henry yesterday that we could see a return to some level of normalcy by this summer, is a nice bit of hope to start the weekend. What does this mean for employment and the demand for employment services in BC?

We expected a surge last September, and then again in January, for demand on services that never materialized. However, with this more hopeful news, we can expect the long-awaited surge in early summer. It is likely that service industries most devastated by the pandemic might finally see significant returns. Also, on my call with the BC Chamber of Commerce last week, it was stated more than once that BC is poised for a quick recovery compared to the rest of Canada. 

My mind is doing flips at the potential possibilities. The employment service sector has proven how quickly it can pivot in its response to the pandemic's highs and lows. It will be interesting to see how we respond to a drastic opening of the labour market. In the meantime, I will quietly celebrate the good news and imagine the opportunities in our future and how ASPECT can support the sector.
 
Janet Morris-Reade
CEO

At this morning's briefing from Prime Minister Trudeau, I was expecting to hear about the vaccine rollout and the public safety legislation. What I didn't expect was extensions for the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB), the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB), and Employment Insurance (EI).

• CRB benefit extended from 26 weeks to 38 weeks
• CRCB benefit also extended from 26 to 38 weeks
• CRSB benefit is extended from 2 weeks to 4 weeks
• EI benefit is extended from 26 weeks to 50 weeks

As I write this, the Canada.ca website has not been updated with the new information, but you can link to the CBC news story here or watch the announcement below.

Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT BC, CEO

I read the Brookfield Institute's latest report with the same excitement and wonder as I did in grade 2 when reading about flying cars. There is so much to unpack that directly impacts the work our members are doing. 

The report identifies megatrends gleaned from various sources using a horizon-scanning methodology. Many of the trends are not new to the wider conversation, but seeing them all in one place is quite exciting. Each megatrend is broken down into meso trends that are further identified as weak, emerging, and mature. 

I was interested (okay, excited) to read the sections entitled Anti-Racism in the Workplace, Gender Equality Rollback, and Workaholic Extinction. Other sections were more concerning such as in Public Services with a Price Tag where it is suggested that lower public budgets may generate more innovation. In an environment where we've heard funders use the "I" word along with program budget-cutting, many of you will likely understand the possible implications first hand.

Regardless of your part of the employment service sector, I encourage you to take a look at this report. The graphics are gorgeous and the writing concise making it an easy read. Perhaps if you are feeling fatigued from the pandemic, you may want to skip the content on pages 47, 50, and 51. If you identify as generation Z, work with youth, or work with employers who employ you, look for page 54 entitled Gen Z Takeover.

The title of the report - Yesterday's Gone - tells you what to expect and in the conclusion, states that trends have been accelerated because of the pandemic. The sky is not falling, but there are certainly some interesting ideas within the report to consider.

Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT BC, CEO

The long-awaited report of the BC Expert Panel on Basic Income was released this week. The Panel suggests that a basic income would not be ideal, but provided recommendations for significant changes to the social safety net. If ratified, this will have a significant impact on the employment services sector. 

Reform Disability Assistance (DA) into a targeted basic income

1. Replace disability-related designations
2. Reform application process
3. Revise application forms
4. Eliminate DA asset test
5. Relax DA income test
6. Reform adjudication process
7. Eliminate reassessment
8. Convert DA to a targeted basic income
9. Increase DA benefit to the poverty line
10. Lower DA benefit reduction rate and maintain income exemption
11. Create public and community employment
12. Integrate support for addiction and mental health
13. Review addiction support

Reform Temporary Assistance (TA) to reduce the “welfare wall”

• Eliminate work-search requirement
• Engage federal government on COVID-19 recovery benefit rationalization
• Initially maintain current TA income test
• Increase TA income test threshold in medium term
• Eliminate TA asset test
• Extend TA streamlined reapplication
• Increase TA benefit levels by making COVID-19 emergency $300 supplement permanent
• Lower TA benefit reduction rate and maintain income exemption
• Evaluate training support
• Expand earnings supplement

Provide extended health-care benefits to all low-income individuals

• Convert extended health supplements to a basic service
• Provide housing support to all low-income renters
• Combine Income Assistance support and shelter allowances
• Expand targeted supportive housing
• Institute a B.C. Rent Assist refundable tax credit

Provide intensive work support to targeted groups

• Establish Assisted to Work basic service
• Establish a joint rehabilitation and work support agency

Enhance support for low-income families with children

• Refocus the Child Opportunity Benefit

Enhance financial and support services for young adults

• Increase Ministry of Children and Family Development resources
• Enhance transition planning and community support capacity
• Extend Agreements with Young Adults education and training duration
• Enhance Agreements with Young Adults life-skills support
• Extend Assisted to Work eligibility to former youth in care
• Create targeted basic income for former youth in care
• Initiate basic income with community support engagement
• Mandate a ministry to support former youth in care
• Establish a B.C. Learning Bond
• Contribute to B.C. Learning Bond for children in care
• Create a B.C. Career Trek program

Enhance financial and support services for people fleeing violence

• Enhance housing for people fleeing violence
• Create a three-tiered domestic violence program

Improve precarious employment through labour regulation reform

• Develop gig work employment standards
• Review Employment Standards Act exclusions
• Enhance proactive Employment Standards Act enforcement
• Improve employment standards for fissured work
• Review Labour Relations Code unionization provisions
• Proactively facilitate industry advisory councils
• Extend Labour Relations Code successor rights
• Rationalize employee definitions across programs

Improve the way benefit delivery platforms function

• Combine refundable tax credits into Dogwood Benefit
• Rationalize income definition for income-testing purposes
• Engage federal government to reduce tax-filing barriers
• Engage federal government to increase tax and benefit delivery responsiveness
• Engage federal government to streamline administrative tax data–sharing

• Automate informing applicants of eligibility for other programs
• Enhance cross-program system navigation
• Establish system governance
• Index Income Assistance rates to changes in the poverty line
• Increase Income Assistance staff resources
• Rigorously evaluate major reforms
• Create linked administrative data for policy development

Make ongoing engagement a permanent part of all policies

• Set up a human rights-based approach to engagement with those affected

Being in the second wave of the pandemic, it is definitely a good time to develop yourself professionally. ASPECT is here to provide some of the training needed for the sector. 

PART 3: THE RECRUITER’S EDGE - GETTING EMPLOYERS TO COME TO YOU FIRST

MINDFULNESS IN THE WORKPLACE -- FINDING CALM AMIDST THE STORM

VBL: WHAT IS LEADERSHIP?

VBL: SELF AWARENESS, CONFIDENCE, & VALUES

This morning I had the opportunity to attend the Canadian Council for Career Development (3CD) annual general meeting where they announced their new mandate. It was decided that 3CD would no longer rely on support from the Canadian Career Development Foundation (the organization currently updating the standards and guidelines for career development professionals) and strike out on their own. 

I was impressed with the 3CD board's ability to look at the landscape and create a mandate that fills a need, but also provides room for evolution. As someone who has been involved with nonprofit organizations at the board level for over 20-years, I am impressed with their work.

Mandate:

The Mandate of the Canadian Council for Career Development is to strengthen the professional identity of all career development practitioners and to promote career development for all Canadians.

Priorities:

• Communicate relevant career development information to the career development field
• Build partnerships to activate career development in Canada
• Host a community of practice for career development practitioners

ASPECT, on behalf of our members, is a member of 3CD which is an umbrella group of organizations across Canada. We support the work that 3CD is doing and will keep you up-to-date on any developments.

Janet Morris-Reade
ASPECT CEO