PATHWAYS TO WORK RESEARCH PROJECT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Demographics have been indicating for some time that the Nova Scotia population is ageing and declining in size. In the past few years there has been a growing realization of what impact these changes will have on the economy and more specifically on the labor market. Projections indicate that the labor force will face a significant shortage of available workers in the near future. This will have a negative impact on economic growth but also on the funding base for social services programs. A variety of strategies have been suggested to address this issue such as attracting newcomers to Nova Scotia, increasing productivity and also encouraging those not in the workforce to (re)enter it. In order to understand how to effectively encourage those not in the workforce to (re) enter it we need to understand why they either have not entered or have left the workforce. In this study we used the term Discouraged Job Seekers to describe the people who’s opinions we sought. We wanted to hear their views and develop recommendations with them which would encourage (re)entry to the workforce.

There were 11 objectives for the project. Please see Appendix A for a complete listing. An exploration of the current labor market forecasts in Kings County to identify future trends for employability was the first focus of the project. The second was to develop an understanding of the barriers Discouraged Job Seekers perceived they had, then valid the realities of those perceptions. The third focus was to develop a plan to recruit and give information to Discouraged Job Seekers, in order to encourage them to (re)enter the workforce. The fourth focus was to develop an understanding of the supports offered to enter the workforce, identify gaps in services and make recommendations. .

The Pathways to Work Research Project was nine months in duration and employed two researchers full-time. A ‘mixed methods’ approach was used to engage people who self-identified as Discouraged Job Seekers. We defined Discouraged Job Seekers as “people wanting work, but who had given up trying”. Qualitative and quantitative processes were used to identify perceived barriers and possible solutions. Interviews with people involved with job finding in Kings County were conducted to further our understanding of the issue. Employers were also interviewed. Gaps in service were explored. Conclusions were drawn from information obtained from the interviews and through the examination of gaps in service. These formed the basis of the recommendations we make.

The initial phase of the project was exploration of the issue through both academic research methods and engagement with local services. A current and projected economic profile of Kings County was developed. Outreach to potential participants for the project was conducted throughout the county.

The second phase of the project was conducting the research with self-identified Discouraged Job Seekers who were willing to share their stories with the researchers. Over a four-month period, thirty one quantitative questionnaires were administered, and from that group 23 in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted.

The third phase of the project was analyzing and verifying the perceptions of the participants. Based on themes identified in academic journals we developed nine overarching themes to categorize the experiences of Discouraged Job Seekers.

Briefly the barriers identified were in the areas, i.e., themes, of: employment recruitment, employment services, job properties, government polices and practices, social networks / social isolation, functional barriers, alternatives to employment, stigma, and personal barriers.

As part of verifying the perceived barriers and seeking resolution, this third phase also included discussions with relevant stakeholders and members of the job finding community. We interviewed representatives of organizations such as the Department of Community Services, third-party Employment Services and those involved with community-based organizations serving populations which include Discouraged Job Seekers. We also interviewed some employers. An examination of services available for job seekers was performed through use of organizations’ websites and with considerable support from the local MLA’s office.

Hundreds of barriers[1] were identified by the 31 research participants. The barriers were analyzed on the basis of the nine themes that had been identified and adapted as the interviews occurred. When appropriate, we consulted with relevant members of the job finding community, read policy manuals and conducted other methods to confirm participants’ perceptions.

One of the objectives of the project was to identify the ‘perceived’ barriers experienced by discouraged job seekers Every participant’s perception in essence was true: it was their perception. Why the perception existed was another, more complex issue. Often Discouraged Job Seekers’ perceptions were accurate in that the barrier existed, and if possible we make recommendations to remove the barriers. One example is, difficulties participants experienced in obtaining easy access to transportation to the agricultural fields to pick berries: that barrier exists. Ways to offer reasonable cost transportation to the berry fields therefore needs to be developed. Other times we found that the resource the participant perceived to be a barrier due to apparently being unavailable did in fact exist. The reason participants had the perception that it did not exist was that they did not know about it in spite of searching for it. Lack of effective communication was a primary factor in many of the perceived barriers. Developing effective communication strategies is necessary to address those barriers. Other times the resource that the participant identified as not being available did in fact exist, but was not accessible to them. Expanding eligibility criteria is a tool to address those barriers. Often the perceived barriers were a complete surprise to the service providers who had a mandate to address them. There was a clear disconnection between the perception of the participants and the views of the service providers. Attempts to understand this disconnection are made in the report.

An apparent unique finding is our identification and naming of “The Void” – the experience long time job seekers have of continually applying for positions and receiving no feedback from their application. From our understanding, this factor was significant in the creation of discouraged job seekers.

We identified barriers in nine theme areas.

Finding ways to connect with a potential employers presented many barriers: from difficulties in understanding job ads to trying to ensure that the employer saw the assets of the job applicant rather than the applicant’s ability to interview well.

Participants found barriers on the job such as problems with communication from the employer regarding the specifics of a job and the expectation that all job duties be performed rather than those duties they were able to complete.

Finding support for job seeking was difficult: participants experienced significant isolation as a result of being out of work, and at times, their natural supports, such as friends and family did not offer the kind of help they needed. The services offered through Employment Services agencies often put too many expectations on them: they were struggling and needed more individualized help.

There were functional barriers, e.g., lack of access to transportation was a major barrier, ease of access and use of a computer.

Many barriers were encountered by those participants relying on government financial support. In spite of there being supportive programs and policies, there were numerous barriers that prevented participants from accessing the programs. Policies lacked flexibility and were not conducive to allowing participants to utilize the assets they do have.

Discouraged Job Seekers encountered significant communication barriers: information was difficult to find and when found, difficult to understand.

Recommendations were documented and kept separate for the various constituencies consulted: the voices of participants i.e. discouraged job seekers, were separated from those in other roles, e.g., employment services staff. Participants identified numerous recommendations to address barriers. Many times there were similarities. A total of 43 recommendations are made.

It took a long time for some participants we interviewed to change from being job seekers to discouraged job seekers, and the change affected many aspects of their lives. Supporting them to return to active job seeking and finding is likely to require a long-term commitment and a multi-level approach. Two recommendations are establishing bridge builders and enhancing the service system in Kings County.

We recommend the creation of, or re-tasking of current, positions to enable people to work with individual Discouraged Job Seekers to support them so that they would be willing to (re)enter the workforce. “Bridge builders” would help discouraged job seekers develop the resilience required to return to active job seeking. The bridge builders would assist job seekers in navigating their way through the current service system effectively. The bridge builders would also support system development by enabling more effective communication and collaboration in the job finding community. Examples would be: 1) participating in community-based programs that Discouraged Job Seekers are members of to provide up-to-date labour market information, and 2) linking employers with supports to help them be successful in hiring and retaining people with employment barriers.

The creation of a clearer continuum of services for job seekers through the implementation of functional and policy recommendations found in this report. Examples of system enhancement are the creation of a volunteer center, and changes in the Employment Support and Income Assistance program to enable support for all income recipients to find jobs.