Income and Employment Support

Ontario Works Durham

Mission Statement

Building a stronger community by supporting people through innovative programs, delivered by caring staff, committed to excellence.

Our Commitment is to Continually:

Putting clients first;
Providing high quality financial and employment supports;
Clear communication in all contacts with an approach of respect and dignity;
Life-long learning for staff and clients;
Embracing diversity in the community and workplace;
Barrier free service delivery facilities;
Creating an environment that maintains and promotes teamwork;
Supporting a safe and healthy workplace for clients and staff; and
Promoting community awareness of our programs and services.

Ontario Works

The overall goal of Ontario Works Durham is to assist social assistance participants to prepare for, obtain and sustain employment and to make the transition to long term self-reliance. All employable family members, including applicant, spouse and dependent adults not in school, will be required to participate in Ontario Works. To apply for assistance call 905-428-8982 or 1-877-678-6333. There are three (3) components of Ontario Works which include: Employment Supports, Employment Placement and Community Participation.

View the LEAP (Learning, Earning & Parenting) summary

Employment Supports

Access to Opportunities sessions will be delivered to all employable participants of Ontario Works and volunteers from Family Benefits and Ontario Disability Support Program. These information sessions provide a thorough overview of current vocationally related programmes and services throughout Durham Region. Included in this component are Employment Support Workshops. These group sessions include:

Job Search Strategies
Interview Skills Workshop
Resume Preparation Workshop
Computerized Job Search Skills Workshop

Employment Placement

Employment Placement (EP), is a component of Ontario Works that assists individuals in obtaining paid employment. Participants work one on one with an Employment Consultant to design and implement an employment plan. The goal is to market qualified candidates to employers in Durham Region and to assist participants in effectively marketing themselves.

More information on Employment Placement

Community Participation

This component matches appropriate participants with placement opportunities in not-for-profit community agencies. Clients gain skills and experience within a structured work environment. Participants will be encouraged to select a placement within an organization that best suits their interests and needs. All placements must meet the following standards: