Abstract:

As the mining industry faces increasing labour shortages and competes with other industries for talent, it is more critical than ever to look at ways to engage with broader labour markets to fill current and future roles.

Workplace Diversity and Inclusion strategies that target underrepresented groups beyond Gender and Ethnic Inclusion will attract a wider and more diverse workforce. Those that target and recruit people who have disabilities will be accessing a large untapped talent pool.

Currently 22% of Canadians identify as having a disability and close to 50% of them hold a post-secondary degree or trade certification. This non-traditional source of labour is ready and available to help solve Canada’s labour shortages in the mining sector.

Research indicates that attitudes and misconceptions towards people who have a disability in the workplace are the greatest barriers to getting hired and being included in the workforce.

This session will highlight the business benefits of hiring people who have disabilities and will dispel myths and misconceptions that create bias and barriers for people who have a disability in the workplace. We will share the strong business case for inclusion and discuss strategies to engage and recruit talent from the disability labour pool along with additional considerations for implementing a successful Disability Inclusion strategy.

This presentation concludes with an introduction to the Jobs Ability Canada recruitment platform, a recruiting tool to answer the “where can I find the talent” question that businesses often have. Businesses recruiting on Jobs Ability Canada make an intentional statement of their company’s commitment to inclusive hiring and promote job seekers who have a disability. The platform is driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), developed by and for people who have a disability.

Jobs Ability Canada is a recruitment tool that eliminates the unintended barriers found on typical online recruitment platforms.

Biography of the presenter: J.C. Doyle is a University of Guelph Commerce Grad and a Niagara College trained Red Seal Chef with over 20 years’ experience operating in the service sector as Manager, purchaser, Chef, Trainer, Entrepreneur , Hospitality Consultant, and Restaurant Owner. His private sector background and experience bring a unique perspective to the (not for profit) disability employment landscape. In his most recent role as Manager of Employment Supports at Community Living North Bay, he worked with his team to modernize and transform their Employment Service to be more responsive and address the needs of businesses. A locally targeted marketing, re-branding and engagement strategy led to the Launch of Employment First Services. JC was a founding member of the North Eastern Employment Network and has led regional projects aligning the goals of stakeholders by delivering awareness campaigns and training to support a consistent school to work approach for people with disabilities across the region. JC has developed a keen interest and passion around the business case for inclusion and believes in helping business’s access the Disability Employment Market to gain competitive advantages. His pragmatic approach to systems and service speaks (answers) to the necessity of businesses to increase profits. Outside of work, J.C. spends time with his wife and two children enjoying all manner of outdoor opportunities afforded by a Northern Ontario Lifestyle.

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Sue Dafoe