Langley 10 by 10Challenge Committee

Presentation toTownship of Langley Council

October 27, 2008

Background

• March 7, 2007 community organizations make presentation to Township’s Economic Development Commission.

• Economic Development Commission recommends to Council that it should accept the Challenge.

• March 26, 2007 Township Council accepts the Challenge.

Langley 10 by 10 Committee

• First meeting of Langley 10 by 10 Challenge Committee held on April 16, 2007.

• Committee issues introductory press release which is picked up by local Langley newspapers.

Derek HarmsworthTrue North Furniture Co.

• Derek was hired by True North Furniture Co. after staff read an article on the 10 by 10 Challenge in the local newspaper.

• “We had a job available that we felt would work well for an individual with a disability. With the job market being so tight, we are always looking to tap into new areas to find employees.”

Langley 10 by 10 Committee

• Next few meetings spent creating Terms of Reference for the Committee.

• Telephone/e-mail survey of other municipalities reveals challenges due to limited resources.

• Despite this fact, the Langley Committee continued to bring partners to the table and forge ahead.

Committee Composition

Committee Purpose

• Increase employment for people with a disability in the Langleys by 10% by 2010.

• Determine baseline to measure the success of the Langley 10 by 10 Challenge Committee.

• Raise awareness of Langley employers as to the talents, skills and benefits of hiring a person with a disability.

Committee Action Plan

• Meet with Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce and School District to ensure awareness of Langley 10 by 10 Challenge. (done)

• Develop and publish success stories. (ongoing)

• Apply for funding from various sources to obtain resources for various planned initiatives. (ongoing)

Committee Action Plan

• Publicize Langley 10 by 10 Challenge Committee and its ongoing work on Province of BC, City of Langley and Township of Langley Internet websites. (ongoing)

• Organize employer breakfast. (future?)

• Organize a Job Fair for Spring 2009. (future)

• Develop educational resource video. (done)

Presentation toMinister’s Council

• Opportunity to report back to policy-makers regarding successes and challenges being faced by Langley 10 by 10 Challenge Committee.

• Opportunity to receive advice and new ideas from policy-makers.

Mike CarlsonMurrayville IGA MarketPlace

• “There has been no downside to hiring people with disabilities. It’s no different than hiring an able-bodied employee – it’s a risk every time you hire anyone until you discover how they can do the job.” – Gord Schilling, Owner

Presentation to “Strategies for Access & Inclusion”

Conference• Nanaimo July 9, 2008 - Conference

theme was: Creating Welcoming & Prosperous Communities.

• Networking opportunity among those who design and implement the access and inclusion programs geared toward local governments.

UBCM Annual Conference

• Workshop session included presentation from Langley 10 by 10 Challenge Committee and premier of 10 by 10 Challenge video on which Langley Committee was one of only three communities highlighted for its efforts.

• Township of Langley and City of Langley presented with “Strategic Partnership Award” by Province to commemorate success achieved due to spirit of cooperation.

Measuring Success

• Since April 2007, the three community organizations on our Committee have placed 116 people with disabilities into a successful employment situation.

• When Langley accepted the Challenge in April 2007, we became the 27th community to do so. Now, there are 74 communities that have accepted the Challenge.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The Committee is at a crossroad:

- success stories (116 of them!!)- committed community stakeholders- momentum

Versus

- limited resources- difficulty measuring effectiveness of engaging business sector