Bruce County’s Job Search Club 101

Bruce County created Job Search Club to meet the needs of long-term unemployed clients with complex circumstances and multiple barriers to employment. These hard-to-reach clients were not meeting the requirements of their participation agreements and had difficulty engaging in any meaningful employment or volunteer activities. However, the County also recognized these individuals had to possess enormous strength and resilience to deal with their complex life circumstances. It hoped to tap this potential by redirecting their strengths in positive and productive ways. On the first day of the three-month program, all 12 participants attended. By the end of the club, three participants were meaningfully employed and had gained valuable life skills to support their continued success.

At OMSSA’s 2019 Employment Forum, Bruce County staff joined us to share more about Bruce County’s approach and help delegates think through the question “Could this work in my jurisdiction?”

After the Forum, they shared the following program outline and documents for those interested in exploring a similar approach or program in their communities: