Next Steps - Employment Counselling

Brief Description

Next Steps – Employment Counselling provides employment services focused on career self-exploration/personal evaluation, skills enhancement, and job maintenance skills to adults facing barriers to employment.

Goals

The main goal of the Next Steps program is to:

• Support participants to transition to independent, pro-social living including upskilling, re/attachment to the labor market and maintaining employment goals.

Clientele

Clientele includes people of all genders who may have had or at risk of criminal justice involvement as well as people who face other barriers to employment. Assessments are completed during initial intakes with participants to ensure appropriate program fit. Referrals can be made through an agency or through self referral. This service is for ages 18+.

Core Components

Next Steps involves 1:1 meetings with participants identifying personal employment goals, barriers to employment, ensuring basic needs can be met to enter workforce as well as employment readiness activities such as resumes, job searches, community connections, job skills, application assistance.

Implementation Information

Some of the critical elements for the implementation of this program or initiative include the following:

• Organizational requirements: The Next Steps program requires trauma-informed and knowledgeable staff to support participants, as well as staff with knowledge of the current labour market and available community resources and opportunities.
• Partnerships: The Next Steps program partners with the Murphy Centre, Choices for Youth, Immigration, Population Growth and Skills (IPGS), Stella’s Circle
• Training and technical assistance: Limited information on this topic.
• Risk assessment tools: Limited information on this topic.
• Materials & resources: Limited information on this topic.

International Endorsements

The most recognized classification systems of evidence-based crime prevention programs have classified this program or initiative as follows:

• Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development: Not applicable.
• Crime Solutions/OJJDP Model Program Guide: Not applicable.
• SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices: Not applicable.
• Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy: Not applicable.

Gathering Canadian Knowledge

Canadian Implementation Sites

The Next Steps program runs in St. John’s and surrounding areas, Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). Services also offered in Stephenville, through John Howard Society Newfoundland and Labrador. There is also limited virtual support available for other areas of the province.

Main Findings from Canadian Outcome Evaluation Studies

No information available.

Cost Information

No information available.

References

There is no Canadian reference available at this time.

For more information on this program, contact:

Mara Hayward

Employment Services Manager

John Howard Society Newfoundland and Labrador

Email: mhayward@jhsnl.ca or info@jhsnl.ca