Media release           Date  Dec. 9, 2019

MEDIA RELEASE                 

$70,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant to FOPL to Deliver Employment Information to Newcomers

Toronto – The Federation of Ontario Public Libraries received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation for the Mobile Information for Newcomers on Employment (MINE) project

In 2018, Ontario welcomed over 135,000 immigrants looking to build a new life for themselves and their families. For a substantial number of newcomers, lack of knowledge about information resources, difficulties navigating the service landscape and lack of access to information communications technologies are key barriers to employment.

The MINE project will test the feasibility of implementing an innovative model for delivering information services and resources about employment, skills development and financial literacy to under-served immigrant and refugee communities. The project will target newcomers in the Waterloo region who are not currently accessing available library or community information resources, are have difficulty navigating the service landscape, and/or do not have access to information communication technologies. We will bring information experts, tools and technologies to vulnerable newcomers in innovative ways.

The project includes research, implementation of a pilot, and evaluation in order to confirm effectiveness and options for replicating the model.

  • The research phase will focus on what the current gaps are in newcomers’ use of existing employment and financial information in Waterloo. We will examine what the barriers are as described by newcomers themselves and those that serve them. We will also learn about innovative information services that have been proven effective in similar situations.
  • In the implementation phase we will learn about the concrete requirements of our proposed solution, partnership options, and practical implementation experience will be gained.
  • In the evaluation phase, we will put the research and implementation knowledge together for a comprehensive lessons-learned report that will also point the way forward for additional projects.

The Federation of Ontario Public Libraries will work in collaboration with the Library Settlement Partnerships program of the Kitchener Waterloo Multicultural Centre, leveraging their partnerships with the Waterloo and Kitchener Public Libraries, to help create sustainable links to community resources and information services. The outcome will be an evaluation of the pilot and a plan for scaling, replicating, and sustaining the model across Ontario.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations.  OTF awarded $108 million to 629 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.

Media Contact

Stephen Abram, Executive Director, Federation of Ontario Public Libraries

Mobile Information for Newcomer Employment (MINE) Project

sabram@fopl.ca

416-395-074

 

Media Contact

Stephen Abram, Executive Director, Federation of Ontario Public Libraries

Mobile Information for Newcomer Employment (MINE) Project

sabram@fopl.ca

416-395-0746