Employment Services
Employment Programs
Eligibility
Ray of Hope offers two employment programs for individuals facing barriers to employment.
To be eligible, you must be:
- A permanent resident of Canada
- A resident of Kitchener-Waterloo or the surrounding area
- Unemployed and able to commit to attending the entire program
- Not enrolled in or attending secondary or post-secondary education
- Fluent in verbal and written English (Canadian Language Benchmark 6+)
- Program supports are also available to individuals with disabilities
Program Details
The Employment Programs are 19 or 26 weeks long, and both offer paid employment opportunities in 2 to 3 phases.
New Beginnings
Eligibility
Ages 18+
Duration
26 Weeks
Phase 1
Phase 2
Youth Employment Program
Eligibility
Duration
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Phase One
A 4-6 week in-person employment skills training with certifications as needed
Phase Two
A 5-week internal paid job placement at the Ray of Hope Community Centre kitchen and/or Phase Three
Phase Three
A 10-20 week external job opportunity based on skills, experience and interest
Note: For the Youth Employment Program, participants have the option to progress directly from Phase 1 to Phase 3.
Program Highlights &
Support Include:
- Certifications in First Aid, Safe Food Handling, Smart Serve, and Health and Safety as needed
- Weekly one-to-one job coaching, job development and action planning support
- Lunch for the first two phases of the program
- Support with grocery costs if required through marketplace access
- Work and interview clothing if needed
If you are interested in applying to one of our Employment Programs, use the button below to fill out the application form.