Project aimed at keeping young adults off income assistance to continue

An appearance before a Nova Scotia Legislature committee to explain their work became a reason to celebrate Tuesday for three organizations running a program funded by the Department of Community Services.

That's because the department's deputy minister, Tracey Taweel, confirmed publicly the groups will receive $1 million in next spring's budget to continue pilot projects in Halifax and Kentville that aim to help young adults find steady work instead of relying on income assistance.

"It's great news, excellent news," said Mary Fox, the executive director of Community INC. "We're really excited to continue this work."

The peer-support and life-skills program is called Edge and began last year. It is available to Nova Scotians 18 to 26 who may not have the skills or the confidence to look for a job and are at risk of needing income support.

"I think it's great," Russ Sanche, the executive director of Portal Youth Outreach, said of the funding commitment. "I think it's smart and I think it makes sense.

"There's two things happening, there's good results, but there's also ongoing development so it gives us a chance to adjust and keep adjusting what we're trying to do."

Ninety-three people are going through or have gone through the program.

According to statistics provided by the groups Tuesday to the standing committee on community services, 58 have found a job with the help of Edge, and 40 them have found steady employment. Eleven of them are holding down more than one job.

In the first year of the pilot project, 22 people left before completing it but are free to come back if they want.

Dave Rideout, president and CEO of MetroWorks Employment Association, said he was happy with those job numbers but participants also gained more than just work thanks to the support of their peers.

"A lot of these kids have come from environments where they've had no positive feedback in their lives," said Rideout.

"Nobody has listened to them, nobody cares and so to be in an environment where they feel that they're heard and people actually care about them, to me that's the most important piece that they get out of that."

The deputy minister said it was too early to talk about expanding the program beyond Halifax and Kentville, but her department is looking at providing extra resources to the groups to solve ongoing problems with transportation and the need for more counselling.

"A reliable means of getting from home to work every day is a really important factor," said Taweel.