Cultivating Abilities

Cultivating Abilities is a 19 week program in which people who identify as having a disability (diverse ability) are trained in agriculture, the food industry, and employability skills, and supported in finding work placement opportunities with the goal of finding long-term employment.  The first 11 weeks are spent ‘in class’ providing paid, hands-on learning experiences to build job and life skills.  The following 8 weeks provide a local business the opportunity of a wage subsidy with the goal of finding long-term employment.

The program is open to those who want to find and keep work and who:

• are over the age of 15;
• self-identify as having a disability;
• are out of school;
• are legally able to work in Canada;
• find it hard to find work or keep work;
• are not receiving Employment Insurance benefits;
• want to find and keep work.

Participants may receive training in:

• essential employment skills
• FoodSafe Level One
• First Aid and WHMIS;
• basic food preparation and safe food handling skills
• agriculture basics
• landscaping basics

During their time in the program, participants are paid $16.75 while training and then paid through their future employer and their agreed upon wage. 

Here’s what one of our program participants had to say:

“In all honesty, I’ll never forget my time in the program.  I made skills that have helped me in life and in my job and helped me build the confidence to get back into the workforce after feeling like I was doomed to be handing in applications and resumes for years to come.  The program also left with me some great techniques for managing my anxiety, gave me some friends that I still keep in touch with to this day and made me realize that I love gardening.  Thank you Foodshare for this amazing program.”