Futures – Award of Merit

Award of Merit

First Work strongly believes that within our network there are many wonderfully creative and innovative individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing youth prosperity in Ontario.

Each year, First Work presents the Award of Merit to one individual from each region within the network whose work has exhibited and embodied the following:

a life-time contribution to holistic youth employment counselling (20+ years of service)
a specific youth employment project, particularly one that increases access to services for at-risk youth
a significant contribution to the sustainable development of a youth employment centre
a significant contribution which does not fall into any one of the above categories by has been identified by the region

1. South West Region Award of Merit Recipient - Julie Matheson

Julie has dedicated her entire career to making a difference. She has spent 28 years supporting and advocating for our most vulnerable populations. Her efforts to integrate persons with disabilities, newcomers to our community, crown wards, and youth through a holistic and incredibly empathetic approach has dramatically impacted 1000’s of lives and truly enriched our community.

Her greatest impact however, came when she moved into management positions within the organization.

To say that she was apprehensive about giving up client contact would be extremely understated. She actually hated the idea but recognized the necessity for the organization. She did grow in a progression of management responsibilities and came to nurture her staff with same passion, mentoring, empathy and encouragement that she had always shown her clients. Staff thrive in the environment she creates and always exceed expectations. ( The Centre’s and the Ministry).

Her efforts have resulted in her gaining tremendous respect across the network. She often receives call for advice and guidance from many centres across the network. She willing provides support and mentorship because she is committed to ensuring our network is as effective and efficient as possible to make a difference in the lives of the countless people who need our services. She was recently selected to serve as a representative for Oxford on our Local Employment Planning Council pilot for London region to again share her knowledge and vision in a broader context.

But she never forgets her roots. No matter what is going on, she is always available to staff to ensure they have the resources and support to succeed. And, every once in a while, she takes on a client as a special project to make sure she never loses sight of the importance of what we all do.

2. Eastern Region Award of Merit Recipient - Diane Roberts Assistant Director, Youth Habilitation Quinte Inc.

Diane started her tenure with Youthab as a Board member. She quickly realized she wanted to do more. When she started with the agency it was a three person operation with a focus on short term counselling and housing. The vision for the organization was to provide a spectrum of youth services and in the late 1980’s Youthab applied for and received funding for a youth employment centre, housing and more mental health services. Today Youthab has 9 different office locations, supportive housing for 67 young people and a variety of ES services, a mental health and a TAY Program. We employ 80 plus staff and have a budget of just over $7 million. Diane was a member of the youth employment board where she also served as treasurer for a number of years. The growth of the agency could not have occurred without Diane’s commitment and passion for youth and our agency.

Diane Roberts is retiring this year after three decades of working with youth. She believes that all individuals deserve the best services possible, and through her actions has demonstrated this belief throughout her tenure. Diane has a positive spirit, and a real appreciation for the challenges that youth face in a constantly changing and challenging world. Her resilience is second to none…she believes that all individuals have value and are worth fighting for. She will be greatly missed.

3. Central Region Award of Merit Recipient - Savita Singh, Employment Advisor - WoodGreen Community Services

One of the biggest youth employment programs in the City of Toronto that Savita has been involved with is the PAYE program (Partnership to Advance Youth Employment). WoodGreen Employment Services and the City of Toronto has partnered up to assist youth with their employment needs and Savita has taken a leadership role in this partnership.

Savita has worked very hard to connect with youth and engage them with a positive employment experience. She has networked with many different community agencies and public spaces so they are aware of the potential opportunities that are available for youth. She is excellent at building partnerships with individuals she meets within the community and is always looking for programs and services for her clients that they can benefit from. Savita has provided her clients with opportunities for them to see their full potential. As an Advisor she is consistently encouraging them and teaching them how to be successful in a very challenging job market for youth Employment.

The management team at WoodGreen Community Services is pleased to nominate Savita Singh for the 2016 Merit Award. Our team at WoodGreen is very proud of the work Savita continues to do in changing the lives of the youth within our community.

4. Central Region Award of Merit Recipient - Program Coordinator, John Howard Society of Peel-Halton-Dufferin

Kulwant arrived in Canada as a newcomer – a foreign trained and talented scientist. She faced the hardships faced by countless newcomers and inexperienced job searchers. In the midst of working on things like credential assessments, learning the Canadian culture and starting a family, she discovered that she has a passion for helping people connect to the resources they needed to move on with their lives. The world of science is still in her heart but now it sits beside the world of Employment Coaching!

SWorking with youth and the unemployed since 2003. An employment counselor for 10 years, promoted to Program Coordinator-Employment Programs in October 2013 with the John Howard Society of Peel-Halton-Dufferin, Brampton location. Kulwant contributes her time and talents where ever it is needed – meetings, outreach, workshops, intakes, staff recruitment and training. She is seen by staff as the go-to person when they need guidance and support related to both work and their work/life balance. Kulwant has established and maintains outstanding relationships with various service providers to create seamless and empowering referrals to various programs, pre-employment training, skills training, as well as placements and on the job experience. She is an active member of networking groups both at a management and front line level.