His Worship Mr. Bob Chiarelli

Mayor of the City of Ottawa

Mayor's Office

City of Ottawa

110 Laurier Av. W

Ottawa, Ont. K1P 1J1,

November 16, 2004

Dear Mayor Chiarelli:

RE: PETITION FROM THE VISIBLE MINORITY TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT NETWORK (VM Network)

I am sending on behalf of the VM Network the attached petition and accompanying background documents, namely appendices 1 and 2.

We look forward to the opportunity to discuss this further with you.

Sincerely,

------------------------

Bestway Zottor

President and CEO

Nubex Technologies

Bz/encl.

Cc:

Mr. E. Hamed, Chair, Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee (EDAC), City of Ottawa
Mr. G. McDonnelle, Vice-Chair, EDAC
Councillor Peggy Feltmate, member, EDAC
Mr. Andy Kusi-Appiah, Senior Policy Advisor, Community Relations, Mayor’s Office
Ms. Danielle Masse, Director, Employment and Financial Assistance Branch, Department of People Services
Lois Emburg, Program Manager, Human Rights and Employment Equity,
VM Network member organizations

VISIBLE MINORITY TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT NETWORK (VM NETWORK)

PETITION TO HIS WORSHIP, MAYOR BOB CHIARELLI, CITY OF OTTAWA

ON NOVEMBER 12, 2004

OUR PETITION

Whereas all current and future employment development initiative (EDI) Training purchases including Job-Specific Skills Training (JSST) administered by the Employment and Financial Assistance (EFA) branch, will go to public bidding as of 2005;

And whereas we, the VM Network members strongly believe, based on our collective experiences in the past with the administrators of these programs, we will not be able to compete at the same level as colleges, universities and other private training organizations due to non-level playing fields;

And whereas our organizations and services have been marginalized by funding practices of City officials,

And whereas we the VM Network member organizations collectively desire to avoid further marginalization and closure of our businesses and the services we provide;

And whereas we the VM Network members desire to have the City and the communities we serve benefit from our rich and diverse cumulative expertises;

And whereas visible minorities in the Ottawa region are 22% of the population and growing;

therefore the VM Network members humbly petition the Mayor of the City of Ottawa to use his good offices to make the following exceptions to the proposed EFA and EDI RFP process:

1. Set aside at least 22% of the annual OW employment-related training funds to purchase VM Network members’ services

2. Set aside at least 25% of the annual employment support services budget for VM Network members services

Further, the VM Network members humbly petition the Mayor to use his good offices to endeavour to provide a facility for the VM Network member organizations to enable them operate from one location. This will allow VM Network members to:

1. Save on rental costs

2. Save on administrative costs ( e.g. using one secretary/receptionist and bookkeeper)

3. Share resources

These savings can then be passed on to our clients, a saving to tax payers.

This petition, if granted, will significantly facilitate organizational capacity building of VM Network member organizations, and enable us to have long-term proactive planning to better serve our target populations.

APPENDIX 1

BACKGROUND TO THE PETITION

All employment development initiative (EDI) Training purchases including (EFA) will go to public bidding as of 2005. This includes existing (EDI) programs. The city believes that its current public bidding process works well, but there are indications that most community trainers; especially those serving visible Minority will not be able to compete at the same level as colleges, universities and other private training organizations.

EDI/EFA Training Purchases Services will all be put to public bidding as of 2005.

All existing programs will be awarded through request for proposal. There are already indications that the city staff have already put in place plans that will impede fairness and transparency to the disadvantage of visible minority community trainers. As it is now, the city’s training teams do not have any representation from visible minorities. We are therefore assuming that the teams that will be approving the bids will be the same as the one in operation now. Visible Minority community trainers are not included in the network that operates within the city’s bureaucrats or have extra funds to hire lobbyist for this purpose.

There might be a push for visible minorities to be represented, however if we do not participate equality while discussions are being made by powerful city officials and lobbyists we will slowly all be shut down. The city may approve the bid of one of our members to keep the rest out. This will not be good for the other members of the Visible Minority Training and Employment Network, though it will be good for the city, from public relations standpoint. Such an act will only serve to undermine the effort , objective and integrity of the VM network as well as the city itself.

B. FACTS: All not-for-profit trainers, by Ontario law can not register as Private Vocational/Career colleges. The same law that obligates the Private trainers in Ontario to register their programs also exempts not-for-profit trainers from registration. This registration allows Not-for-profit trainers to be recognized for funding subsidies for government clients (E.I, Ontario Works, ODSP). At the same time all not-for-profit trainers have to register with the Ontario ministry of Colleges and Universities in order to benefit from this provision and be able to administer OSAP to their clients. However, only Private Vocational Trainers (PVCs), community colleges and universities are allowed to administer OSAP which marginalizes not-for-profit trainers greatly, since the city would rather send their clients to these places (PVCs )

This policy has effectively made it difficult for visible minority trainers to get funding for their clients. The VM network members provide much needed service to our communities and others. The primary sources for our fundings have always been through E.I and Ontario Works programs and if these are taken away we would be inevitably forced to close down.

C. CONCLUSION: The city RFP intent is laudable on the surface but detrimental to not-for-profit organizations for the following reasons:

Community colleges are already heavily subsidized by taxpayers including us. Therefore, they do not need the extra revenues from the already limited OW training funds. They are able to subsidize the OW programs using the existing infrastructure, and other resources. This will make it very difficult for the Not-for-profit trainers to compete with them, because the playing field is obviously not level. Colleges, universities and for-profit trainers are therefore able to bid for programs at a very low rate, shutting out all VM Network members.

As it stated above, the primary source of our funding comes from the city and E.I for training and employment services that we have been providing to OW, ODSP and E.I clients. If this is taken a way from us because we are not able to offer these services at the rate that is subsidized like colleges, universities and private trainers are able to; we will all be closed down. The VM network members offer critical training programs in an environment that provides clients with other support services. The VM members are employers as well and have made a great difference in many people’s lives. Many of our clients have been able to get out of social assistance and have become tax payers as well as net contributors to the city’s economy. We have helped families improve their financial status as well as alleviate child poverty.

Colleges, universities and private vocational trainers have access to OSAP funds and other subsidies, while VM network members do not

We are not asking the city to just give us funding (handouts), we are asking the city to cover the costs of our services to its clients without being forced to provide services at a cost that will inevitably force us to close down. This will happen if we are to compete for the bids with those who are subsidized and win the bids. We will have no alternative but to bid at a rate that will close us down.

APPENDIX 2 PROFILE OF CURRENT VM NETWORK MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

CIFODE: A non-profit organization whose mandate is to foster a more

Successful socio-economic integration of visible minority french-speaking women and youth in the Ottawa area.

Our objectives are:

-to facilitate socio-economic integration of visible minority French

speaking women and youth;

-to identify training needs and fulfill them accordingly;

-to enable women to acquire Canadian work experience;

-to create job opportunities for women and youth;

-to serve as a catalyst for various different initiatives which are relevant

to community economic development;

-to develop leadership and good governance skills in young people;

-to encourage excellence in young people.

Our programs are:

-Bilingual Office Administration;

-Cashier and Customer Service training;

-Cooperative Management Training.

-Youth Programs.

Our services are:

-Community Placement;

-Support Services

-Business Incubator

Contact: Maryan Bile, Executive Director: 613-569-2456

_________________________________________________

EAGLE CENTRE: Created in 1999 - we are incorporated with a Provincial Charter in Ontario - The EAGLE Training Centre located in Ottawa is an educational organization that encourages children, parents, seniors, educators and the community to participate in the education process. A non-profit organization, we were established in response to a need in the community for additional educational programs outside of the regular school curriculum. The EAGLE Training Centre has now grown to provide adults and seniors educational programs.

Mission Statement

We desire that everyone succeed in their endeavour to learn and make learning a lifetime ambition. We desire that the individual becomes a more vibrant and integral part of the community and society. By moving forward with their education, the individual may obtain a well paying and good job and becoming a contributor within the community. We at EAGLE Training Centre endeavour to search out the individual's strengths and nurture, grow and develop these strengths. We endeavour to create within the individual a good attitude and develop good self esteem and confidence.

Contact: Roselyn Thomas, Executive Director: 613-745-3977

_________________________________________________

NUBEX TECHNOLOGIES INC.: Founded and federally incorporated in May 2000, Nubex (www.nubex.ca) is a non-profit community economic development initiative of Grass Roots Action Community Endeavours (GRACE: www.gracecanada.ca)

Canada Inc., a federally registered charity, founded in 1988 and has been doing primarily training and employment programs in Ottawa since 1992 for new immigrants, refugees and other low-income Canadians. Nubex runs at arms length from GRACE with its own board and staff and volunteers. Its services include:

A:TRAINING: Current programs include:

1. Software Quality Engineering: Formal training of software quality professionals to preparing participants for professional certification to serve the software industry. It is the first and only program of this type in Canada. Graduates work with both small and large companies such as Nortel, Cognos, Wind River, Eion, Seaway Networks , and Pureshare

2. Customer Service Training: graduates from this program have held their jobs for two years with Bell Canada, the City of Ottawa, and Lexi-Tech International

3. Personal Support Worker: the newest addition to the training program and progressing smoothly, with r4 major employers signing on as partners..

B: EMPLOYMENT SERVICES:

1. Employment preparation and recruitment services for the Software Sector

2. Employment preparation and recruitment services for the Health Care Sector

C: OUTSOURCING: Short and long-term project management contracts

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS: over 80% employment rate for bilingual customer service graduates who completed the course and were available to work. Flagship companies employ our graduates.

Contact: Bestway Zottor, President & CEO: 613-236-3965

RAINBOW SKILLS TRAINING CENTRE: Rainbow Skills Development Centre is a non‑profit / charity educational institution established in 1994 with a mission to promote and enhance the socio‑economic well‑being of low income residents of the city of Ottawa through business skills training and employment Skills upgrade. It is located in downtown Ottawa at 396 Cooper St. Suite 409. The goal of all the programs is to help the clients develop marketable employment skills and good work attitudes which will enable them to obtain and retain a job. In 1998 the Centre became the first non‑profit charity organization to be certified as an educational Institution. At the same time it applied and became a Prosoft CIW Training Partner, and a Member of the Computing Technology Industry Association A+ Network+ Certification trainer.

The Programs offered include:

· Computer Hardware Technician A+ Certification & Network+

· Web Enterprise Developer and Database/Network Administration

· Bilingual Office Professional Training Program in partnership with Public Service Commission

· Women’s IT pre-employment program

· Employment agency services (Skillspool)

Rainbow students come from many different social, cultural, and educational backgrounds and represent all age groups. They include new immigrants, refugees, and the short- and long-term unemployed. Our number one employer partner is the Public Service Commission.

Contact: Harriet Amani, Executive Director: 567-6946

_________________________________________________

SATDIS: founded in 1996 as anon-profit organization to assist the African Canadian community through Internet connectivity, linking them with resources locally and internationally for themselves and their businesses, as well as mentoring the African-Canadian youth in the Ottawa region for entrepreneurship development and networking.

Current Programs: Entrepreneurship Development and Networking for African-Canadian Youth.

Major Success: Over the past three years, trained over 180 youth with 70% completion rate. Of these, over 50% got employment or became self-employed through starting their own small businesses. As a result of participating in the programs 5% went back to post-secondary institutions to further their education. Boosted a great deal of self-confidence in the participants.

Contact: Adam Odwa, Executive Director: 231-5364

ON NOVEMBER 12, 2004

OUR PETITION

APPENDIX 1

APPENDIX 2

PROFILE OF CURRENT VM NETWORK MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

RE: REQUEST TO APPEAR AT YOUR JANUARY 13, 2005 MEETING