Employment Support

Island Deaf and Hard of Hearing Centre offers specialized employment related services to Deaf and hard of hearing persons on Vancouver Island. Our trained staff help to support employment placements for both clients and employers.

Services to clients include:

• Assessment of interests and abilities for training and educational plans
• Instruction in job search skills, resume writing and interview techniques
• Referrals to job vacancies, training and upgrading programs
• Arranging interpreters of captioning for interviews, training and staff development
• Access to funding for training, technical aids, hearing aids, essential employment tools/clothing, wage subsidy, self-employment, transportation & other costs associated with employability (must meet eligibility requirements for funding supports)

Benefits to employers include:

• Adapting the job site to ensure a safe and productive environment
• Access to wage subsidies for on –the-job training
• Information to employers and staff about hearing loss
• Job coaching and work modification support
• Technical aids and supports in the work place (must meet eligibility requirements for funding supports)

Support provided for:

• Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• Unemployed or working part-time
• Experiencing barriers to employment
• Employed and are unable to afford the cost of hearing Aids/Adaptive Devices to maintain employment

What to expect:

• Confidential and Individualized support
• Assessment of employment needs, interests and barriers
• Case Management and ongoing job search support
• Referrals to specialized assessments ie. Audiological, Vocational, and Career Assessments