Adebanke joined OFE in the hopes of finding meaningful
employment. At an initial meeting with her OFE Employment
Consultant, she expressed interest in the health services
support sector. Adebanke felt that she had the heart to work
as a Direct Support Worker, but she did not have related
experience and she was not sure what the job entailed.
Taking the client’s interests and needs into consideration, the
project team scheduled her for the Workplace Preparation
Workshop, where she would learn about employers’ expecta-
tions in Canada. The Occupational Specific Essential Skills for
Direct Support Workers, helped her to refine and practice her
essential skills for a specific job, enhance her knowledge of the
position and become familiar with agencies that were hiring.
After successfully completing the workshops and being
endorsed for employers, Adebanke was quickly offered and
accepted a full-time position with Epic Opportunities, one of
OFE’s well-established employer partners. Adebanke was able
to obtain a schedule with mostly evening shifts, enabling her
to engage in other training during daytime hours. This will
allow her to work towards her long term employment goals in
social work, while providing an opportunity to gain experience
in the Canadian labour market, earn a reference and improve
her language skills.