The Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), in partnership with theGovernment of Ontario, TD Bank Group, Microsoft Canada, Alterna Savings, Social CapitalPartners and KPMG, is proud to announce the new Catapult Microloan Fund for socialentrepreneurs on May 24 during a launch event featuring Minister of Economic Development,Trade & Employment Dr. Eric Hoskins, social entrepreneurs, and partner representatives (12 pm-1:30 pm, CSI Regent Park, 585 Dundas Street East, 3rd floor). Find out more

Bill Young interviewed on cbc radio  

Disabled? New to the country? A single mom or at-risk youth? Social Capital Partners is breaking down employment barriers that are keeping millions of North Americans out of work

Over the course of the last 18 months the SCP team has been engaged in three Community Hiring pilots with large employers.  The focus of our efforts has been to work with employers and community agencies in building both relationships and processes that would make it easier and more effective for employers to hire jobseekers through community agencies, as well as, for jobseekers working with community agencies to better access employment.

This June marks a number of important anniversaries for our franchise fund and community hiring program.

In an age of responsible business, companies can no longer differentiate themselves by simply being “responsible”; customers, employees and franchisees increasingly value companies that contribute to the social well-being of the communities in which they live and work. 

On April 3, 2012, Social Capital Partners hosted a panel session, Driving Profits through Corporate Social Responsibility, at the Canadian Franchise Association’s annual conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Our panelists included: Tim Faveri, Director, Sustainability and Responsibility at Tim Hortons Inc.; Brian Leon, Managing Director, Franchise Growth and Administration at Choice Hotels Canada; and Brad Johansen, President and CEO at Everest Services Centre Inc. / Mr. Lube Canada.

In April, SCP met with the Commissioners of the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario to discuss our recommendations in response to their second discussion paper, Approaches for Reform. Among the topics included in the paper, were a series of discussion questions on the “Reasonable Expectations and Necessary Supports to Employment” for social assistance recipients, which is the focus of SCP’s response.

Over the last 5 years, our success in finding high quality, loyal and productive community hires for our franchise clients has led us to ask ourselves 2 questions. First, "Why shouldn't our goal at SCP be to have every medium and large sized corporation implement a community hiring program as a fundamental part of their recruitment strategy for entry-level employees?"; and second, "What needs to change to make this happen?"

The answer to the first question is easy. This is our new aspiration. We are inspired by the possibility and the impact that would be created for job ready individuals who face employment barriers if every company adopted a community hiring approach in their hiring practices. Our challenge over the next ten years is to make this aspiration a reality.