Workforce survey highlights challenges faced by community, social services

The results of a survey about the challenges faced by community and social services conducted by Workforce Planning for Sudbury & Manitoulin are in.

Twenty-three senior-level agency directors and managers who represent close to 900 employees in this sector responded to the survey earlier this year.

Workforce Planning for Sudbury and Manitoulin releases results of survey. Dec. 19, 2024 (Lyndsay Aelick/CTV Northern Ontario)

The agencies included those that offer direct client services and support in mental health, employment, addictions, social assistance, programs and services for children, youth, women and families as well as specialized legal services.

"We found that a lot of them said that they were chronically underfunded, they didn't have a lot of sustainable funding," Reggie Caverson, the executive director for Workforce Planning.

"So, they're always having to fight for the money that they have or would also have to look at fundraising and grants to raise money to run special projects."

She said she hopes that by conducting this research it will allow agencies evidence to show that additional funding and resources are needed.

• READ: Understanding workforce needs and challenges in community and social services

"The survey also uncovered other things," she added.

"Wages (are) a big issue because of the funding model that they are under … They're not getting the applicants that have the skills or the number of applicants that they need.”

Another finding from the survey is that many people looking for employment after graduation have very high wage expectations.

"Not realizing, like everybody, you have to kind of go through the system and you may get better wages from someplace else, but it's every, every industry is saying the same thing," Caverson said.

"It's these unrealistic wage expectations that then cause a lot of stress in terms of who's applying, why they're applying, their expectations in terms of their employment."

Sudbury Women’s Centre said, as a non-profit organization, they often encounter staffing challenges due to funding instability, as it’s often short term and project based.

"As a result, many of our employees work on year-to-year contracts that are dependent on continued funding," Ginette Comeau-Roy, the centre's executive director, said.

"This creates challenges when it comes to retaining talented individuals who contribute greatly to our mission and whom we would like to keep on long-term."

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Staff develop essential skills, build relationships with clients and cultivate partnerships, all of which are vital to their success as an organization, she added.

"With today’s rising cost of living, we recognize that people need ongoing, long-term employment to feel secure and this is why it is so essential for us to secure stable funding that enables us to retain these employees," Comeau-Roy said.

Jean-Mathieu Chenier is the director of employment services with College Boreal.

The college has 14 sites across the province and offers assistance to people looking for a job whether it be resume writing, preparing for an interview and how to dress for one.

Chenier said with the recent funding model change, it has been a challenge to figure out how to do more with less.

"We've seen that in the social services side, in general, where there's always been a challenge of not enough funds to help people. And anybody who's working in this field is really here to help people," he said.

"I think organizations are going to have to rethink, perhaps, how they do things. And, you know, face the reality of the continuing restraints on our funding models."

According to Caverson, one of the differences with other industries is that local community and social service agencies are committed to supporting students through placements and offering on-the job training, courses and educational opportunities for their staff.

These opportunities are less prevalent in other industries who expect fully trained, credentialled and experienced workers.