Jul 5th, 2016

CHANDRA ARYA VISITS OCH TO CELEBRATE STUDENTS TAKING PART IN THE CANADA SUMMER JOBS PROGRAM

(OTTAWA) July 5, 2016 – This morning, Chandra Arya, Member of Parliament for Nepean, visited Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) head office at 39 Auriga Dr. to meet with Chief Executive Officer, Stéphane Giguère and present certificates to celebrate students employed through Canada Summer Jobs Program that live or work in his riding.

OCH is thrilled to be able to provide a total of 48 students with the opportunity to gain real-life workplace experience and is committed to promoting learning and education. The students are employed in a variety of roles and in many departments across the corporation.

This placement is only made possible because of the financial support from the Government of Canada through Canada Summer Jobs Program.  The Program provides wage subsidies for not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers and small businesses. This year, OCH received a total of $144,000 in funding.

During his visit, MP Arya took the time to meet with the 17 students who work or live in his constituency and presented them with certificates. He also talked about the positive impact of working for OCH and thanked them for their time and commitment in delivering services to the 31,000 tenants. Mr. Arya also presented the CEO Stéphane Giguère with a certificate in recognition of OCH’s participation in this great initiative and providing employment to students who are devoting their summers to learning and building stronger communities.

Quotes

Investing in students and their careers is one of the most important responsibilities we have. Not only does Ottawa Community Housing provide students with learning opportunities, but it also supports the Government of Canada initiative and commitment to providing meaningful work experience for students in all kinds of disciplines.

Chandra Arya, MP Nepean

Ottawa Community Housing is committed to providing opportunities for students to gain real life working experience in order to better prepare them for their future careers. OCH benefits tremendously from the students’ input, knowledge and hard work. Creating jobs for students not only helps those in our communities, the students and our organization but also the economy, both in the short and long term. It is a great program that we are proud to take part in year after year.

Councillor Mathieu Fleury, Chair of the OCH Board of Directors

OCH is extremely grateful for the funding we’ve received which has contributed to us hiring 48 students and train them for their future careers. As a business with a social mindset, OCH is also grateful to the students for dedicating their summers to help us and the tenants to build and maintain healthy, inclusive and tenant friendly communities. Education and continuous training is a vital component of building strong communities across Ottawa.

Stéphane Giguère – Chief Executive Officer, Ottawa Community Housing

Quick facts

OCH received approximately $144,000 in funding from Canada Summer Jobs Program and was able to employ 48 students

The funding covers close to 40% of the total salary for each student

The departments/positions the students are in include:

• Architectural Drafting
• Development Field
• Community Safety Services Admin
• Architectural Field
• Tenant Service Analyst
• CEO Office Assistant
• Graphic Designer/Videographer
• Systems Analyst
• Network Administrator
• Accounting
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Tenant Service Office Assistant
• Landscape
• Community Development Assistant

Other Resources

www.och-lco.ca
Canada Summer Jobs Program

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About OCH
Ottawa Community Housing (OCH) provides approximately 15,000 homes to over 31,000 tenants, including seniors, parents, children, couples, singles and persons with special needs, within many communities across the City of Ottawa. OCH houses a diverse population of varying languages, ethnicity and cultures. OCH is the largest social housing provider in Ottawa, managing two-thirds of the City’s social housing portfolio, and is the second largest in Ontario.

Media Contact:
Niki Kerimova | Media Relations & Events Coordinator | 613-520-2277 | niki.kerimova@och.ca | Twitter | LinkedIN |