On June 27, the College successfully hosted its first employer roundtable in Thunder Bay.
The employer roundtable is part of the College’s 2016-2019 Strategic Plan to strengthen stakeholder and public awareness. The employer roundtable provides an opportunity for employers to:
- Learn about the College and its public protection mandate.
- Understand the importance and value of College registration.
- Discuss the challenges and barriers of hiring social workers and social service workers.
- Share ideas and feedback about how the College can better support employers.
This interactive event, facilitated by College Registrar Lise Betteridge, RSW and Deputy Registrar Laura Sheehan, attracted employers from various organizations in the Thunder Bay region. The College was pleased to also have Council members Lisa Seburn, RSW, and Lisa Foster, Public Member, attend.
The post-event survey results showed that 86% of participants agreed that the roundtable discussion gave them a better understanding of the role of the College and were now better informed as to where to look to find further information about the College.
One participant stated: “I feel both facilitators listened to the ideas presented and were respectful of each and every person during the discussion.”
The feedback gathered at the event and in the post-event survey has given the College important information about the challenges encountered by current and future employers of social service workers. This feedback will be used to look at some of the ways the College can further enhance its relationship with employers and provide new outreach opportunities going forward.
Stay tuned for details regarding next year’s employer roundtables as we continue our outreach initiative to employers across Ontario.