All Social Development clients receiving social assistance with potential to become self-sufficient are assigned to Career Development Opportunities (CDO) in order to develop a case plan to address their career development needs.
The purpose of CDO is to provide intervention to clients in preparation for education, training and employment and to facilitate success and ongoing progression along the career development continuum.
Career Development Opportunities helps individuals to develop a case plan and offers a wide range of special benefits to assist clients to implement their plan.
- CDO benefits that support case plans include: child care, clothing, medical examination, relocation expenses, school supplies, special clothing/equipment, student activity fees, text books, training purchases, counselling, training related expenses and transportation.
In many cases, Social Development also works in partnership with the Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour (PETL) to address career development needs.
PETL provides programming to address training and employment barriers that impede social assistance clients from entering/returning to the labour force. Services such as academic upgrading, training opportunities, workplace essential skills and employment exposure are funded by PETL. Social Development’s mandate is to prepare clients, through Career Development Opportunities, for these services.