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Revised Bridging Employment Program

VICTORIA – The Ministry of Housing and Social Development has secured 18 service providers for 21 contracts in 30 locations for the revised Bridging Employment Program (BEP). 

The $5-million BEP, which has been in place since the fall of 2003, provides services to help abused women and former sex trade workers overcome barriers to employment that prevent them from making successful transitions to independence.

The design of the revised Bridging Employment Program will build on the experience of the original program by applying lessons learned and best practices research, including valuable stakeholder feedback.

Changes include:

• Expanding provincewide and increasing capacity to help a further 418 women (from 562 to 880 women per year);
• Addition of a “healing” component that will complement the program’s employment-related services;
• Change to continuous participant enrolment with flexible and individualized services,
• Development of a Personal Plan with each participant; and
• Inclusion of suitable non-Income Assistance participants in the program. 

The revised Bridging Employment Program began in January 2009.

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