SCACL celebrates increase in minimum wage

Many workers on the Sunshine Coast are getting a raise and Sunshine Coast Association for Community Living (SCACL) is celebrating. 

Twenty-eight people participating in SCACL’s supported employment program fulfill 96 jobs along the Sunshine Coast – many of them will benefit from B.C.’s June 1 minimum wage increase.

SCACL’s drop-in celebration for the workers’ raise at the Voca-Lounge Monday was held throughout the day so that folks could stop by before or after their jobs.

B.C.'s new minimum wage is $17.40 per hour, up from $16.75.

SCACL’s supported employment program helps prepare people for employment, assists them in exploring career development and provides in-house employment and training opportunities.  

Clarence Li, SCACL executive director, said the people they work with can choose if they are ready to seek an occupation that will support their employment goals.

The increase in minimum wage is particularly impactful for people living with disabilities as they will often do entry-level jobs, said Li.

Kevin Perry SCACL vocational programs coordinator, said much of the program’s success comes from the opportunities to create new types of work that give people a sense of pride. “It’s about dignity,” Perry said. 

Perry explained SCACL continues to support their members once they find employment, and will work with the employer to help them learn the best way to succeed in their new working relationship. He added that ongoing coaching helps people keep feeling good about the work they do.

On top of supporting employment goals, SCACL also uses the Voca-Lounge to provide a space where its members can relax and pass the time with their peers. 

Some SCACL members carry out litter pickup in Gibsons and Sechelt, while others work at IGA, Persephone Brewing and more. (Some also deliver Coast Reporter newspapers on Fridays.)

Speaking about building independence, Perry said earning money and being able to purchase the things they want goes a long way in their members’ lives. 

Li highlighted that while some SCACL members live with family, many live independently and face many of the same pressures from life as everyone else, such as cost of living, housing prices and availability of work. 

“The people we support bring value when given the opportunities in different areas of our community,” said Li. “They have a way to enhance teamwork differently.”

Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.