STRIDES-Opportunities Fund

Living with a disability? Looking for work? Get access to funding. The STRIDES- Opportunities Fund Program is a financial assistance program designed to help persons with disabilities to gain employment through funding for training, wage subsidies, funding for adaptive equipment, and self-employment training.

STRIDES Program Supports

Individuals

Through the Opportunities Fund, you may be able to get funding for one or more of the following:

Tuition for short-term training such as pre-apprentice training, placements, and practicums
Wage subsidies for employers
Income support and consulting to start a small business
Employment assistance services

Eligibility

Want to know if the Opportunities Fund is for you? Go through the checklist to find out.

You can apply for the Opportunities Fund if:

You have a permanent disability or chronic health condition
You are unemployed or underemployed
You are legally eligible to work in Canada

Employers

Are you an employer looking to diversify your business and hire someone with a disability? You may be eligible to apply for wage subsidies or skills training for your new employee.

Employers who hire a new employee utilizing Opps Fund may also be eligible to receive disability support services such as the provision of funding for technology or equipment, workshops (such as Mental Health First Aid for their staff), and on-site job coaching for their new employee

Submit an Inquiry Form

Contact Us.

Have any questions? For more information about the Opportunities Fund, please contact the STRIDES Coordinator at 1-866-377-3670 or email oppsfund@opendoorgroup.org.

If you live in Northern BC or on the Island, contact Service Canada at 1-800-O-CANADA (1-800-622-6232) to find the Community Coordinator closest to you.

We would love to hear from you.

If you are a past participant of our STRIDES- Opportunities Fund Program, let us know your feedback.
Fill out our Opportunities Fund participant survey .

Our Funder.

KAL TIRE

A Canadian company with 250 locations across Canada, Kal Tire has been working with our Kamloops team to meet their recruitment needs for several years. As a business, Kal Tire experiences spikes of seasonal demand as local residents switch from winter tires to summer tires and back, so much of their hiring is seasonal.

We work with them to help them find the right candidates for their business philosophy: individuals who are bondable, physically able to do the job, have great customer services skills, and have the flexibility to work long hours from time to time. Because Kal Tire is focused on hiring staff who have the right skills and the right attitude, and willing to train on the job, we have also been able to help them leverage our services to create opportunities for diverse candidates while meeting their HR objectives.

Since the beginning of our partnership, we have been able to match Kal Tire with 7-8 candidates to fill seasonal positions. Some of the top candidates have gone on to be hired into full time positions where they continue to contribute to the company today.