This sponsored content was originally produced for Black Press Media’s Impress Branded Content division and Langara College in November 2019.
___
When social advocate and business leader Gavin Jones started the Business Administration program at Langara College, he was getting home from his bartending job after 4 a.m. Now graduated, he starts work every day around the same time. And he loves it.
“I start at 5:30 a.m. every morning, but I’m excited to get up, get into the office, and give back to the community,” Jones said.
Originally, Jones thought he’d end up back in the bar and restaurant industry, maybe opening a restaurant of his own, but he stumbled into the Eastside Movement for Business and Economic Renewal Society (EMBERS). EMBERS is a Vancouver-based charity and the only not-for-profit temporary staffing agency in Canada, and he “loved it from day one.”
Through his BBA program, Jones had the opportunity to do a group business project—writing a business plan—with EMBERS as the community partner. After he graduated, he saw the director of operations role was open at EMBERS and decided to apply. He was chosen for the role in 2018, and since then he has implemented some of the business plan he wrote out as a student.
“Expansions were a big part of that plan,” Jones said. Under his direction, EMBERS has doubled its locations, having opened a new location in Abbotsford in summer 2019 and another location in New Westminster in January.
“We want to offer our services in multiple municipalities because our impact is so huge,” he said of their mission to create opportunities for people living on low incomes. “It’s such a simple, but brilliant concept. EMBERS helps thousands of people facing barriers to work by offering economic and employment opportunities, including job placements, training, and support.”
Jones said the new locations are doing “phenomenal.”
“There’s so much skilled labour in the Fraser Valley and beyond for us to step in and help find employment, find work, and partner people up with great jobs.”
Ultimately, he said they’re planning to grow EMBERS exponentially, even opening up some housing for workers.
“Employment can be such a motivator to move forward with whatever people are facing, whatever stage of life they’re at,” he said. “We’re planning to grow EMBERS right across Canada.”