In the 1980’s, the provincial government recognized that there was an increasing number of young people between the ages of 16 and 24 that were unemployed. Of particular interest to the provincial government was the increasing number of employment-disadvantaged youth, who were looking for work unsuccessfully and as a result Youth Employment Counselling Centres, were developed.

The Youth Employment Counselling Centre in Cornwall opened in November 1985. The agency opened with an original staff of three and continued to grow. The constant rising demand for service necessitated increasing the number of staff and expanding the facilities and consequently the Centre began offering a variety of services which were developed to meet the individual needs of segmented groups within its’ target population.

In 1992, in view of the economic and employment situation in Cornwall, the Youth Employment Counselling Centre became incorporated as the Employment and Education Resource Centre of Cornwall and District, Inc. Once again, the Centre expanded its employment related services and programs, in order to meet the needs of its growing client base: the long term unemployed displaced by plant closures or technological changes; adults; and those who were attempting to re-enter the labour force after an extended absence from employment.

In December 2002, the Employment & Education Resource Centre decided it needed a new look and has since launched its new name and logo: Job Zone d’emploi. It currently employs 42 dedicated professionals and is led by a committed and community oriented Board of Directors.

A Strategic Planning process undertaken in 2001, revealed several keys to the organization’s stability and growth: a consistent focus on the types of services it provides; a stable, high energy, caring and loyal staff; a proactive approach to identifying needed programming; consistent support from provincial and federal governments; and an ability to form, support and maintain partnerships.