StartWork: Jobs for People on Income Support

Introducing StartWork

Momentum is working with a diverse range of employers and partners to engage in a new approach supporting Calgarians ready to leave Alberta Income Support.

StartWork introduces an innovative new model benefitting everyone, from Calgarians ready to work, employers ready to hire, program facilitators ready to support, and a government ready to engage in this new, procurement-based funding model.

Through the StartWork model, funding value is placed on outcomes rather than program activity.

This model moves everyone towards outcomes more efficiently, ultimately transitioning Alberta Income Support clients off government supports quickly and into supportive employment opportunities, all contributing to a healthier local economy.

Better outcomes, better impact.

The Solution

The number of people receiving Alberta Income Support, the government’s program to help families and individuals with basic living costs, is at a five-year high. Income Support rarely provides enough for a decent standard of living, and many recipients are ready to move towards steady employment and fair living wages.

StartWork introduces opportunities to people on Alberta Income Support who experience challenges finding work. This new model emphasizes motivating environments, wraparound supports, training when appropriate, and connections to job opportunities that take participant’s circumstances into account.

Building a game-changing model, together

Momentum is working with a diverse range of community partners across Calgary who care about building a more inclusive workforce. We are partnering with the Mount Royal University (MRU) Institute of Community Prosperity to implement StartWork.

MRU is leading the effort to grow social enterprises in Calgary that are willing and able to hire people coming off of Income Support. StartWork will work with existing social enterprises like Ethnicity Catering, Women In Need Society, and others to support job placement for participants. And MRU is working with Calgary John Howard Society and Calgary Dream Centre to replicate the proven social enterprise model of Build Winnipeg in Calgary.

The goal is to create more jobs that are friendly to Calgarians moving off of Income Support, regardless of barrier levels.

In 2026, Momentum's focus is on opportunities in the skilled trades and service jobs. 

This work could look like:

• A construction crew with a foreman who understands addiction recovery and can insist on work conditions that help the team stay sober.
• A building maintenance position with a multi-lingual supervisor.
• Entry level positions that can support personal or family priorities.
• A cleaning company with work schedules that align with the school day.
• A restaurant that offers second-chance employment pathways for individuals with previous justice involvement.

Outcomes-focused, everybody wins

Ending 300 Calgarians’ need for Income Support is the shared goal of StartWork. This uncommon way of funding the work is called outcomes procurement. Outcomes procurement puts everyone on the same team:

• Participants are motivated to overcome obstacles towards fair, living wages,
• Employers gain skilled labour and motivated employees,
• Partner staff are less encumbered by convoluted program funding cycles, and,
• Government staff are motivated to provide good-quality referrals, which reduces their workload both in the short and long term.

This new funding model offers wins all-round. We're excited.

Get Involved

If you are on Income Support, register for a StartWork info session through an active program (see below).

If you are a community organization, public institution or a potential employer curious to learn more, contact us today!