This has been a fantastic program throughout our community.  By the end of the current contract on August 31, 2009, we will have seen 130 participants take advantage of paid classroom study and work/community experience.  

Many of our participants assisted such community events such as SeaFest, Elders Conference, All Native Basketball, Salvation Army kettles and we are now assisting Tourism Prince Rupert and the Airport Society by greeting travellers from Air Canada Jazz flights.

With funding through the Ministry of Economic Development, the program assisted mature workers in gaining new skills and certification in order to return to the workforce or work as a volunteer.  The program will be open for those between the ages of 55 - 64, but as space allows, participants as young as 50 may be accepted into the program.

 Program Consists of:

3 weeks of employability skills

1 week employment assistance skills

4 weeks skills development

4 weeks work or volunteer placement

The project will include intake and assessment of individuals to ascertain the needed services and skills training required to attain their personal career or development goals. Once assessed, participants will move into the living and employability phase, which is a four week developmental workshop that will revisit resume, interviews, attitude and dress, time management, anger management, networking through the Koffee Klub (held every Friday morning) and other subjects as required.  Throughout this four week process, participants will be asked for their input into program development and additional needs. After this phase, participants will transfer into the Skills Development Stage at which time they will start to enroll in certified skills development courses that have been identified during the assessment phase. Active recruitment of interested employers, as well as a direct marketing campaign, will encourage local employers to consider hiring project participants, either as subsidized or as direct employees.  Project participants will have access to our very active regional job board that is available to the public and program participants alike.

Wages will be paid to participants:

$11.5/hour while in class

Up to $8/hour wage subsidy in work placement (matching employer contribution)

EMPLOYERS!

For more information, please call our office at 624-9498 or contact Danielle Dalton, Program Coordinator.

This program is funded by HRSDC (Canada) and the Ministry of Economic Development (Province)through the Labour Market Development Agreement.