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A unique initiative that matches youth facing employment and social barriers with much-needed educational and practical training left a lasting impression on Orillia recently.
Local youth were chosen for the innovative program – run by St. Lawrence College in Cornwall – by Northern Lights Employment Services and Georgian College’s Centre for Employment and Career Services.
The youth participated in a comprehensive eight-week program that culminated with two construction projects that benefited a pair of community groups.
“These are youth that may not look like your son or daughter but who are looking for an opportunity, who are looking to find their way and a future for themselves,” says Mike Laking, manager of community outreach and corporate training for St. Lawrence College.
Laking worked closely with Kathy Low at Northern Lights to find youth who would benefit from the program and organizations that might benefit from the initiative.
“Our role, along with Georgian College, was to do the intake,” said Low, project co-ordinator at Northern Lights Orillia. “We helped connect youth with the program, we did the assessments, helped youths complete the application … our role was to help the youth successfully get into the program.”
The program features two weeks of classroom training that includes WHIMIS, first aid, CPR and other workplace safety courses. In addition, students – many of whom did not excel in an academic environment – learn about working as part of a team, the obligations of employees and employers and other workplace issues.
The final six weeks of the program are devoted to construction projects where the students can put their practical skills and problem-solving abilities to the test – while assisting community organizations.
For the Orillia program, the youth built shelving and renovated the storage area of The Sharing Place food bank and built a gazebo and developed a retreat area at the Couchiching Jubilee House.
“We had decided to pump a little bit of money into our facility to improve things for our clients,” said Christine Hager, the executive director of The Sharing Place. “We were bursting at the seams and our storage area was pretty cramped.”
The youth, making the optimal use of a small, irregular space, custom built shelving units to store the food. And it was more difficult than it sounds as the area is small and the floor is uneven.
“I think it really challenged their problem-solving abilities,” said Hager. “They did a fantastic job and turned the space into a wonderful warehouse space that gives us greater capacity and makes our facility cleaner and safer.”
At Couchiching Jubilee House (CJH), a transitional house for vulnerable women and their dependent children, the youth also made a big impression.
“This was a really exciting community partnership,” said Charlene Taylor, executive director at CJH. “Two local non-profit community organizations were able to have two important projects completed and the youth received invaluable training and a certificate. It’s a win-win situation.”
Taylor said the gazebo and outdoor retreat area will help the facility better serve its clientele – especially those from the Aboriginal community.
“We have had requests before from a woman who wanted to do smudging inside the home, but we are a tobacco-free facility,” said Taylor. “This allows us to better accommodate our First Nations clients, which make up about 21% of the women we serve.”
The backyard retreat is, of course, available to all clients. “It’s really a wonderful space now,” she said.
And while she was thankful for the youths’ efforts, she also said others played a key role – including St. Lawrence College, which contributed $3,000 in materials, and Mayor Angelo Orsi.
“We had to do some land preparation to get ready for the project and I approached (Orsi, who had served on the CJH fund-raising campaign team) who has a soft spot for Couchiching Jubilee House, for some advice,” said Taylor.
He jumped at the opportunity, deploying some of his Charter Construction employees to excavate the land, move some play structures and get the land ready.
“It really was a community project,” said Taylor. “To have a safe, fenced-in area with a gazebo … it’s a wonderful safe, sheltered area that our clients really appreciate.”
Laking, who oversees the pioneering program in communities throughout the province, said the Orillia initiative was a perfect example of why the program works.
“I think it just shows how the program works to help address some youth facing barriers employment issues and it also benefits the community,” said Laking. “Orillia is a stellar success story with 100% of the youth who applied graduating … our average rate is about 85%.”
That’s music to Low’s ears.
“This program is for youths who may have been challenged in an academic setting and who may have difficult things going on at home,” Low said. “This is a really hands-on program that offers a gateway to some traditional trades such as construction. It’s a program that really meets an important need.”
While the food bank and CJH are monuments to the program’s success, the youth are also impacted in a meaningful way, says Laking.
“Before they start the six-week practical part of the course, a truck pulls up and they are given safety boots, work gloves, safety glasses, a toolkit – everything they need to safely work in construction,” he said. “They get to keep those things. In addition, they get paid $10.25 an hour … this is a holistic program that looks after everything they need. We hope it helps them find a job or helps them decide to go back to school.”
Though the Sunshine City program has wrapped up, Laking said it may not be over forever. “I’d love to see a second program in Orillia some day,” he said. “There is a lot of potential in the community.”
Photos:
Participants pose for a photo after receiving their certificates, from left, Tyler McLean, Kail Wright, Karissa Barker, Brandon DeFinney King, Robert Schoemaker, Ross Keetch, Andrew Ross-Rochefort, Philip McKinlay, Tim Vaughan, Nicholas Swann and Alphonsus Ehrlich. Missing from the photo is Kristopher Edwards.
Some of the youth who participated in the recent pre-construction program are shown peering out of the gazebo they built as part of a project they completed at Couchiching Jubilee House.
