As many as 32 eligible Victorians will get skills training and followup support to prepare them to re-enter the workforce as part-time service-sector workers.

This is a new Community and Employer Partnerships (CEP) project from the Government of British Columbia and is intended for individuals with BC Employment Assistance Persons with Disabilities designation.

“This new CEP project is a wonderful opportunity for individuals to sharpen their skills and gain confidence to help them get back into the workplace,” said Nicholas Simons, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “A well-paying job can make a significant positive difference in an individual’s life.”

The Province is providing more than $180,000 to Our Place Society in Victoria to deliver essential employability and occupational skills training over four intakes of its People in Progress project. The project is offered through Our Place Society’s employment training program service: Our WorkPlace.

Participants will receive six weeks of essential employability and occupational skills, four weeks of on-the-job work experience and two weeks of followup support to help in their job search.

Skills-training courses include stress management, conflict resolution, numeracy and budgeting 101, resume writing, keyboarding, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, social media management, business communications, retail business machines orientation and essential customer service for the service industry.

Participants will also receive certification courses in Serving It Right, SuperHost and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. When they have completed their training, participants will be qualified for customer service, cashier, retails sales, maintenance/security work, food service and kitchen-duty positions.

“Our Place Society is thrilled to receive funding from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction,” said Ashley Macdonald, manager, Our WorkPlace. “We believe that People in Progress will give people who are living with barriers to employment an opportunity to get into the labour market in a safe and supported way.”

Funding for this project is provided through the Project-Based Labour Market Training stream of WorkBC’s CEP. CEP’s investments are targeted toward projects that support an inclusive economic recovery. CEP supports B.C. job seekers’ training and work experience, leading to employment in available jobs. It also helps businesses and communities address labour-market challenges. CEP invests $15 million annually in communities throughout B.C.

“Our Place Society has long provided our city’s most vulnerable citizens a place to access warm meals, shelter and programs to help get back on their feet,” said Grace Lore, MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill. “The People in Progress CEP project will help individuals living with barriers to employment access training and support they need to re-enter the job market.”

Part-time, group-based learning for the first intake of this project starts on Monday, Nov. 15, 2021. Project activities run through to Feb. 5, 2022. Anyone interested in finding out more about this or other CEP projects can contact their local WorkBC centre.

Learn More:

Learn how CEPs are helping local communities: www.workbc.ca/Employment-Services/Community-and-Employer-Partnerships.aspx

Learn about how WorkBC can help find British Columbians jobs that are right for them: www.workbc.ca/rightforyou

Find your local WorkBC centre: https://www.workbc.ca/Employment-Services/WorkBC-Centres/WorkBC-Centres-Listing.aspx

Our Place: https://www.ourplacesociety.com/