Employment skills program guides job seekers

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Offered for the first time at Norquest College, the Wechetowin Aboriginal Employability Program, beginning on Feb. 3, will give students a chance to find a job, gain work experience, or move into further upgrading or skills training. The 20-week course is expected to be attended by 20 to 25 students.

Pat McQueen, co-ordinator of the Wechetowin program, Margaret Goodeagle, the key instructor for the cultural component, and Luella Massey, the employment councillor, will be heading up the program.

"Students will be closely matched to the jobs they want to do, seeing the kinds of responsibility they might need and getting to know the people that they will be working with," said McQueen. "We will have experienced instructors preparing them for the different jobs they want to get into."

The program will consist of job preparation skills, preparation for GED testing (for students who qualify to write the test), job placement, job safety training and first aid, and life management skills based on Aboriginal culture.

"The students will be working on cover letters and on interview techniques and on what it takes to get a job and keep a job, with Luella. Margaret will be teaching them to be proud of who they are as Aboriginal people while still being part of the workforce," she said.

"One of the goals for the program is that in 20 weeks we will assess their academic, personal and life management skills. We will give them guidance where they may need it. We will also work on how you deal with any discrimination, which is going to show up, and how you deal with it, such as rude remarks and things like that. You have to believe in yourself, no matter what anyone tells you. You have to know your rights," she said.

GED testing will be available for the students, however McQueen says that writing the test is not mandatory.

"If they are at a level in education that they can write the GED, they will be able to take the exam. For example, if they have a Grade 6 English level then they might have to do some upgrading, but if they come in with a Grade 10 level then they can write the exam, and if they come in too low in Math, maybe they won't be able to write the exam," she said.

This course will be an ongoing program at the college. It will be offered twice a year, in September and February.

"I'm a little tentative about the course because I have to find out what the students need and they of course are a little tentative because they do not know what they are getting into, but we are hoping to make the course worthwhile," she said.

McQueen would like to see this program tailored to the students' specific needs.

"Many students, not just Aboriginal, who come from small communities can find the city intimidating. What we try to do here at the college is build a supportive situation. We think that we can make it useful and fun. It's got to be fun and if the students are having difficulties in the course we have councillors here at the school. We can all work together."

McQueen said that besides wanting this program to be valuable to the population, she would also like to see Aboriginal people in not only low level jobs but also in supervisory positions where there is security.