Training in tune with the times

Page 12

An employment and training agency known as the Aboriginal Community Career Employment Service Society (ACCESS) attributes its success to focusing on the job seeker, keeping his needs a priority and bringing in the community perspective, according to the society's chief executive officer, Tara Gilbert. Internet and youth programs are their specialty, she said.

Originally the organization was known as the Urban Aboriginal Labour Market Development Project, which was founded by the Vancouver Friendship Centre, the United Native Nations, and the Native Education Centre in December 1999. It provided employment and training services, but was not incorporated until January 2002 when it got a new administration and was named ACCESS.

Their clients are Aboriginal people from the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

"The initial intention way back there in 1999 was really to have [ACCESS] be a separate entity and have it grow into an urban, community-based project where there was ownership by several Aboriginal organizations," Gilbert said.

She described a year-round program called BladeRunners as "probably one of our most successful."

BladeRunners is targeted to youth-at-risk.

"It's focused around the construction industry right now, but we're looking to expand into the film and television industry," Gilbert explained.

In this program, "youth gain direct access to construction trades opportunities, so they will get experience on a work site and have support, as opposed to a lengthy training program. So basically they'll have two supervisors: they'll have their foreman and they'll also have this co-ordinator, who's kind of coach, kind of parent, kind of supervisor, kind of all of these things, and that is really has been the key to success for the program itself."

When the project ends, the support doesn't, according to Gilbert. "They're not just getting support while they're an active Bladerunner over the 32 weeks. If they still need support, the co-ordinators are actually still there for them indefinitely. So each co-ordinator manages 12 new Bladerunners in addition to people who still need kind of that extra help.

"So when a kid is having some kind of problems . . . they'll provide that support, they'll get them the referrals they need. And when they have those problems on the work site, they are there to talk them through it," Gilbert said.

The program trains about 40 youth a year at a cost of $10,000 for each participant. Gilbert said that is "a $12,000 return on investment. And that's just through direct savings from social assistance and increased input to the tax system."

In addition to Bladerunnners, ACCESS offers valuable services such as a curator training program and an artist mentorship program.

Services are free because they are subsidized by HRDC through the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy agreement.

On-line, ACCESS runs the Corporate Circle, Job Gateway and E-Learning Program.

With Job Gateway (found at www.buildingfuturestoday.com), potential employers can search the database by specific fields such as level of experience, level of education, industry or geography which narrows down their search. This search gives them a list of candidates, who then are screened by ACCESS to make sure the candidates' information is correct and they are ready for an interview. Through Job Gateway, job seekers can update their resume and gain access to a national employment databank.

The Corporate Circle was designed to eliminate the gap between traditional education and job training. It is an advisory council that engages employers in a dialogue about the employment and training of Aboriginal people. It is composed of sector tables for participants with common economic and industrial interests.

The E-Learning Centre offers more than 120 multimedia, self-paced, on-line courses in a variety of topics from information technology to multimedia development, to entrepreneurship, to accounting and bdgeting. The courses are supported by the guidance of a tutor. "With computer-based learning, which includes audio, video, and animated components, many people can certainly self-learn, that's great. But for those who need in-person, group discussions and that, we facilitate that as well," Gilbert said.

For more information, call (604) 685-07933.