Program offers workplace skills to young people

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When you live in an inner city neighborhood in a fractured family, where do you learn to build the healthy relationships necessary for the workforce?

The Teen Skill Acquisition Program can help. "Most of the students we target in Grades 7, 8 and 9 are street kids, mainly Aboriginals," said Terry Shalley, co-ordinator for the program through Catholic Family Services in Regina. "They don't know where to go to get the special help they need to get a foot in the door for future employment. Not many agencies offer a program like this to kids in the lower grades. We are interested in their holistic needs, their basic needs that must be filled to allow them to be part of the community setting," he said.

The Skills Acquisition Program is designed for teens from 13 to 17. They are introduced to preliminary work skills though the use of mentors. Business mentors offer short-term employment opportunities to the students. In return, the students show up for work regularly, develop job skills and relationships. The students are not paid for their labor, said Shalley. They do, however, experience an adult work environment, are provided with the incentive to stay in school and come out of the short-term program with job skills and potential work placement school credits. Over a one to two month time frame, the students work four to 12 hours on the job, depending on a mutual agreement between the business and the student.

"The feelings of belonging and the building of self-confidence are fostered throughout the pre-employment training," said Shalley. "The child knows a lot of people in the community care about him and want him to be integrated as a functional part of society."

Shalley said students who took part in the program were better able to deal with attitudinal and personal patterns of behavior. It develops a community pride and respect that may keep them out of the judicial system.

"The self-concepts of the students was enhanced as they realized meaningful achievements, reducing the potential for these kids to be involved in crime." Shalley said filling their after-school hours in a productive environment was time well spent.

"Some of the business people approached about mentoring in this program were once in the same spot as these kids," said Shalley. "The business mentors have a real chance to change the future for the students, to help them develop employable attitudes and work habits, to recognize the relevance of school work to the work world. If we can help even five or 10 kids, we've accomplished something and the business community has also benefited."

Pre-employment training also benefits the schools by providing the incentive for further education and by offering an insight into what is available in the work force. Mentor businesses range from the restaurant industry to auto body, motor mechanics, graphic arts and social work fields. According to Shalley, reports from teachers indicate that program participants demonstrated better school attendance, increased attention span, better behavior and interest in career-related occupations. Conflict situations between students and teachers, parents and/or peers also seemed to be reduced as the positive relationships of the program were experienced.

The pilot project of the Skills Acquisition Program was launched in Regina in October 1998 as a co-operative venture between Catholic Family Services, Cornwall Alternative School, the Regina Public School Division, Regina Catholic School Division and Regina and area businesses. Shalley said the search for ongoing funding continues, but he is confident that the project will expand to other schools and other youth in need.