Employment program at Being Human Services paying dividends for participants

By Gillian Slade on September 7, 2017.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com  @MHNGillianSlade

Stable employment and experience in an enjoyable career path are just a couple of the benefits two young men in the community are relishing from after being part of a special program.

Kyle Radford, 27, has a big smile on his face as he remembers wanting to work with his hands and having an interest in being an electrician.

“Everywhere, they wanted experience,” said Radford.

By chance, at an unrelated event last November, he heard about the Generation Y&Z program through Being Human Services.

“When I heard it was for people like me it was reassuring. A really good feeling. I was extremely excited,” said Radford.

Anthony Zorn, 24, had been doing odd jobs on construction sites but not the full-time work he yearned for.

“Not many are willing to hire someone without experience,” said Zorn.

Those accepted in the program through being Human Services work in a group environment to learn skills that will help them be successful in employment, says president and managing director Pam Wagner.

Training helps to identify someone’s strengths, which in turn boosts their confidence and helps them internalize those qualities. Sometimes the system creates barriers, says Wagner.

“We were all young once and had to get started,” she said.

Training included making video presentations about what they had to offer an employer.

Another part of the training has Radford and Zorn laughing as they think back to it all. The group had to participate in all aspects of running a “pretend” business. They were in charge of manufacturing, ordering the necessary supplies, paying staff and figuring out how to make money or turn a losing situation around.

Wagner says the workshop helps to reveal the individual’s personality and their problem-solving skills.

“What you can do when you are really pushed and under pressure,” said Wagner.

Zorn, who now works at Design Flooring Centre, had not considered that line of work before but is enjoying the job. He was surprised at how complex it can be and he’s enjoyed the challenge of learning. He calls it “satisfying,” something he is “proud” of.

The program is designed with a job developer who approaches potential employers that may qualify for a subsidy if they take on an employee in the program, said Wagner. Of the 14 participants in this particular workshop, 13 were able to get employment and more than 80 per cent of them are still employed.

Radford is eagerly learning as an apprentice electrician with Jim’s Electric.

“I’d not realized I could like a job this much,” he said.

The Generation Y&Z program is aimed at young people between the ages of 15 and 30, who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents or have refugee status. It includes eight weeks of classroom training and 16 weeks of paid work experience. Additional information is available online: https://www.beinghumanservices.ca/single-post/2016/12/15/Youth-Initiative-Generation-Y-Z-Program-launching-at-Being-Human-Services

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