- 200 students with multiple barriers to employment will benefit from training programs offered at CNC in the first half of 2024.
- The community ambassador in tourism and hospitality and skilled worker access programs will provide sector-specific training for students with multiple barriers to employment.
- Students are welcome to apply at http://cnc.bc.ca/ste. They will benefit from free tuition and supplies, a weekly training wage, and work placements. The program has received $3.5 million in funding from the BC Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.
For more information, please contact:
Mark Karjaluoto, Executive Director: Marketing and Communications: 250-613-7639
New programs at all six CNC campuses will help people facing multiple barriers to employment get training to succeed in the tourism and hospitality sector as well as skilled labour, while supporting the regional job market.
CNC has launched new programs to take place through early 2024. The College welcomes applications at its http://cnc.bc.ca/ste webpage and is seeking partners to refer students to the new courses. Programs will take place in a staggered schedule in Burns Lake, Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Prince George, Quesnel, and Vanderhoof.
“All British Columbians should be able to develop skills that lead to meaningful employment,” said Selina Robinson, Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills. “CNC’s new programs are supporting students facing multiple barriers in developing skills for jobs in high-demand sectors and building a stronger, more inclusive economy.”
“Education can build hope for people. One of the most important things we can provide students is access to learning that recognizes their unique situations and creates opportunities for them,” said Cindy Heitman, CNC’s president. “These two new programs will help students to develop their skills, enabling them find work in vibrant areas of the regional economy.”
A funding allocation of $3.5 million from the Government of British Columbia has enabled CNC to launch two new programs at all six of its campuses.
Up to 200 student spaces will be available for the programs, which include:
- Community ambassador in tourism and hospitality, a 12-week course to help students gain skills for entry level jobs in the sector. Students gain an overview of the tourism and hospitality industry including hotel and restaurant services, event planning, and financial management. They will also benefit from skills for success training on topics like communication, problem solving, and collaboration. Students also learn about serving, occupational first aid, workplace hazard management, food safe, serving it right, and more; and
- The skilled worker access program, a 16-week program to support trades-related work. Students gain skills that include boom and fork-lift operation, building service work, occupational first aid, traffic control, fire suppression/entrapment, and fall protection. Students will also benefit from job readiness coaching (résumé writing, interviews, setting goals) and skills for success training.
“Along with new skills and learning opportunities, students will benefit from tuition-free training, books and materials, a weekly training wage, as well as work placement opportunities,” said Dr. Amelia Merrick, dean of CNC’s school of access and continuing education. “We’re excited to offer students these new opportunities and the encouragement they need to learn, grow, and succeed.”
The College is providing the programs for students who face two or more of the following barriers:
- Housing instability;
- Recovering from addiction;
- Prior criminal justice involvement;
- Mental health challenges;
- Lack of recent and/or Canadian work experience;
- Lack of basic employment skills;
- Limited literacy, financial literacy, or digital literacy skills;
- Limited English language skills;
- Having less than a Grade 12 education; and/or
- Being a(n): visible minority, recent immigrant, refugee; or young adult at risk; older worker; survivor of violence and/or abuse; and/or person with disabilities.
Students for the programs must also be:
- Unemployed, precariously employed, or experiencing multiple barriers to employment;
- Legally entitled to work in Canada;
- Living in British Columbia at the time of training;
- Not a current student (high school or post-secondary); and
- Not participating in another provincially or federally funded labour market program at the time of their training.
CNC is working closely with community partners to help eligible students to take part in the programs. CNC invites partners to call the continuing education department at 250-561-5846 or continuinged@cnc.bc.ca if they wish to take part.