Port Alberni Friendship Center will deliver services to unemployed and/or under-employed participants with the aim to enhance their employability while testing the impact of innovative and collaborative solutions to assist in addressing a wide range of socio-economic challenges within Indigenous communities.
Building a Foundation: 8 Weeks
- Participants will attend 5 days per week for a total of 30 hours each week
- Participants will be guided to examine their individual barriers, address social challenges they are currently facing and explore opportunities
- Activities include: group sessions, one-to-one counseling support, high school upgrading, driver’s license test preparation, advocacy and cultural events
- Group session topics include but are not limited to: Self-Situational Awareness, Family & Community systems, Understanding & Overcoming Racism, Dealing with Grief & Loss, Self-Confidence, From Dreams to Action, Family & Cultural Systems, Masking the Symptoms, Peer Supports & Mentoring and Action Planning
- An Elder and Cultural Advisor will provide support to participants and facilitators through the sharing of traditional knowledge and skills as part of workshops and through the delivery of weekly cultural activities and events
- An advocacy Support Worker will work closely with participants to connect the participants with appropriate supports within the community to assist in addressing additional needs such as legal, social and housing
- Each participant will receive a completion bonus of $150.00 upon successful completion of this phase
Employment Readiness and Volunteer Placement: 8 weeks
- Participants will participate in Employment Readiness activities 4 days per week for a total of 25 hours per week
- Participants will attend a Volunteer Placement 1 day per week for a total of 5 hours per week
- Activities include: group sessions, one-to-one counseling support, high school upgrading, driver’s license test preparation, workplace certifications, advocacy and cultural events
- Group session topics include but are not limited to: resume/cover letter writing, interview skills, effective job researching, employer expectations, completing job applications, communication skills and essential skills specifically in document use, literacy and numeracy
- Workplace certifications the participants will receive include but are not limited to:WHMIS, World Host (Customer Service and Hospitality), First Aid, First Host and Retail Sales
- An Elder and Cultural Advisor will provide support to participants and facilitators through the sharing of traditional knowledge and skills as part of workshops and through the delivery of weekly cultural activities and events
- An advocacy Support Worker will work closely with participants to connect the participants with appropriate supports within the community to assist in addressing additional needs such as legal, social and housing
- Participants will receive a completion bonus of $150.00 upon successful completion of this phase
Work Experience
- Participants will attend work experience for 4 days per week for a total of 32 hours per week and employment readiness and cultural activities 1 day per week for a total of 3 hours a week
- 50% of the participants will be placed into entry-level positions
- 50% of the participants will be placed into Volunteer positions with not-for-profit organizations.
- Participants who are placed with an employer will be paid a wage based on the prevailing wage of the work experience position.They will be paid by the employer who will then be reimbursed by PAFC.The participants will receive a completion bonus of $200.00 upon successful completion of this phase
- Participants who are placed in a volunteer position will receive a living allowance by the PAFC.The participants will receive a completion bonus of $200.00 upon successful completion of this phase
Project duration schedule (2017 to 2020) can be found here
Funding Sources & Partners
