Ashley Barrie, employment consultant with St. Lawrence College Employment Services, was in Verona at the Free Methodist Church on September 10 offering satellite employment services as part of the organization’s first outreach initiative program there.

Barrie was on hand from 10 a.m. until noon that day hoping to meet one on one with individuals and identify their employment goals. St. Lawrence Employment Services is offering various kinds of assistance necessary to help people meet those goals.

With offices currently in both Kingston and Sharbot Lake, Barrie said that the new satellite services will serve those Verona and area residents who may find it difficult to get to Sharbot Lake or Kingston. Barrie said her role as an employment consultant is to meet one on one with individuals and to “identify what exactly is standing between that individual and employment”. Barrie said these could be any number of things, including lack of transportation, lack of child care, an ineffective resume, and more.

What Barrie wants people to know is that the barriers can be large or small and that she can offer a wide range of services that can address all of the issues, be they improving an existing resume; assisting with mock job interview scenarios; or bigger, more long term issues like job retraining or returning to school. “We understand that every situation is different for every client so we are aiming to be very flexible in our approach and I really strongly believe that there is always a way that we can help.”

The services Barrie offers will also include, in the afternoons, special focused workshops like SmartServe, workers’ health and safety training, and traffic control training. The workshops will be based on the needs of clients she sees.

Barrie hopes to see people take advantage of these services. “In a community like this one where jobs are often seasonal, layoffs are often a reality and people can find themselves needing something to carry them through. Sometimes it can be a simple thing like needing a certain pair of work boots and we can help with that too. We can also contact employers and offer them an incentive, which can make the difference in them hiring a new employee or not.”

Asked how long the Verona services will be running, Barrie said as long as they are needed. “We plan to be offering these services as long as we see that people are using them and if we can help even just one person to find work, it will have been worth it.”

Future dates and times for the Verona employment services can be found at the St. Lawrence College Employment Services website at www.employmentservice.sl.on.ca

Many area students and graduates looking for summer employment opportunities attended the first ever Student Job Fair at the St. Lawrence College Employment Service Centre in Sharbot Lake on March 19.

Staff at the center, who organized the event, were well prepared in advance and pointed students in the direction of a number of local opportunities currently available to them. These included positions at a number of local summer camps, private campgrounds, grocery stores, restaurants, provincial parks as well as a number of maintenance and marketing positions.

Two local employers attended the event in person. Donna Longmire of the Township of Central Frontenac was advertising a number of student employment opportunities, which included four public works and three waste management positions and was accepting applications and resumes for both.

Similarly, Rachel Hosseini, owner and manager of the Subway restaurant in Sharbot Lake was looking to fill seven full and part time positions. She carried out a number of initial interviews with students at the center and said she will be following up with secondary interviews at the restaurant, which she described as a fast-paced, friendly and professional environment.

Ashley Barrie, resource specialist at the employment center, said that summer employment early in a student’s working life is invaluable to them. “Summer employment is very beneficial and can not only help students acquire a number of new skills, but also encourages networking for future job opportunities while they learn the various responsibilities that come with paid work. Summer employment also provides students with pocket money when they return to school in the fall.”

Barrie stressed how early summer work experiences teaches students the qualities they need to be employable. “Learning how to be reliable, punctual and about customer service is very important. Summer jobs can also help long term by giving students something concrete on their resumes after having worked for credible employers, which is also something that can set them apart and give them a leg up.”

Karen McGregor, coordinator at the center, said that early work opportunities also help students “narrow down their career path” and that a summer job can help them pin point what kind of job or career they are looking for long term. “A summer work experience helps make students more successful at their future job interviews as well as helping them to define their strengths and interests for future employment. In rural communities like this, where often there is not a lot of other regular activities for students in the summer months, working is something that can occupy their time productively”. McGregor also made mention of a number of the programs available to employers that can help subsidize the pay for student workers.

For students and employers who missed the job fair, Ashley Barrie is continuing to take employer/ participant information and registrations at the Sharbot Lake location. Staff’s advice to students? “Don't wait. Employers are already hiring for summer positions.” There is also a job board up at the centre that is regularly updated. For more information contact Ashley Barrie at 613-545-3949 ext. 1891or visit www.employmentservice.sl.on.ca

A new granting program, the Canada-Ontario Jobs Grant (COJG), provides an opportunity for employers to invest in their workforce.

“This granting program is designed to provide new schools for existing workers,” said Karen McGregor of the St. Lawrence College Employment Centre in Sharbot Lake. “The Job Grant will provide direct financial support to employers to purchase training for their existing and new employees with a plan to deliver short term training for up to 52 weeks to cover skills gaps.”

The grant will pay up to 2/3 of training costs, up to $10,000 per person, and employers will be required to cover the other 1/3. Small businesses may be eligible for an in-kind contribution to cover their share of the costs. The definition of small business is generous, up to 50 employees. The training must be provided by a qualified, third party trainer.

For information, contact Leslie Pickard, employer liaison with the employment centre at 613-549-3949 extension 1686.

Online applications are available at www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/eopg/coig/index.html.

Other programs that are available at the center include

the Youth Employment Fund (YEF) for youth between 15 and 29 to learn on the job skills. The center can provide incentives to employers to help cover the cost of wages and training for new hires in job placements from 4-6 months in duration.

As well, the Ontario Self-Employment Benefit is a program to promote the start up of new business ventures. Participants in this program must be in receipt of Employment Insurance benefits and meet eligibility criteria.

Second Career is a program for recently laid-off workers for which long term skills training is the most appropriate intervention to transition them into high-demand occupations in the local labour market. EI claimants, EI Reachback or non-EI eligible workers can apply.