Legalese - January 31, 2008

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Legalese - January 31, 2008 ODSP and Employment Incomeby William A. Florence,Barrister and Solicitor, Rural Legal Services

Through the Ontario Disability Support Program, (ODSP), the provincial government provides income support for individuals who meet financial eligibility criteria, and who are deemed to be “disabled”. Although many individuals who are in receipt of ODSP disability benefits are not capable of functioning in the workplace because of their disability, some are able to earn employment income. This income must be reported to ODSP. A new monthly entitlement amount is calculated, which takes into consideration the employment income.

For those who are unfamiliar with ODSP, a natural question which may arise is how could someone be in receipt of disability benefits, at the same time as being employed. The answer lies in the manner in which disability is defined, as well as policy objectives.

As discussed in a previous ‘Legalese’ column, the Ontario Disability Support Program Act, 1997 defines disability as a substantial physical or mental impairment that is expected to last more than one year. The impairment must result in substantial restrictions in one or more of the following activities of daily living: personal care; functioning in the community; and/or functioning in the workplace. Therefore, the ability to function in a workplace may not preclude eligibility for ODSP income support. In addition, one could be granted income support for a fixed period of time where the disabling medical condition is expected to improve. As some ODSP recipients are not necessarily expected to always need income support, ODSP encourages recipients to move towards financial independence, and may provide assistance during a transition period for those moving off ODSP benefits.

The amount of ODSP income support provided to recipients is based on need, and there are maximum amounts that may be provided to each recipient and their benefit unit. If the recipient has income from a different source, the amount that they receive from ODSP may be lowered to compensate. Accordingly, if a recipient is earning an income from employment, this will be taken into consideration when the monthly entitlement is calculated.

In November 2006, the regulation which outlines the treatment of earnings was revised. The current rules regarding how employment earnings are deducted from ODSP benefits follow.

The first step is to take the total gross monthly earnings. This amount is reduced by:

All deductions that are required by law or by the terms of employment, (such as income tax, Canada Pension Plan contributions, Employment Insurance, union dues, and mandatory pension contributions);50% of the earnings, (after the mandatory deductions have been deducted);Eligible Child Care expenses; andDisability-related employment expenses, (such as specialized transit services, sign-language interpreting, etc.).

The remainder amount is taken off the ODSP monthly entitlement.

Here is a simplified example: An ODSP recipient has gross employment earnings of $450 over the course of a month. $50 of the gross earning are mandatory deductions such as CPP and EI. The net income would then be $400. The 50% flat rate exemption would then be applied. The remaining amount of $200 would then be deducted from their ODSP income support.

ODSP may also provide Employment benefits such as:

A Work-Related Benefit of $100 which is provided to all eligible members of the benefit unit, each month they have earnings from employment;The Employment and Training Start-up Benefit, (intended to assist with the initial costs of beginning a new employment or employment activity);Up Front Child Care Costs;The Employment Transition Benefit, (for those who are leaving ODSP and are able to return to the workforce); andThe Extended Health Benefit and the Transitional Health Benefit, (for those whose amount of earnings would preclude assistance from ODSP on financial eligibility grounds, yet may still be eligible for extended health benefits).

If you are on ODSP and considering a return to the workforce, Rural Legal Services would be pleased to discuss this with you and how it may change your monthly entitlement.

Legalese is a column of general information and opinion on legal topics by the lawyers of Rural Legal Services, Box 359, Sharbot Lake, ON, K0H2P0, 613-279-3252, or 1-888-777-8916. This column is not intended to provide legal advice. You should contact a lawyer to determine your legal rights and obligations.

Legalese - April 24, 2008

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Legalese - April 24, 2008 How Ontario Works Can HelpWilliam A. Florence, Barrister and Solicitor, Rural Legal Services

Ontario Works, (“OW”), is a program run by the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services. Another name that is commonly used for this program is “welfare”. Eligibility for this program is based on verified immediate financial need, and a willingness to participate in employment assistance activities. When someone applies for OW, a determination is made regarding financial eligibility. Family size, income, assets, and costs for shelter such as rent, are all taken into consideration.

OW is meant to be a temporary solution for those who are in financial need, to assist them while they search for work. That is why a willingness to participate in employment assistance activities is mandatory. OW will provide a number of services to assist in the employment search, such as: workshops on interview preparation, and resume writing; access to telephones, computers and job banks; literacy screening and training; education upgrading or job specific skills training; and employment placement.

Some of the OW benefits that are available, in addition to monthly income assistance, are:

Drug coverage - Eligible participants in OW are provided with health coverage by the Ontario Drug Benefit plan;

Dental and vision care for dependent children - Basic dental coverage, annual eye exams, and coverage for the purchase of lenses and frames, may be provided for dependent children;

Coverage for diabetic supplies, surgical supplies, dressings - For example: diabetic supplies such as blood glucose monitors, lancets, and syringes, and surgical supplies such as catheters, drainage bags, and incontinence and ostomy supplies;

Medical transportation - OW may provide the cost of transportation to travel to medical appointments, and in limited circumstances, include the cost of meals and accommodation;

Contribution for costs associated with the Assistive Devices Program - If one is eligible for funding from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Assistive Devices Program to purchase an assistive device to help with a physical disability, there is a consumer’s contribution to the cost which OW may pay for;

Community Start-up and Maintenance Benefit - If an OW recipient must move to a new residence, or needs financial assistance to be able to remain in their current residence, a Community Start-up and Maintenance Benefit may be available. Examples of when OW may provide this type of additional support to a recipient are: if they have been evicted from their current residence and need additional money to “start-up” at a new residence; if they have a utility such as hydro that will be discontinued unless a payment towards arrears is made; or if OW is satisfied that it would be harmful to the recipient’s health or welfare to remain in their current residence;

Employment Start-up Benefits – If an OW recipient is self-

employed, changes or accepts new employment, or begins an approved employment assistance activity, they are eligible for the Employment Start-up Benefit which is meant to assist with initial costs or expenses. Some examples are expenses for: tools and equipment, appropriate work wear, and licensing fees/association costs. As well, OW recipients may be eligible for additional benefits that relate to the ongoing costs of participating in OW-approved employment assistance activities. For example, there may be additional benefits for out-of-pocket costs for child care, transportation, and safety equipment; and

Special Diet – If an approved health professional prescribes a “special diet” for an OW recipient who has one of the enumerated medical conditions, this benefit may be paid to help cover the additional dietary costs. Some examples of a “special diet” are: a Gluten Free Diet, Pregnancy Diet, and a Cystic Fibrosis Diet.

The foregoing is only a summary of the types of benefits that may be available for an OW recipient. If you are an OW recipient, or are considering applying for income assistance, it is important to discuss with your OW case worker what benefits are available, and in what circumstances. If you require further information or have any questions, please contact us at the legal clinic.

Legalese is a column of general information and opinion on legal topics by the lawyers of Rural Legal Services, Box 359, Sharbot Lake, ON, K0H2P0, 613-279-3252, or 1-888-777-8916. This column is not intended to provide legal advice. You should contact a lawyer to determine your legal rights and obligations.

Local community learning centres in Sydenham, Hartington, Sharbot Lake and Northbrook are solving some of the problems people have when trying to improve their skills and education. One solution is a partnership with Ontario colleges for E-learning (electronic, online or Web-based learning) satellite services.

“It’s a hidden gem,” says Patricia Ramirez, speaking of the E-learning lab at Northern Connections in Sharbot Lake, “If I had known there was a local E-lab I would have gone back to school sooner.”

E-labs provide a learning environment that is friendly, supportive and close to home. High-speed Internet is available and the computers have all the software and hardware needed to complete courses for the Academic and Career Entrance Program (ACE) and some college certificate and diploma courses.

The ACE certificate is a Grade 12 equivalency for people who want to move on to college or apprenticeship. Learners may take any or all of the courses as needed for entrance to their post-secondary education. Available courses include Communications, Math, Computers, Self-Direction, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Best of all, the ACE program is FREE and travel and childcare subsidies may be available. ACE courses are available thanks to PALS (Partnering to Achieve Learning Success), a partnership between St. Lawrence College, the Limestone District School Board, Kingston Literacy and Northern Connections Adult Learning, with funding from Employment Ontario.

A partnership with another college, Loyalist in Bancroft, has allowed people to take college courses online through the E-lab. “Any course that is shown on the OntarioLearn website is available to students, but we register them through Loyalist College,” says Laurie Watson, who coordinates the college E-lab courses for Northern Connections in Sharbot Lake and Northbrook.

“E-lab learning is less intimidating than a classroom, for me,” says Ramirez, who is taking a Medical Transcriptionist college course, “You don’t have all the noise and peer pressure. You also don’t have all that travel to Kingston or dealing with traffic and parking.”

Anyone can take these programs, but they are particularly useful for people who are getting their training or living allowance paid by Employment Ontario’s Second Career, WSIB, etc. They are only approved to do training at an acknowledged site, such as the E-lab, where their attendance can be monitored and they can get support from local staff.

E-labs are available for ACE upgrading in Sydenham at Frontenac Employment Resource Centre (613) 376-6592 and in Hartington at the Community Learning Centre South Frontenac (613) 372-2111. The E-labs at Northern Connections Adult Learning Centres offer both ACE upgrading and college courses in Sharbot Lake (613) 279-2499 and in Northbrook at Northern Connections (613) 336-0691.

 

Back in January the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities announced a change in the way employment services would be delivered across the Province of Ontario.

All employment services will be offered by a single provider in each region, and in Frontenac County that provider will be St. Lawrence College. In Lennox and Addington County the provider will be an organization called Career Edge.

For the staff and board of Northern Connections, a not-for-profit corporation based in Sharbot Lake, which has been the provider of employment services in Northern Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Counties for the last 20 years under the Job Connect program, the announcement in January came as a bit of a shock.

“We always knew there was a chance this could happen” said Joyce Bigelow, the Chief Executive Officer of Northern Connections, “but it is very disappointing for us.”

The process that led to the change in the way employment services will be delivered in Ontario was different from the way change has come in other government service areas in recent years. Instead of using a tendering or request for proposal system, the Ministry of Training conducted a detailed survey of the services delivered by all of the providers before making their decision about whom they would offer contracts to.

Although Northern Connections boasts a 70% hiring rate in a community where there are not very many jobs, and has deep roots in the communities it serves, the service contracts were offered out on a regional basis, putting the small agency at a disadvantage.

Employment services represents about 1/3 of Northern Connections’ funding base, and the equivalent of three full-time positions, but the agency remains solvent and will continue to provide a basket of services, including computer training, literacy services, Academic and Career Entrance courses (high school equivalency) in partnership with St. Lawrence College, and an e-lab for online college courses in partnership with Loyalist College.

At the Northbrook Northern Connections site, there will be no visible change in services whatsoever, since Career Edge has rented space from Northern Connections at their location on Highway 41. Career Edge has also hired Tammy Rosenblath to deliver employment services. Tammy had been doing the same job for Northern Connections.

It is in Sharbot Lake where there will be a major change. St. Lawrence College will be establishing an office on Garrett Street, at the site of the former Stedmans and Upper Frontenac Graphics stores.

“There will be two full-time and two part-time people working in the office,” said Janet Ashford of St. Lawrence College, who is overseeing services in Frontenac County. The new office will also include eight computer stations for clients.

Details about the services that will be offered at the new location will be available in the coming weeks.

Until the new office is ready, St. Lawrence staff will be working out of the Northern Connections offices on Hwy 7. “We are doing everything we can to make St. Lawrence welcome in the community and to ensure that the clients get as seamless a transition as possible,” said Bigelow.

St. Lawrence, which has been a major provider of employment services in Eastern Ontario through the Job Connect program, has received the contract for the western portion of Kingston and all of Frontenac County, and Ashford said they are looking forward to providing service throughout the county from their base at the college in Kingston and their new location in Sharbot Lake.

“We will continue to work collaboratively with all of the agencies in Sharbot Lake, particularly Northern Connections, Ontario Works and others,” Ashford said. “We are excited about what we can offer.”

There is also an employment worker for St. Lawrence who works out the Frontenac Employment Resource Centre (FERC) in Sydenham and Ashford said the gaps in service in communities such as Verona would be addressed as well.

“One of the advantages of serving the entire county with the resources that we have available is that we can react to the needs of the community,” Janet Ashford said.

 

Photo: Arlene Uens, Greg Adams, Karen McGregor.

Word slipped out in mid-July that St. Lawrence College was going to locate their new Sharbot Lake-based Employment Service Centre at the site of the former Stedman’s store on Garrett Street.

The store, which had been vacant for a couple of years, has had a solid history as a retail venue, so community members were curious about how it would serve as an office space.

“When community members walk in here,” said Karen McGregor, the co-ordinator of the new centre, “they almost always say the same thing. ‘I can’t believe how big this space is, and how much like a big city office space it is.’”

The space might have an urban feel, but use of the office and all of its services is easy and informal, as befits a rural service centre.

In addition to the desks that are occupied by the three employees that staff the centre, there are two banks of four new computers in the middle of the room, all of which have high-speed internet access and a number of employment-related software packages installed.

There is desk space available with each computer as well, and they are available for use by anyone who is registered with the centre. There is also a bulletin board with job postings at the entrance to the centre, and there are comfortable couches. Free coffee is available every day of the week.

On the day I visited, two people were working away at the computers, using them as their own mini-offices as they developed their own employment plans. In addition to computers, they were using the telephone, printing, faxing and email services the centre offers.

Among the programs that are featured at the Employment Resource Centre is the Second Career Program, which provides an opportunity for people who have been in the work force for a number of years to receive additional post-secondary education.

Another program that is promoted is the Ontario Self-Employment Benefit, through which people can receive Employment Insurance benefits while they develop their own business. Apprenticeship information and job creation partnership services are also offered.

In addition to providing information and assistance accessing employment programming, the centre’s staff are committed to providing hands-on support, whether that means help in learning the ins and outs of certain software, help in building or fine tuning a resume, or providing referrals for people who require other kinds of training than is offered locally at Northern Connections, or at other locations.

“Our focus is clearly fixed on helping people gain employment,” said Karen McGregor, “and we are invested in the local community.”

It helps that two of the three staff members at the centre are from the local area, inlcuding McGregor herself, who lives in Sharbot Lake, and Arlene Uens from Mountain Grove.

“Sure, a lot of the work in this area is seasonal, but on the flip side of that there is plenty of time during the year for us to offer different kinds of training,” Karen McGregor said.

In addition to referrals, the centre’s staff will be offering training sessions on site in the coming weeks and months, including a fall prevention training course for roofers that will be offered by Greg Adams, the resource co-ordinator at the centre, and service training workshops that will be offered by other staff members.

The Employment Centre is charged with serving the population in Central and North Frontenac, and staff will be doing outreach throughout the region.

“Our goal is to eliminate barriers to employment, be they education-related, transportation-related, or whatever they may be. To do that, we will use our own resources and those of other groups and agencies wherever they are located,” said Karen McGregor.

Thus far, the centre has been a success. Since holding a soft opening at the beginning of September, almost 150 people have visited, and the grand opening of the Sharbot Lake Employment Centre is still over a month away. It will be held on Wednesday, November 3 (look for details in the Frontenac News in October).

Through St. Lawrence College, employment services are also offered in Sydenham at the South Frontenac Employment Resource Centre, and in Northbrook at Land O’Lakes Community Services.

 

By Jim Tysick, Northern Connections Adult Learning Centres –Sharbot Lake

Susan Ducharme has something extra to celebrate this Christmas. As of December 16, Susan will have completed her college program at Northern Connections Adult Learning Centres. She will be leaving with a certificate in Small Business Bookkeeping from Loyalist College.

In the summer of 2009, Susan came to Northern Connections to access employment services. After previously working in landscaping and traffic control, she was looking for a less physical job. Our employment counselor suggested that Susan apply for Second Career funding. She was accepted for the funding, and in September 2009, she began to do upgrading at Northern Connections to get ready for her college program. When she started her Loyalist College bookkeeping program in January 2010, she was able to do it online at Northern Connections.

Susan admits that when she first came to Northern Connections she felt a bit overwhelmed. After all, she had been out of school for a number of years and she didn’t have much computer knowledge. The staff, however, helped her when she needed assistance and it wasn’t long before she felt comfortable in her new role as a student. Susan has learned a lot over the last year and a half at Northern Connections. In the new year, she hopes to get a job in bookkeeping.

Another person who received her college training through Loyalist College at Northern Connections is Patricia Ramirez. Patricia completed her Office Administration-Medical Transcriptionist Diploma in August and is now employed at the Menoyawin Hospital in Sioux Lookout, Ontario.

Maybe you have been considering a new career that needs college, but you don’t want to move or make the commute? Doing an online college program at Northern Connections Adult Learning Centres may be your answer. If you would like to know more about how Northern Connections can help you with your future call us at 613-279-2499 or 613-336-0691 or drop by at 24719 Highway #7 Sharbot Lake or 12345 Highway #41 Northbrook. For information as to what funding may be available to you please contact your nearest Employment Service office.

Next Christmas you too could have something extra to celebrate. As Susan Ducharme points out, “If I did it, most people can!”

 

There are still five spaces available for anyone aged 15-30 looking for a paid training/employment opportunity this fall in the Sharbot Lake and surrounding area.

The federally funded program called the Blossoms Project is being offered through the Sharbot Lake branch of St. Lawrence College Employment Centre and it commences on Monday, November 14. Program coordinator Karen McGregor hopes to see all the spaces fill up. “In a region like this where seasonal work tends to dry up in the fall, this is a great opportunity for someone to gain skills and experience when normally there would not be any employment opportunities. This program not only offers youth a chance to build on their skills and confidence but gives them a chance to carry out a number of projects in the community that have the definite possibility of opening up new doors for them.” The program pays participants for 30 hours a week at $10.25/hour for 12 weeks and also offers participants a pair of free work boots along with a bonus of $500 to those who complete the program. The program is specifically designed for those who have some barriers to employment or education, be it living in a rural area, being a single parent or having an incomplete high school education. It aims to give youth the experience and skills they need to either become more employable or to return to school.

The 12-week program begins with a six-week in-class training segment where students will learn various employment skills like resumé and cover letter writing. Professional trainers will be brought into the classroom to certify participants, free of charge, in First Aid/CPR, Smart Serve, and various safety training areas like Fall Arrest, Confined Spaces and WHMIS.

The second half of the program will offer participants hands-on work projects in the community, and local contractor Bill Young will be leading the group in various community building projects that have been proposed through the township. These proposed projects include designing and building wheel chair accessible picnic tables for area parks, designing and building a new attendant’s shed and a covered drive shed to house recyclable items at the Wemp Road dump site, and other smaller projects as well.

McGregor is especially excited about the community projects section of the program. “These projects offer participants a chance to learn a wide variety of skills including research and design skills, hands-on technical skills as well as communication skills which are all transferable. Not only that but these programs have shown when young people are actively involved in creating beauty in their community, they also will tend to take pride in the community.” ”

Organizers have already filled their quota for grade twelve graduates for the program but spaces are still available for those who have not completed their grade 12 education. Anyone interested in participating in the program can contact Karen McGregor or Ashley Barrie at 613-545-3949 ext.1890.

 

If you are working in Ontario and your employer owes you money, such as overtime pay, vacation pay, or termination pay, you can file a claim with the Ontario Ministry of Labour (Ministry) under the Employment Standards Act. The deadline to make a claim for unpaid wages is 6 months and the maximum amount the Ministry can award you is $10,000.00.

The Employment Standards Act cannot deal with employees who are federally regulated. You should speak to a lawyer if you are not sure if you are federally or provincially regulated.

If you were fired from your employment, you may be owed termination pay. You have the option of making a claim with the Ministry under the Employment Standards Act or suing for wrongful dismissal in Small Claims Court or Superior Court. You should speak with a lawyer about your rights.

There are four steps you must follow to file an Employment Standards claim:

Contact your employer about the issue

Collect important documents related to your claim

Fill out the claim form

Send your claim form to the Ministry of Labour and get your claim submission number

If your employer owes you money, the Ministry wants you to first contact your employer about the money you believe you are owed. You should do this in writing and keep a copy of the letter you send for your records. Give your employer 7 to 10 days to respond before you move forward with filing your claim. You can get the claim form and more information about filling out the form on the Ministry website: www.labour.gov.on.ca. There are some situations where you will not have to contact your employer before filing a claim. These include if you are afraid to contact your employer, if the employer’s business has closed down, or if the money you believe you are owed was due 5 months ago or more.

Once you have contacted your employer, gathered the important documents that you need for your claim, and filled out the claim form, you must send it to the Ministry.

The Ministry recommends that you file your claim online because you will receive a claim submission number immediately, but you may also file it by fax at 1-888-252-4684, in person at a Service Ontario Centre closest to you, or by mail to the Provincial Claims Centre, Ministry of Labour, 70 Foster Drive, Suite 410, Roberta Bondar Place, Sault Ste Marie, ON, P6A 6V4. Make sure to write your name on the envelope and on each page that you mail.

If you have any questions about filing a claim or any rights you have as a worker, you can contact the Employment Standards Information Centre toll free at 1-800-531-5551, and for the Deaf, TTY: 1-866-567-8893. You can also speak to a lawyer or call your local community legal clinic.

Alternatively you can visit the Ministry of Labour’s website (www.labour.gov.on.ca) to learn more about Ontario’s Employment Standards or the Workers’ Action Centre (www.workersactioncentre.org/). You may also wish to visit http://yourlegalrights.on.ca/employment-and-work and/or (www.communitylegalcentre.ca/legal_information/WR/ES/Links.htm) for information and links to these and other resources.

 

This column is not intended to provide legal advice; it is just general legal information provided by volunteer local lawyers and the staff of community legal clinics and Legal Aid Ontario. The law can change. You must contact a lawyer to determine your legal rights and obligations. If you are living on a low income, you may be eligible for free legal help from Legal Aid Ontario (criminal, family or immigration) or your local community legal clinic (income security programs, employment law, tenants’ rights, or human rights). You can reach Legal Aid Ontario at 1-800-668-8258 or visit them online at www.legalaid.on.ca. Contact Rural Legal Services, your local community legal clinic at (613) 279-3252 or toll free at 1-888-777-8916 for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Skills Link Blossoms program participants show pride in their work. Participants included Katie Hoadley, Jessica Patterson, Sonni Teal, John Sweet, Brittany Knapp, Tiffany Ducharme, Josh St. Pierre, and Nick Tanner under the tutelage of Bill Young and program coordinator Ashley Barrie.

“Many of us here used to be afraid of power tools and some even of picking up a hammer - but not anymore, “ said Jessica Patterson, one of eight participants who just completed the ninth week of the Skills Link Blossoms Program, a 12-week program offered through the St. Lawrence College Employment Centre in Sharbot Lake through Services Canada.

The program aims to arm unemployed young adults with new knowledge and skills to give them a hand up by increasing their employ-ability. The course, which has been run out of the Wagner Road fire hall in Sharbot Lake, consists of six weeks of in-class study consisting of various workshops and seminars, and six weeks of hands-on community build projects.

The seminars and workshops were taught by a long list of professionals from local area businesses and organizations on topics like computer software applications, basic computer skills, resumés, covers letters, portfolios, problem solving, crisis diffusion, bullying, job search and networking, career planning and goal setting, customer service skills and more. Participants in the program also received certification in CPR/First AID, Smart Serve, WHMIS, Workplace Safety, Fall Arrest, and Confined Spaces.

Ashley Barrie, assistant program coordinator with St. Lawrence College Employment Centre in Sharbot Lake, spoke of the goal of the program. “What we hope to see is the participants come away with new skills and knowledge and with an awareness of what resources are available to them in the community.”

For the final six weeks of the program, Fire Chief Bill Young, who owns his own carpentry company, has been teaching the hands-on skills aspect of the course at the fire hall on Wagner Road.

During my visit there, the students were putting the finishing touches on a new shed that will be delivered to the Crow Lake dump to be used by attendant Terry Asselstine. The impressive vinyl-sided, 8 x12 foot, shingle-roofed shed, built with 2x4 framing and complete with window, door and covered sign board, was designed and constructed solely by the participants under Young’s tutelage and took the group just six and a half days to complete. “I had the students draw out the plans, write up a materials list and construct the building from start to finish”, Young said. “They had a chance to work with a number of different power and hand tools, everything from Skill and chop saws to drills, tapes, levels and hammers, which was a first for many in the program, ” he said. The students were justifiably pleased with the project and their work. “This kind of work gives them an understanding of what is involved with construction and carpentry work and one participant said to me just today how before this program she had been scared of tools and of doing this kind of thing, but is no longer now.”

Twenty-year-old Sonni Teal of Sharbot Lake, who participated in the program, said, “The program was a great all around learning experience. We covered all of the construction aspects including framing, carpentry, shingling and siding and I learned a lot by participating.”

Would he consider entering the carpentry or construction trade as a result? “Definitely, and not only that but I'd consider trying to run my own business,” he replied.

John Sweet, 22, agreed and said he hopes to get a job based on some of the new skills he's acquired. Tiffany Ducharme of Sharbot Lake said the program kept her busy and said it has “definitely opened up new doors” for her. Katie Hoadley said the highlights for her were the certifications and that she could easily see “pursuing a job in building rather than waiting on tables”.

Other projects that the group have completed were repairing and painting picnic tables for Oso beach, and building and installing new shelves for the township office. Other upcoming projects include a second identical shed to be built for the dump site at Hinchinbrooke, which Young feels confident that his group can complete in just four days. They will also be constructing new picnic tables for beaches in the area, new benches for the Seniors home in Sharbot Lake as well as various training props for volunteer fire fighters, which will be used to simulate real situations and will include a window opening and an entanglement box.

Ashley Barrie said the program has been an overwhelming success and hopes to see it run again next year. “As a team this group has worked really well together and I believe that every single one of them has definitely benefited and will be coming away from it also having made some important connections in the community.”

 

Young job seekers looking to get involved in the construction industry will have a great opportunity to hone their construction skills in an upcoming eight-week program that is being offered by St. Lawrence College in Sharbot Lake.

The program, which will run from August 12 through to October 4, is open to 20 participants aged 15-30. It will offer participants knowledge in the field, practical skills and pertinent certifications including WHMIS, 1st Aid/CPR, Traffic Control, Fall Arrest and Tag out Lock Out. Participants will be equipped with work boots, safety equipment, and tool belts.

The program includes 10 days of in-class instruction and six weeks of practical hands on-construction experience through a number of local projects. Eligible participants must be aged 15-30 and be out of school, out of work and currently not receiving Employment Insurance. Eligible participants can apply for funding for the program under the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy. Additional funding is available to cover transportation, income support and dependent care.

For more information about the program contact St. Lawrence Employment Services at 613-545-3949 or drop in the St. Lawrence College Employment Centre in Sharbot Lake, located at 1099 Garrett Street before July 24, 2013. The program is a great way for youth and students to acquire the proper skills, knowledge and certifications necessary to work in the construction field.