Skills Link's blossoming builders

Jan 19, 2012

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.”