SfCeNews

Volume III.  Issue 011. November 30, 2002

Skills for Change (SfC) is a non-profit agency based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Our mandate is to provide learning and training opportunities for immigrants and refugees so that they can participate in the workplace and wider community.

In this edition...

 

Canada Post - Days of Caring
Success@SkillsforChange
Up the CN Tower
Quality Assurance and Control Training Graduation
British Minister Visits
Programs and Services Updates

Canada Post - Days of Caring
 

Formerly known as Helping Hands Day, the Days of Caring event invites people to learn more about our community through volunteering. Donors sign up as members of a workplace team for a half or full day at a member agency. 

Nineteen Canada Post managers and staff interviewed SfC clients in the Days of Caring event sponsored by United Way on November 21, 2002. The Canada Post team was led by Angela Stevens and Doug Porter.

This practice interviews gave SfC students an opportunity to talk about their skills and experience and to receive feedback regarding their presentation skills. Clients came from the STIC, EAS, CES, JSW, FOAP and Mentoring programs.

For most of the SfC clients this was their first Canadian interview.

Up the CN Tower
by Rosaline Graham

The United Way CN Tower Climb was indeed an invigorating and rewarding experience. It is one of the best exercises because it stimulates the mental, physical and psychological aspects of one's life. One needs mental discipline, physical strength and the motivation to continue to the top of the tower.

Faduma and Rosaline (pictured right), SfC’s regular CN Tower team members climbed again this year. Faduma was happy to have improved her time by more than three minutes. She said that she will never miss this event. Lisa James and one of her friends also participated in the event for Skills for Change.

Success@SkillsforChange

Jackie Chen, a graduate of our Employment Assistance Service (EAS) program, writes:

"I am an aircraft maintenance engineer. Days before September 11th, 2001, I landed in Canada hoping to find work in my field but couldn't find a job. I knew I’d have to try other areas of work, but wasn’t sure where else to look. I thought of fixing cars, but was worried because I didn’t have a license.

Soon after, my EAS counsellor called about a company that was looking for an unlicensed auto mechanic. I never worked in that job exactly, although I sometimes helped co-workers fix ground vehicles. I had a job interview that day and started work full-time the next week.

I have found my confidence again and have a bright future."

Employment Assistance Services (EAS) over the past year, the special partnership between JVS of Greater Toronto and Skills for Change have successfully served over 250 professional newcomer clients through assessment, intake and counseling, work search strategy workshops, work experience placements and mentoring services. To date, 70% of these clients have found employment.

For more information about EAS...
n call 416 658-3101 x815
n visit www.skillsforchange.org/eas or,
n write eas@skillsforchange.org

Quality Assurance and Control Training Graduation

On November 23, 2002, the first Quality Assurance and Control Training (QACT) class held its graduation. QACT is designed to develop the skills in quality assurance and control and helps students to write the certification exam with the American Society for Quality.

Out of the 23 students, 16 are preparing to become Certified Quality Technician with the American Society for Quality, two as Quality Auditors and three as Quality Improvement Associates.

One of the students in this group, Yogesh Shah, took the CQT exam last October and passed. Congratulations Yogesh!

For more information on this program, or to register, call 416-658-3101 ext 218 or 0.

For our complete course schedule, click here.

British Minister Visits
Beverly Hughes, Home Office Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Community Cohesion, visited SfC on November 14th. She was given a tour of SfC followed by an in depth conversation about our programs and services, with special interest in SfC's mentoring for employment program.

The Minister stated how impressed she was with our organization and wished to stay in touch with the agency. Minister Hughes was accompanied by Helen Davidson (Assistant Private Secretary), Chris Hedges (Assistant Director of the Immigration and Nationality Policy Directorate), and Stan Calde (British Consular Official).

Acronym Soup

Confused? Don't be. Here's a list of our agency acronyms, what they mean and (where applicable) a link to the program web page.
 

CES - Clerical Employment Services

EAS - Employment Assistance Services

EPRS - Employment for Retail Services

ERC - Employment Resource Centre

FOAP - Finance & Office Assistant Program

IAT - Intake, Assessment and Training

JSC - Job Search Centre

JSW - Job Search Workshop

LINC - Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada

NPA - New Pioneers Awards

STIC - Sector Terminology Information & Counselling

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