December 30, 2005
Volume 6  Issue 12
Circulation 6,998 Subscribers

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.

Download our
Programs and Services Calendar

In this edition...

New Pioneers Awards
Proctor & Gamble and Canada Post Volunteer
Who will step up for Toronto's Communities?
An Election Forum on issues of concern to Toronto’s community sector
Laugh or Go Bananas
Cross-Cultural Communication Workshop
for Internationally-trained Teachers

New Pioneers Awards March 30, 2006

Reception, Dinner and Awards Ceremony



Thursday, March 30, 2006

Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North


Individual Ticket
$100

Personal Table
(Seating ten of your friends or clients)
$1,200

Corporate Table
(Premier Seating, 10 per table, with signage)
$2,000

Corporate Table
(Seating 10 per table, with signage)
$1,500


General Information
Call 416 658-3101 ext. 231

More information here
 

Proctor & Gamble and Canada Post Volunteer

Through the United Way of Greater Toronto’s  (UWGT) Days of Caring Program, staff from Proctor & Gamble and Canada Post volunteered their services at SfC for a day each in November.

The UWGT Days of Caring Program provides Toronto companies with an opportunity to learn more about the community agencies that their donations support.

Staff from both companies participated in mock job interviews with SfC clients from the Clerical Employment Services, Job Search Workshop, Mentoring and Finance and Office Assistant Programs.

Clients were able to practice their interview skills under real-life conditions and receive feedback regarding their performance.

A very generous thanks to P&G and Canada Post for their donation of time and enthusiastic staff participation!
 

Who will step up for Toronto's Communities?
An Election Forum on issues of concern to Toronto’s community sector

The community non-profit sector in Toronto is comprised of over 2,000 organizations and agencies. It is important because of the wide range of services it provides to residents of Toronto. It is also an important sector of our economy, representing over 8% of Canada’s GDP – more than auto manufacturing!

Federal government decisions on a number of issues (Community-based employment and training programs, child care, settlement, and the “new deal” for cities) have a dramatic impact on community organizations in Toronto.

Where do the Federal parties stand on issues of concern to the sector? Privatization, funding, and competition within the community sector, charitable tax deductions, as well as broader social policy issues are of concern to board members, staff, volunteers, and users of community organizations across Toronto.

The Community Social Planning Council of Toronto, in collaboration with a wide range of community organizations, has invited the four main parties to designate a candidate as their spokesperson on our issues in Toronto.

Where do the Liberals, New Democrats, Conservatives, and Greens stand on the issues of concern to our community organizations?

Sponsored by:

The YMCA Auditorium is located on the second floor at 20 Grosvenor Street, two blocks north of the College Subway Station. The location is wheelchair accessible, and the meeting will be signed for the hearing impaired. For more information about the event, or if you have questions you wish to submit for the meeting, please email cspc@cspc.toronto.on.ca  or call the Community Social Planning Council at 416-351-0095.
 

Laugh or Go Bananas

Exercise regularly. Stay away from fried foods. Laugh more?

It doesn't seem like the typical prescription, but the benefits of laughter may help keep the doctor away – and keep you sane at the office.

Laughter has been touted by a growing number of health care professionals as a form of exercise that helps keep the body and mind fit.

The benefits of laughter and humor can be experienced through our Humour Therapy Workshop – Laugh or Go Bananas.

This 90-minute, interactive workshop gets groups (from five to 200 in size) up on their feet, practising their laughing exercises, letting off steam, and dancing the salsa.

Under the care of Dr. Giggles, participants shed their inhibitions and learn how to manage their external stress with their “internal smile.”
 

“Very uplifting for everyone." “Very positive an effective ways of dealing immediately with stress and bringing motivation in my life" "Best presentation so far for me... an uplifting gift” “I came in all stressed out and I am leaving with two smiles (one inside and one outside)." "I will do my best to keep Nelson’s laughing face in my pocket! It is better than a million dollars." "I found it relaxed, interesting, respectful, just right!" "Thanks for giving us the strength we need to continue in the job search without stress.” “A fabulous set of skills in coping with a job hunt in the Toronto environment. Breaks the ice in record time.” “The staff at Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre highly recommends the workshop. We found it was a great stress reliever, an amazing way to build team spirit, an educational workshop (we walked away with many new techniques and tools to better deal with the fast pace in our workplace). The workshop took place on the Friday and Monday when staff arrived to work they still talked and laughed about the experience on Friday.” “Dr. Giggles held his energy level so high!" "A real self-discovery.”

Interested in our workshop for your organization or company?  Contact us for more information at sfc@skillsforchange.org.

Cross-Cultural Communication Workshop
for Internationally-trained Teachers

SfC Programs Start Dates

Click link for course description and registration information.
 

A+ Certification Preparation February 2/06
AccPac for Windows January 14/06, February 13/06
AutoCAD Level I TBA
AutoCAD Level II February 14/06
AutoCAD Level I & II January 10/06
CCNA Cisco Certified Network February 4/06, March 25/06
Clerical Employment Services (CES) January 3, January 16 and January 30/06
Employment Preparation for Retail Services (EPRS) January 9/06
ESL/Accounting and Computer Skills for Immigrant Women February 20/06, May 15/06
ESL/Advanced Communication in the Workplace for Working People November 14, February 6/06
ESL/Bookkeeping (Intermediate) December 10
ESL/Business Writing November 14 and February 6/06
ESL/Communicating Clearly February 7/06

ESL/Customer Service Program TBA
ESL/English for Academic Purposes February 20/06, May 15/06
ESL/Intensive English February 6/06
ESL/Introductory Bookkeeping December 10 and November 22
ESL/Keyboarding December 10
ESL/Medical Terminology December 10
Information Session—Internationally-trained Accountants January 31/06
Information Session—Internationally-trained Engineers TBA

Job Search Workshop for New Immigrants Daytime - January 9; Evening - January 30
Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) TBA
MCSA Preparation February 20/06 and March 6/06
MCSE Preparation TBA
Microsoft Access (Level 1) January 16/06
Microsoft Access (Level 2) February 6/06
Microsoft Excel (Level 1) January 17/06
Microsoft Excel (Level 2) February 7/06
Microsoft FrontPage – Build a Web Site February 18/06
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access) November 28
Microsoft PowerPoint & Publisher Essentials February 11/06
Microsoft Word and Excel Essentials January 23/06 NEW!
PMP Certification January 21/06
Quality Assurance & Control January 14/06
QuickBooks January 17/06 NEW!
QuickTax January 16/06 NEW!
Simply Accounting February 6/06
Software Testing & Quality Assurance January 28/06
Teach in Ontario: Bridge to Employment for Internationally-trained Teachers TBA
Teach in Ontario: Language Upgrading Course Dec 23, Jan 9/06, Mar 20/06, Apr 19/06, May 23/06
TOEFL Level 7+ November 21, February 13/05

TechSkills  

TechSkills specializes in hands-on, instructor-led training in the latest software applications. We offer instructors with years of real-world expertise in a fun informal setting, teaching everything from basic web site development to more advanced accounting and database design.

Our courses are structured to encourage beginners and professionals to start at the level that matches their skills and to lead them progressively to more advanced topics. Because our classes are limited in size, students have more hands-on interaction with the instructor.

· Experienced professional instructors
· Small class sizes
· Quality training materials
· Competitive pricing

Registration
By phone - 416 658-3101 ext. 700
On-line - www.skillsforchange.org/register
Complete course listing - www.skillsforchange.org/techskills

Tuition tax credit forms will be issued. Some classes are held at another location. Additional materials or textbook fees may be charged for some courses. EI recipients welcomed.

January Guest Speakers

Programs and Services Directory

Download our
Programs and Services Calendar
 

Bridge to Success for Trades

Clerical Employment Services (CES)

Employment Preparation for Retail Services (EPRS)

Employment Resource Centre (ERC)

ESL Courses

Human Resource Services

Job Search Workshop (JSW)

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)

Mentoring for Employment

Ontario Network for Internationally-training Professionals Online (ONIP)

New Pioneers Awards (NPA)

Sector-specific Information Sessions

Sector Terminology, Information and Counselling (STIC)

Settlement Services for Newcomers

Teach In Ontario

TechSkills

Workplace Language Coaching for Working People

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