Career development training to assist youth

Judy Foote, Minister of Development and Rural Renewal, today announced her department sponsored a three day training workshop for staff of community-based agencies that are involved with helping young people obtain employment and explore training options through the Linkages Youth Employment Program.

"Community agencies are playing a very important role in helping our young people acquire valuable work experience and motivating them to go forward and obtain the training necessary to become active participants in the labour force," said the minister.

Through Linkages, a community-based agency can provide a 26 week wage subsidy to local employers who hire young people. In addition, the community agencies provide youth with bi-weekly workshops to help them identify their career and employment goals.

To strengthen and enhance the ability of community agencies to deliver the Linkages program, the Department of Development and Rural Renewal offered a three day training workshop entitled "Building Better Career Futures." The training focused on providing community-based staff with skills in the area of activity-based group career counselling. The curriculum was first piloted in Newfoundland by the Canadian Guidance and Counselling Association for use by community agencies all across Canada who work with young people who are experiencing difficulty making a successful transition into the labour market.

"The Department of Development and Rural Renewal is working to ensure that in these changing economic times, youth are exposed to the emerging economic and employment opportunities being identified through the economic zone process," said Ms. Foote.

The training was attended by representatives from nearly 20 community-based agencies from across Newfoundland and Labrador who will be delivering the Linkages Program. The training took place from October 7 to 9, 1996 at the Travellers Inn, St. John's.

Facilitating the training were three staff who work in the Department's Career Information Resource Centres (CIRCs). The CIRCs are co-located with Human Resources Development Canada, the Department of Education and the Department of Social Services in Human Resource Centres in Corner Brook, Gander, Clarenville, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, and St. John's. Following the training, CIRC staff will continue to provide support to the community agencies as they deliver the Linkages program. In addition, as a result of their Linkages experience, young people often drop by the CIRC's to obtain assistance with their occupational research or to seek up-to-date information on available post-secondary training courses.

Since its inception in 1992 Linkages has helped in excess of 1,000 youth province-wide.

Contact: Susan Laite, Director of Communications, (709) 729-4570.