Community Employment Resource Centre

 

What’s Inside?

 

 

 

Our First Issue – Welcome!!

 

 

We are proud to provide our youth clients (ages 16 – 29) with our latest newsletter.

 

We are hoping to provide this age group with ideas and inspiration to find work in the field that they like.

 

If there are any suggestions or comments, please feel free to drop them off with the front desk staff.

 

Interesting Facts About Our Youth

You’ve either just completed school or have been out of school for a while and you can’t find work. Do you know what you want to do?

Out-of-school youth are a vulnerable group of people with diverse needs.

Many of them face gloomy employment prospects and ambiguous futures.  Most youth, between the ages of 16 – 29, who are not in school, are either unemployed, underemployed, or lacking the basic employability skills.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), found that in October 2000, almost 11 percent of youth (16 – 24) were not in school and did not receive any sort of diploma or degree.

“Canada's young people are making the transition from school to the workforce through a complex set of pathways, rather than simply finishing their education and jumping straight into a full-time job, according to new data from the Youth in Transition Survey (YITS).

The survey tracked young people’s movements between high school, postsecondary education and the labour market at two stages.

The young people were assessed and their activities measured by their education and labour market status, once in December 1999 and then again in December 2001 (two years difference).

YITS study shows the following:

1.      Young people who drop out of high school, may return to high school studies.

2.      Others may return to classes, but in some form of post-secondary education.

3.      A small % of youth, leave high school without graduating and do not pursue any further education.

4.      Most youth continue their education beyond high school (by the age of 22, 76% of youths had some post-secondary education).

5.      Just over 1 in 10 youths had left their postsecondary studies without graduating.

Youths take a variety of pathways from initial education to full-time work. Everyone is unique, and there are many choices for youth to take, therefore, not everyone goes about their pathways in the same way.

 

*Article taken from “Statistics Canada” (http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/040616/d040616b.htm) – The Daily, Weds. June 2004, Youth in Transition Survey: Education and labour market pathways of young adults

 

Out-of-School and Out-of-Work – Now What?

 

Although the previous article portrays the youth out-of-school in a positive light, the truth is, there is still a percentage of youth that are out-of-school and out-of-work.

 

So, what is available for youth in
this situation? There are several choices and prospects for youth.  The main purpose of this newsletter is to provide our youth with ideas and advising our clients of what is available out there.

 

Be sure to take advantage of this fantastic, information packed newsletter that is put together with our youth clients in mind.

 

You Have More Skills Than You Think

 

Many people believe that due to the lack of paid work experience, they don’t have any skills. Did you ever think that all of your experiences from your part-time jobs, and your unpaid experiences have helped build up your portfolio of skills?

The Conference Board of Canada has identified basic skills that are required for all types of employment and career opportunities.

In our C.E.R.C. offices we have prepared packages called Employability Skills. These packages allow you to work on determining what experiences you’ve had and recognizing skills you already possess. Here is a list of the Employability Skills that are available in packages at C.E.R.C.:

 

1.      Adaptability

2.      Communication Skills

3.      Demonstrate Positive Attitudes & Behaviour

4.      Enthusiasm & Motivation

5.      Learn Continuously

6.      Manage Information

7.      Organization Skills

8.      Participate in Projects and Tasks

9.      Responsibility

10. Think & Solve Problems

11. Use of Equipment

12. Working with Others

 

Ask An Employer

 

 

All we keep hearing is how important it is to have essential skills and employability skills. Why is it so important?

Let’s take a look at what employers have to say:

 

Q. What do you look for in a job candidate?

A. I look for enthusiasm and the drive to gain skills. I hire people based on ethics – how they respond to questions, how they treat me, and how they treat people in the store – and enthusiasm…The first thing I look for in a resume is that it is not done on resume wizard. It just shows laziness and a lack of creativity.

 

Q. What advice can you offer for young people contemplating their career options?

A. Do what you love and do what makes you happy. I’m the perfect example of someone who left a job I didn’t like to do something I love. Our mechanic is the same way. He started out in high tech and left it to become a bike mechanic. (positive attitude)

 

*Taken from Canada Prospects 2004-2005 (www.canadacareerweek.com) Jose Bray, Partner/”Bike Guy”, Joe Mamma Urban
Cycles, Ottawa, Ontario

 

Determining Your Interests

 

 

Once you have a solid idea of what skills you have, you may want to determine what your interests are.  Some people may have just come out of school, studied in a 4 year program of Business, but still are not sure of what they want to do. At C.E.R.C. we have a wonderful program on our computers called CHOICES - this is a career assessment tool designed to assist with the job search and career planning process.

 

CHOICES – The Matching Game

 

 

CERC members have the advantage of using the CHOICES program that is located on all of our computer desktops.  The program is a software package that was designed to help individuals who are facing the question “What do I want to do with my life?”  CHOICES provides information about occupations, education and training alternatives. There is an 85 minute component to this program that allows you to answer questions about yourself. The questions help reveal answers about your skills, interests and work values.  The program is also capable of taking your answers and matching your determined interests to occupations that may suit you.

 

CHOICES also allows you to find information about any of the 995 occupations that are listed in the database. You may even research the education and training possibilities in order to fulfill the chosen occupations.

The CHOICES Planner also helps you to organize information and develop a career plan and portfolio (this gives you the building blocks for a great resume!)

Please see any of the C.E.R.C. staff for assistance with the CHOICES program.