A West Shore youth employment agency is celebrating a bittersweet 10-year anniversary amid fears it will shut down at the end of the week if federal funding doesnB次元官网网址檛 come through.
Worklink Employment SocietyB次元官网网址檚 Pathway Project has helped hundreds of troubled or struggling West Shore teens and young adults sharpen their life skills and land good jobs.
PathwayB次元官网网址檚 staff Jen Harrison and Randy Waldie face being laid off on Friday, the day the agency's funding contract expires with Service Canada. Worklink has given notice to the landlord of 847 Goldstream Ave. that it may vacate the office it has held for eight years.
Worklink is hopeful funding will still materialize, that the contract sign-off in Ottawa is simply delayed due to summer holidays. But Pathway employees say federal contract renewals have never been delayed this long and they worry funding could be lost as the federal government looks to cut spending.
B次元官网网址淭he positive thing is we havenB次元官网网址檛 been told the contract wonB次元官网网址檛 be signed B次元官网网址� usually you are told when itB次元官网网址檚 not going to be signed,B次元官网网址� said Janice Booth, assistant director of Worklink. B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 heard either way. We are hopeful it is on a desk (in Ottawa).B次元官网网址�
Waldie and Harrison say that even if funding comes through at the last minute, theyB次元官网网址檒l still likely be laid off and that the service to youth will be interrupted.
B次元官网网址淣o one knows from the local to the national level if the federal government will stay in the youth employment business,B次元官网网址� Waldie said. B次元官网网址淣o one has given us any indication of anything coming down the pipeline.B次元官网网址�
Losing Pathway would be a major blow to the already scant youth services on the West Shore. Teens and young adults who move through the program cope with barriers such as mental health issues, substance abuse, emotional abuse or learning disabilities. The program reaches beyond writing resumes and honing interview skills.
B次元官网网址淪ome (clients) have no place to live, or no food or clothing,B次元官网网址� Harrison says. B次元官网网址淢any canB次元官网网址檛 manage their lives and have no bank accounts, no B.C. ID. Some youth may have criminal records, or struggle with addiction and have few supportive adults.
B次元官网网址淥ur No. 1 priority is to help youth secure meaningful employment. There is no quick fix for this. ItB次元官网网址檚 about building relationships and that takes time.B次元官网网址�
Over the years the Pathway Project B次元官网网址� a free 16-week program during which clients are paid minimum wage B次元官网网址� has helped at least 400 young people find jobs in construction, retail, auto repair, hotels and landscaping, among others. Of the 80 per cent who graduate from the program, 97 per cent land good jobs and break the cycle of minimum wage, fast-food jobs, Waldie and Harrison say.
B次元官网网址淭he youth will tell you (the Pathway Project) is no easy way to make $8 per hour,B次元官网网址� Harrison said. B次元官网网址淲e look at what keeps them stuck. They get long lasting self-reliance and learn things beyond help with a resume.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淵ou canB次元官网网址檛 just throw information at people and send them on their way,B次元官网网址� Waldie adds. B次元官网网址淭here are youth in the community who are really suffering and weB次元官网网址檝e proved this is an excellent resource.B次元官网网址�
Without a youth drop-in centre on the West Shore, the Pathway ProjectB次元官网网址檚 Goldstream Avenue office acts as an informal and safe place for past and current students to hang out and seek advice from adults. Many Pathway grads return to mentor students and to share stories survival and growth.
Past student Alex Andersen, 21, said Pathway helped motivate him to become engaged at school and attend Camosun college.
B次元官网网址淭hey do a lot of behaviour work, people with (attention deficit disorder),B次元官网网址� Andersen said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 valuable. A lot of people found jobs that suit them or found out what it takes to get working.B次元官网网址�
editor@goldstreamgazette.com
