Workforce Development: A Hidden Gem for Recruiting in the Manufacturing Industry

If you ask Myles Richter if he has a secret weapon for recruiting in manufacturing for his frontline and entry-level positions with Lux Architectural Products, he’ll immediately point to recruitment efforts from Workforce Development.

“For us this program has been a hidden gem that we have shared with multiple business contacts, who like us, were struggling to find reliable workers,” says Richter. “It is somewhat perplexing that there seems to be a bit of a labour shortage while capable people are in our own community that only require a second chance at work. It is hard for me to believe that more businesses do not see the benefit of hiring candidates from the Workforce Development program.”

Filling vacancies in manufacturing has been a challenge across the industry, and business owners are seemingly constantly considering new approaches to finding talented and hard-working individuals looking to make an impact with their work. For Richter, that solution has been Workforce Development.

Multiple Successful Hires

Over their first year working with Workforce Development, Richter was able to successfully add three members to his manufacturing team. He worked closely with the Workforce Development team to identify suitable candidates to fill their entry-level vacancies.

“Whenever we are in need of more help, I can email the team and they will send me some potential employees that are either close to or have recently graduated from the program,” says Richter. “It is a bonus for us that the team at Workforce Development knows what we are looking for as well as what kind of roles the candidates would be best suited for within our business.”

It’s not only the employer partners that the Workforce Development team gets to know so closely. The team gets to know each individual program participant on a deeper level to understand their employment and life goals – and how different employers can help them realize their goals. By knowing both the employers and potential employees so well, they can better match opportunities for better business results.

Ready to Make an Impact on your Business and the Community

Beyond the benefit to the business, Richter also recognizes the need to allow people to find work where they will flourish. Having the best of both worlds means he can hire a team of dependable and capable individuals – while also helping people looking to re-enter the workforce and make an impact on their community.

“As a business, we are able to hire capable, reliable people with real life experience and work ethic,” says Richter. “The program provides training courses relevant to their work here such as CPR and First Aid certification and forklift training at no charge to us. From a business perspective, we can hire quality people that are willing and ready to work – but from a personal perspective, we are able to hire decent humans that deserve a second chance in the work force.”

Our Workforce Development program is looking for new employer partners – including ones in the manufacturing, warehousing, and construction industries. Discover how partnering with Workforce Development could help you and your business thrive. Because everyone deserves work that allows them to shine.

Advantages to Recruiting Construction Labour with Workforce Development

When Emcee Construction began renovating our Community Space, it wasn’t necessarily looking to fill in some frontline and entry-level roles on the construction team. But after learning about the Workforce Development program, Construction Manager Corey Wong immediately saw advantages to partnering with this program for recruiting construction workers.

“The process was very easy,” says Wong. “The candidate interviews went very well, and they started right away. Once on-site, they took to the construction environment very quickly.”

Partnering with Workforce Development adds a personalized advantage to recruiting for multiple industries, including construction. We look deeper into each individual’s goals, strengths, talents, and interests to place them in work environments where they will flourish.

Ready to Start Work from Day One

Wong notes that a huge driver for his recruiting through Workforce Development is that candidates are typically already trained and certified – so that’s less time he needs to spend on training and explaining the construction environment.

“Because of the courses taken while in the program, they get a clear idea of what they want to do, and we don’t end up with someone who, once on the job, decides they don’t want to be there, and that’s just lost time for all involved,” says Wong. “The program creates realistic expectations for the worker and, by getting them access to the certifications that will be required by the employer, they then become very attractive as new hires.”

Certifications that program participants gain through Workforce Development can include construction safety, First Aid and CPR, forklift operations, and more. Because the program participants guide much of their own development, they can work on the goals that are relevant to them – giving program workers the opportunity to find and help individuals through their certifications.

Providing an Opportunity to Excel where it’s Needed Most

On top of all the certifications and other advantages to recruiting construction workers with Workforce Development, Wong fully recognizes how this program helps people not only get back to work – but find work that’s meaningful for them and allows them to excel.

“Because we are a smaller construction company, we have few opportunities for hiring,” says Wong. “To be able to give that opportunity to someone who has in the past struggled to find work, is very gratifying. I remember what it was like when I was young and wanted to get into the construction field with no experience. It can be quite difficult. Our new worker is committed. And once you have good workers you can rely on, you can just concentrate on the work.”

Our Workforce Development program is looking for new employer partners – including ones in the construction, warehousing, and manufacturing industries. Discover how partnering with Workforce Development could help you and your business thrive. Because everyone deserves work that allows them to shine.

Filling Entry-Level Warehouse Vacancies with Workforce Development

To fill his frontline and entry-level positions, LD Filtration’s Vice-President and Partner Dakota Ward typically receives resumes and applications from the usual job websites – but had never received an application from a program like Workforce Development. He explains that after receiving an application from one of the team members on behalf of a program participant, he became interested in what else Bissell Centre’s employment program could offer.

“The team member explained how the program worked and the additional supports from Bissell Centre for the candidate, and how it would assist both the candidate and our company in finding a good fit for our vacancy,” says Ward. “After reviewing the program further and then having a conversation with the team at Workforce Development, we thought it was a win-win for everyone involved, especially helping an individual making life changes and getting back into the workforce.”

Since that first contact with the team, Workforce Development has been a mainstay for Ward and LD Filtration. As a distribution warehouse and manufacturer of filtration products, Ward appreciates the impact the program makes on Edmontonians looking to re-enter the job market.

Trained and Certified with Work in Mind

During the initial portion of the program, participants have the opportunity to pursue relevant training, and Ward more than understands the value of having new team members already trained and certified before they even start. He points to the fork truck operation certification and First Aid/CPR training as incredibly valuable skills that his new hires brought to their first day of work.

“The additional training and certification that candidates receive through this program is incredibly attractive to a recruiter or employer – it surprises me that there aren’t more of these programs out there,” says Ward. “This is a huge advantage as an employer. Training new team members takes time, money and, more often than not, another team member’s time and attention, which short-hands the rest of the crew.”

The training and certification come at no cost to Ward or LD Filtration – and the company is able to save even more money with their new team member’s salary being partially covered by Bissell Centre through a Government of Alberta grant. The additional wraparound services Ward’s newest team member can still access from Bissell further ensures they have everything that they need; so when they come to work, they can put in their best effort.

Photo of warehouse workers. You can find these workers through Workforce Development.

Providing Opportunities to Those Who Need it Most

The best part of partnering with Workforce Development? If you ask Ward, it’s knowing that a new all-star team member who may have not had the opportunity to join the team otherwise now can make an impact with their work. With the myriad of reasons as to why someone might be struggling to find work, Ward knows that all some folks need is their chance to shine and excel.

“If someone in my network asked me my thoughts on it, I would encourage them to push aside any preconceived notions and try out the program – I wish I had sooner,” says Ward. “This program linked us with a great individual who has shown great interest in our company, mission and further career advancement, and we’re very eager to support him through this.”

Our Workforce Development program is looking for new employer partners – including ones in the warehousing, manufacturing, and construction industries. Discover how partnering with Workforce Development could help you and your business thrive. Because everyone deserves work that allows them to shine.

Born Broken: A book just released by individuals from our FASS program!

Individuals connected to our Fetal Alcohol Spectrum of Services (FASS) program contributed to a book about the challenges and realities of navigating life with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Under the guidance of Jared Epp, Carleton University PhD candidate and former housing support worker with Bissell Centre, who facilitated the group in sharing stories of what was most important to them. Fifteen people shared their stories, captured in this captivating collection. Born Broken is a book that’s an immersive experience into what it means to have FASD and the barriers it can create.

One of the authors speaking at the Born Broken book launch.

The group celebrated the release of this Born Broken book this past month with a small and intimate reading and sharing. Everyone who contributed to the book received a copy, and a few were shared around the community to help spread its positive message.

Copies of Born Broken books are available to purchase from the Bissell Thrift Shop on 118 Avenue..

Below is the preface to the book, written by Jared Epp. This firsthand experience of seeing the collection come together illuminated the importance of this book for the contributors and for those about to read it and gain a better understanding of FASD.

Several copies of the Born Broken book displayed at the book launch.

Preface from Born Broken

A group of individuals connected to Bissell Centre’s Fetal Alcohol Spectrum of Services (FASS) came together for a book project. The goal was to provide an opportunity for folks to share whatever kind of content they wanted. Leaving it open-ended allowed the individuals participating in the project to share what was meaningful to them. Their contributions didn’t have to only be about living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). A number of contributors did want to share their stories about living with FAD, about their daily challenges, as well as the impact of receiving their diagnosis. Others talked about different things. There are stories about adventure on Edmonton’s public transit, sewing denim, dreaming, making music and art, the challenges of finding and keeping a job and many other events and situations the reader will soon encounter.

Woven throughout the book are stories, ideas, frustrations, thoughts and reflections, offering a window into the experience of entering into the world a certain way.

In our last group meeting, we had to come up with a title for the book. Each contributor present was invited to come up with some titles, and then there would be a vote.

These were the title ideas:

  • Born Broken
  • The Struggle is Real
  • Drumbeats of Hope
  • Light in the Dark
  • Perfectly Imperfect
  • Getting Dealt a Bad Hand

Everyone had agreed on Heidi’s subtitle, “Reflections on Life and Resiliency from Individuals living with FASD,” as it put a positive spin on the main title.

Born Broken won by one vote over The Struggle is Real and Light in the Dark. There was a lot of discussion and debate on the chosen title. Some people felt it was too negative, but they also acknowledged it’s sentiment. In many ways, the titles and the debate around it set a theme that echoes through each story: individuals confronting and overcoming something they were born with, have no control over, and yet seems invisible to those outside the lived experience of FASD. The reader is invited to encounter the diverse contributions within the book, keeping in mind the unsettled nature of its title and the realities of living with FASD.

-Jared Epp

A centrepiece seen at the FASS program book launch event.

The Cookies that brought Smiles to everyone

Every year, Tim Horton’s holds its Smile Cookie fundraiser, where each local franchise owner can pick a charity in their community that the proceeds from cookie sales will support. It’s a great way to help raise money for great causes directly in our communities!

This year, a group of Edmonton franchise owners decided to try something different. The group agreed to pool their efforts to make a larger collective impact – ultimately choosing Bissell Centre as their charity of choice.

And just like that, this quickly became one of the largest fundraising campaigns we’ve held – raising more than $400,000 in a single week.

Bissell’s Child and Family Supports

Funds from this spring’s Smile Cookie campaign all went to support our Child and Family Supports Program. Last year, we helped more than 1,600 families find their way out of poverty and emergency situations. These programs make a massive impact that people in Edmonton don’t often see.

“It’s things like connections to free pre-natal care, parental supports, or free access to emergency essentials like diapers and formula,” says Jonathan Mackereth, Development Officer with Bissell Centre.

Mackereth explains that Bissell has run a childcare for more than 50 years, serving families in the downtown core. The centre is fully staffed by Early Childhood Education professionals, providing Early Childhood Development for short- and long-term – serving childcare from newborns to six years old.

“There’s are enough challenges finding quality childcare – finances shouldn’t be one of them,” says Mackereth “Lots of parents even drop-off their kids to access other programs like our Employment Services or Financial Empowerment workshops, making it an essential part of our approach to ending poverty.”

Supporting and Celebrating Together

Learning that 147 Tim’s locations all came together to support Bissell Centre, “caught us a little off guard,” Jonathan jokes. “We knew right away opportunities like this don’t come often. We pooled resources into making sure folks knew that buying a cookie would help a child.”

Team members from Bissell Centre could be found at a few different locations around the city during this campaign. Whether it was celebrating with giant cookie cut-outs by the drive-thru, or putting on hair nets and decorating cookies, the teams stepped up to make the week unforgettable.

By the end of the campaign, more than 300,000 cookies were sold – raising more than $464,000! People didn’t hesitate to add a smile cookie to their regular double-double orders – with some businesses and schools pre-ordering up to 1,500 cookies at a time.

“On the first day, we had a manager come out to see us,” Jonathan recalls. “She said in the first two hours of the morning rush, they sold more than a quarter of the cookies they sold for the entire campaign last year.”

We can’t thank the Edmonton Tim’s franchisees enough for all the support they’ve given us. This will directly impact families and children experiencing houselessness and poverty in Edmonton. Thank you for helping us make Edmonton a little bit more of an equitable place to call home.

Cooking, Comradery, & Community: A Recipe for Hope

Bissell Centre’s Community Kitchen, part of the larger Community Space renovation, opened in October 2018 and has since been providing individuals who are experiencing homelessness and newly-housed program participants with the skills and confidence to make healthy and affordable meals.

Bissell Centre’s Jennifer McDonald-Robinson has been running the programming in the kitchen since it opened, and she is excited about the impact the community kitchen is making on the lives of the participants so far.

“For a lot of people who are living in poverty, it can become an all-encompassing thing. Poverty affects their emotional, mental, physical and every part of their well-being,” explains Jennifer. “The folks that access our services at Bissell are people coming from food insecure households and because of that they’re more likely to suffer from emotional, mental and physical health difficulties.”

Jennifer believes that by teaching program participants the skills to create nutritious and delicious food for themselves, it can help break that cycle of poverty and isolation.

“Just because they’re experiencing homelessness doesn’t mean they don’t like good food.”

 

“With most of the food for the community kitchen coming from the food bank, it gives participants an opportunity to learn what they can create from the food bank items,” explains Jennifer. “We can show them different ways to use a can of beans, because eating just a can of beans can be boring. Just because they’re experiencing homelessness doesn’t mean they don’t like good food.”

Jennifer goes on to explain that with poverty, there is also an isolation component. Having participants out and interacting in a positive space really helps ward off social isolation.

One of participant Barry’s favourite things about the community kitchen is getting to meet new people and to not be alone.

“There were two gentlemen who are accessing the program who were a bit withdrawn at first,” explains Jennifer. “But now they meet at the library to look up recipes for the program.”

Jennifer feels that having the opportunity to gather together in the kitchen gives people a boost to their social lives, which can be just as much of a benefit as the culinary skills they walk away with each week.

Barry is particularly excited about what he’s learning.

“It’s teaching me how to cook for myself and how to follow a recipe,” Barry explains.

For many program participants, inter-generational trauma has prevented them from acquiring the kitchen skills they need in their lives.

“They missed out on a lot of those basic teachings that perhaps a lot of other people have because of their trauma,” explains Jennifer. “And if they were taught those skills and experienced homelessness for a period of time, those skills lay dormant and they can forget them.”

“There were things I wasn’t taught… So now I’m learning them and I can cook for people.”

 

“There were things I wasn’t taught,” says participant Rocky. “So now I’m learning them and I can cook for people.”

This is why the simple act of creating a meal or a dish gives participants so much joy.

Bissell will be inviting local chefs to come in and teach program participants various kitchen techniques. Community Kitchen programs run on Mondays and Thursdays, as well as an indigenous walk-in program every 2nd Friday. Here, program participants are learning invaluable kitchen skills and building supportive relationships that will help them move out of poverty and feel empowered while doing so.

Got kitchen skills you’d like to share with our participants? We want to hear from you! Email Jen here.

Guest post by Jacquie DuVal

7 Memorable Highlights of 2018

This past year brought a lot of positive change and much to be celebrated. Each change has brought us one step closer to our goal of eliminating poverty in our community. Thanks to our incredible supporters, we saw some huge successes and were able to better serve our participants’ needs. Here are 7 of the most notable happenings of 2018.

1) Supporters Raise $78,000 in Winter Walk Fundraiser – Sponsored by DistributionNOW

On February 24th, Edmontonians walked 2, 5 or 10k in the shoes of those experiencing poverty and homelessness for our first year hosting the Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) national fundraising walk. Over 340 walkers and 61 teams came together and walked in freezing temperatures to help us raise over $75,000 for our programs, while local businesses like LOVEPizza and The Nook Café provided warmth and treats for our walkers. #WalkForBissell again on February 23rd during this year’s Coldest Night of the Year.


2) Newly Renovated Community Space Opens

On June 11th, we officially opened the doors of our newly renovated Community Space! Our new space has dramatically improved people’s ability to access services to meet their basic needs, connect to supports, develop skills, and build relationships, all of which are essential to overcoming poverty and homelessness. Our thanks goes out to Inter Pipeline and other amazing supporters that provided the funds for this project. Learn more and watch the video tour here!


3) Over 20,000 Bottles of Water Donated During Heatwave

This past summer in Edmonton brought record high temperatures and relentless heat waves. In response to our social media callout, generous individuals and numerous companies donated over 20,000 bottles of water to keep people on the streets hydrated, in addition to summer clothing and other readily available supplies like hats and sunscreen. Thanks to the support of our community, our participants were able to keep cool and hydrated during the hot, summer days.


4) Funding Received to Continue Eviction Prevention Program

In November, we were thrilled to announce that funding had been renewed for our Community Bridge Program! This program helps our participants prevent imminent eviction and provides interventions and services to ensure the causes of the eviction are effectively addressed to prevent re-occurrence. Thanks to the generosity of our partners ENMAX, Edmonton Community Foundation, and EndPovertyEdmonton, participants like Millie and Wendy will continue to have a safe home to return to at night.


 5) Over 9,000 Pairs of Underwear Collected During Annual Drive

In July, we held our 5th annual Drop Your Gonch Underwear Drive. Underwear is one of the most highly requested, yet least donated items for our participants. This year, the local community blew us away with their support. We originally set out with a goal of 5,000 donated pairs, but once the donations started coming in, we increased it to 6,000, then 8,000, and ending up collecting over 9,000 pairs! The underwear donations helped us bring dignity to those experiencing homelessness, and we couldn’t have been more grateful.


6) Initial Funding Received to Expand and Relocate Childcare Centre

After 45 years in operation, our Childcare is expanding to meet the needs of even more families in Edmonton. We will be creating 30 new full-time spots for our accredited childcare services, in addition to the 40 free respite spots already available. Our current facility is too small to accommodate the expansion, so we will be moving to a new location in the heart of the McCauley community. While the initial funding has been secured to move forward with the project, we are still in need of additional funds to complete the renovation. Check out the initial design renderings of the new Centre here. Interested in supporting and learning more? Please contact Kelly Hoskins.


7) Participants get Cooking in New Community Kitchen

In October, we opened the Community Kitchen in our new Community Space. After identifying a lack of basic cooking knowledge as a barrier to keeping newly-housed individuals in their homes, we developed programming that allows participants to build skills, improve health, and foster relationships through cooking classes, workshops and community meals. Our participants have made some delicious meals together, including Ham and Corn Chowder with Bannock, Roasted Chicken with a Pineapple Ginger Glaze, and Shepherd’s Pie. Yum! Learn more about our Community Kitchen here.


 
We are humbled by the continued support of our amazing community. The work we do at Bissell Centre wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of people like you!

From all of us here at Bissell, THANK YOU for helping empower people to move from poverty to prosperity! We can’t wait to see what 2019 will bring!


Help create more memories like these by joining our family of supporters today.  Make a donation.

 

Consider the Moonlight Bay Experience!

85a0668cd0211de3-20130704_MBCGrounds08Are you looking for an ideal place to have your staff retreat… leadership or executive camp… a scrap booking weekend… regatta party… dream wedding… parent’s 50th anniversary… or perhaps a group of friends  just want to get away from the city for some respite from the city hustle and bustle.
Well, Moonlight Bay Centre may be what you are looking for.It’s only 45 minutes from Edmonton and on over two acres of lakefront property.

The Dining Hall and Recreation Hall were erected a few years ago and all of our cabins have been renovated. Imagine the possibilities:

  • Organizational retreats and workshops
  • PageImage-519999-4471738-MoonlightBayCentre4Hold cooking lessons in our industrial kitchen
  • Family reunions
  • Weddings
  • Sports camps
  • Health and Wellness retreats
  • Special Interest retreats (scrap bookiing, art camps, photography events)
  • Fundraising events
  • Faith Community events
  • Outdoor Festivals

In addition to our cabins, there is camping available on our grounds and we are also next door to the Provincial Campgrounds.

Remember when you book at Moonlight Bay Centre, Bissell Centre uses revenues to help fund camps for low income families.

Right now, there’s special pricing too. You can download it by CLICKING HERE.

Contact Patti Gallance for more info at [email protected] or call her at  780.242.9438.

Follow MBC on Twitter: @moonlightbayctr

 

Our new 24/7 Mobile Assistance Program Announced Today!

24-7 MAP logo final

24/7 Mobile Assistance Program (24/7 MAP) is a pilot program that actively addresses the underlying causes of vulnerability. These causes often include lack of housing, addictions and physical/mental illness, amongst a variety of other difficulties that Edmonton’s homeless population faces. Supported by REACH Edmonton and Homeward Trust, 24/7 MAP will be benefitting our homeless population and the City of Edmonton by decreasing dependency on emergency services while increasing access to necessary supports.

Our Commitment to the Community

It’s an unfortunate reality that when homeless members of our population need immediate help, they often have nowhere to turn and can’t access appropriate support services. If an issue isn’t addressed quickly and effectively it can often snowball and create undue costs:

–          Housing homeless citizens in shelters can cost $1,932 per month.

–          An individual in jail for a month costs $4,333.

–          A hospital bed can cost $10,900 per month.

By working closely with 211 Edmonton (a program of The Support Network) and first responders, 24/7 MAP assists in crisis situations and provides assertive support and referrals for the most vulnerable members of our population. This approach will more effectively address the needs of individuals and relieve the costs that come with emergency medical, police and judicial services.

Real Solutions for Crisis Situations

When a homeless individual is in need of assistance, but the nature of their crisis isn’t appropriate for EPS or EMS involvement, the 24/7 MAP team intervenes. The team consists of multi-disciplinary staff that can address diverse needs through assertive engagement and who will bring resolution to the situation that has prompted their involvement.

Once the 24/7 MAP team has addressed the immediate situation they will then be able to work with the individual to develop a support and referral plan. The most important element of the plan is helping the individual find housing; the team has been funded to provide 80 housing placements annually. Once housed, we’re able to provide Follow up Support, and assist in accessing any resources necessary.

 

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