Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Hoeppner announced Thursday Segue will receive $136,000 from the Skills Link program, a part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy (YES). The funding will allow for 20 youth from Winkler and the surrounding area to overcome employment barriers through STEP (Segue Training and Employment Project).
"Working together with Segue to help train young people and get them to work fits in perfectly with our goals, and what I believe are the goals and priorities of Canadians. The funding that we are giving today will help Segue with about 20 young people in the community, getting them back to work, helping them with the skills, and just getting them on the right track," says Hoeppner.
"The program is supported by Service Canada and what they do is they allow us to bring youth at risk between the ages of 15 and 30 into the program. They spend four weeks in the classroom. What they're learning are things like how to write a resume, how to answer interview questions, how to interact with coworkers and bosses, and to draw out what their skill set is," says Segue Program Director Deborah Stockwell.
Following the four weeks in the classroom, STEP participants are placed for an additional 8 weeks at different local businesses, allowing them to gain necessary experience in the workforce.
"Employers will say 'Sure, we'll take them for eight weeks but there's no job available at the end'. Within three weeks, they're offering them a job," Stockwell explains.
Stockwell says while the Government asks these types of programs to have a 70% success rate, Segue has a success rate of 75%.
Danon Chodak, a participant in STEP, has experienced this success firsthand. "Before Segue I did quite a bit of construction, and I wanted to get more into working with people and they helped me identify what kind of job I would be best suited for, and that was in retail. And then I got the position at Staples," Chodak says.
Segue Career Options is one of the many services that falls under the Eden Health Care Services umbrella.
Written by "Bailey Hildebrand - PembinaValleyOnline.com/1570 CKMW/Eagle 93.5 FM"
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| Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Hoeppner and staff and participants at STEP at Thursday's announcement |
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| MP Hoeppner shares a moment with STEP participants |
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| Segue Career Options Program Director Deborah Stockwell |
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| Danon Chodak, former STEP participant |
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