PROGRAM OUTLINE

PHASE 1:  

Employment Skills Training (6 weeks): Monday to Friday 8:30am-4:00pm

This is a 6-week IN CLASS development and training session.

During this phase, trainees will participate in workshops and individual counselling that promotes personal and professional growth.

The 4 pillars of the program are: Accountability, Self-Awareness, Communication and Life Skills.

Accountability:

Personal accountability is not a trait that people are born with.  It is a way of living that is learned and is not easy to change. This as a core value of this process and we commit to walking beside you.

Some of the ways trainees will learn to be personally accountable are:

• Taking ownership of situations that you are involved in – good or bad
• Not blaming others if things go wrong and doing your best to make things right
• Ensuring you are at work every day and on time
• Completing tasks and assignments on time

Self-Awareness:

Self-awareness plays a critical role in how we understand ourselves and how we relate to other people.

Some of the ways trainees will learn to become self-aware are:

• Developing skills to align your thoughts, emotions and actions with your personal values
• Objectively evaluating and improving your ability to manage your emotions
• Understanding how others see you

Communication:

Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you say one thing the other person hears something else? This can result in misunderstandings, frustration, and even conflict. Effective communication is a learned skill.  Learning good communication skills helps us to avoid problems in our personal and professional lives.

Some of the ways trainees will learn to develop communication skills are:

• Paying attention to non-verbal body language
• Keeping stress in check during tough conversations
• Developing assertive communication techniques
• Becoming an active listener

Life Skills:

Some of the workshops covered are:

• Boundaries
• Budgeting
• Skill Identification
• Resume and cover letter writing
• Basic Microsoft Office training

Certification Training:

• Health and Safety
• First Aid/CPR
• Safe Food Handling
• Smart Serve (optional)

PHASE 2:

Internal Job Placement (10 weeks):  Monday to Friday 8am-3:30pm

Ray of Hope Community Centre: In this position, trainees will work in a commercial kitchen environment helping to prepare the meals in large quantities for our Community Centre guests. Trainees will be part of a team that will:

• wash, dice, shred, cube, de-bone/de-skin food products (fruit, veg, bread, meat, dairy)
• re-package, label and store food appropriately
• un-package and sort dry/ fresh/ frozen goods as needed
• portion fruit and yogurt
• sanitize work spaces and wash dishes
• inventory control
• serve guests coffee, breakfast and lunch

PHASE 3:

External Job Placement (10 weeks): Schedule determined by Employer

External placements vary depending on the Employer’s needs. Flexibility is required.  You may be asked to work days, afternoons, evenings and/or weekends.

Our goal is to provide trainees with a meaningful external job placement that aligns with their current skills, education, experience and interests. Most placements will be entry level positions.

NEW: We have developed a new hybrid model that provides opportunities to move directly from phase 1 to phase 3. This means that the external work placement would then be 20 weeks long. The contract remains 26 weeks long.

Trainees receive:

• A team of people walking beside you to encourage, challenge and support you
• Weekly one-on-one life coaching
• A bus pass or reimbursement for mileage up to $90/month
• Breakfast and lunch during Phase 1
• Support with childcare costs (if needed)
• Work uniforms, shoes and clothing for interviews