Getting People Back to Work
Gail JaNseN renovations or construction projects

completed,” says Frey, “We can offer to A need that could grow as more and
Many employers are having difficulty
do the work for them, at a fraction of more agencies find their belts needing
finding skilled workers to fill their work
the cost.” to be tightened, and more individuals
force, but not the folks at the Alberta
find themselves unemployed.
Job Corps program. For them, getting
Offering community agencies a chance
rid of workers is the more important
to have labour at no cost to them, as long “This program has been very successful,
task before them - but not until they
as they provide the materials, offers the especially in the northern regions of the
are ready to go.
team members that Alberta Job Corps province,” says Frey. “And while our
employs an opportunity to apply their program here remains small, we like it
A successful community program in
newly acquired skills while giving them that way because we feel we can better
existence in Alberta for more than
much needed hands-on experience in offer the training and support, as well as
20 years, the more recently opened
order for them to be marketable in the a variety of skills to those that need us.”
Medicine Hat arm of the program has
workforce.
the added distinction of being the only
While not every not-for-profit project
Alberta Job Corps (AJC) program south
But it’s a limited time offer – for the that ends up before the Alberta Job
of Calgary.
employees that is. Corps program's administrators is
accepted, Frey says they work hard to
While their first mandate and priority
“Our goal is to get people trained and to ensure that as much of the community's
is to provide those who have barriers
get them moving on,” says Frey. “There need is met while still trying to adhere
to employment the training, skills, and
is a limit of one year that they can be in to their own goals.
support necessary to work and earn a
the program. Before that year is up we
wage while learning reliable employment
look to see how we can help them move “We can’t take every project,” says Frey.
skills, they also have a secondary priority
forward, either by getting employed “Our number one priority is to get
to use those employees and their newly-
directly or by getting them enrolled in people trained with the tools they need
learned skills to better the communities
an Apprenticeship Program.” to move on, but we will definitely look
they live in.
to see if a proposed project meets our
Just one of the reasons, adds Frey own mandate, which is to do what we
James Frey, Regional Communications
that their leasing of shop space at the can to help the economic development
Manager for Alberta Employment and
Medicine Hat College works so well. and employment market in our
Immigration says it’s a program that
communities.”
benefits all involved.
“Leasing our shop space from the
College allows our onsite employment Projects such as those they’ve done
“Those who find it difficult to find work,
advisor direct access to the training recently for The Post, the Medicine Hat
whether because of a language barrier, a
opportunities they provide and allows Little League Baseball Association and
sporadic work history, a lack of training
them to work closely with the College’s the current project they are doing for the
or education, or who find themselves on
own Apprenticeship Program,” Medicine Hat Chamber, renovating the
income support, through us can find an
explains Frey. “It’s a very workable offices recently vacated by the EDA.
entry point back into the workforce.”
arrangement.”
With no more that 14-16 team members
“Here,” he continues, “we offer them
While the Alberta Job Corps program at a time involved in the program, less
hands-on training and skills that enable
is meant to be a lot of things to many when times are good and employment
them to use certain equipment and
people, one thing Frey stresses that it is is plentiful, and more when times are
tools. We offer them safety training
not is a replacement for what is already leaner, Frey asserts that the Alberta Job
so that they can work in a variety of
out there. Corps is “just one more tool we have to
environments, and lots of support on
engage people in the labour force, and
what to do with those skills once they’ve
“Our mandate is not to replace one of the things we can do to help our
put them into practice. But most
organizations already in existence community out.”
importantly, we offer them the specific
such a REDI Enterprises or private
experience opportunities that employers
contractors,” stress Frey. “It’s to fill a
For more information on the
are looking for.”
niche and a need that those who need
Alberta Job Corps program
employment skills and community
“And for those non-profit and
agencies and non-profit organizations
phone: 403-529-3995
community agencies that are needing
have.”
1 0 C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r C e • a P r I L 2 0 0 9
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19