A new horizon for young jobseekers

Pictou County jobseekers can seek out help from job market veterans in a special free training session on Jan. 22 in New Glasgow.

Retired folks will offer advice to 25 young jobseekers led by instructor Rick Tully, himself retired from Halifax Regional School Board, under the Mentoring Plus initiative. The program is a partnership between the Town of New Glasgow, Dalhousie University/ The College of Continuing Education and the federal government’s New Horizons initiative.

“There’s going to be a whole lot of experience in that room,” said Geralyn MacDonald, the town’s director of community economic development.

Mentors can be retired or over 50. MacDonald said that retired people want to stay engaged with their communities and make a meaningful impact.

This research has also shown that volunteering for a minimum of four hours per month and staying engaged in meaningful activities can reduce negative health impacts.

“The mentorship is an effective relationship-based strategy that supports people. It involves an experienced person who supports that mentee,” said MacDonald.

Before retiring from HRSB, session leader Tully worked as a teacher, school principal, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development health and physical education consultant, as his board’s safe schools consultant and school administration supervisor.

In 2014 he was contracted to be the lead researcher and writer for both the Nova Scotia School Code of Conduct and School Code of Conduct Guidelines.

His most recent project is focused on researching mentoring and creating workshops for would-be mentors interested in supporting youth facing both work-related and other challenges.

Training in New Glasgow next Monday will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and includes instruction, materials, lunch and refreshment breaks. Door prizes will also be up for grabs.