Get ‘REaDY’ for countless options
The potential barriers to employment for young people are many and varied.
Lack of experience, difficulty producing a resume and cover letter, and issues with attention deficit and mental health can all be major obstacles to finding, and holding, meaningful employment. A two-year pandemic has also been difficult for youth employment.
“People have lost their jobs, while others have been on CERB and are now trying to re-enter the workforce and may need help with resumes and cover letters,” says Anna Beach, mental health and wellness navigator with the Rural Employment Development for Youth (REaDY) program.
The REaDY program is now accepting applications from Annapolis, Kings and West Hants counties for an eight-week session beginning on April 11. The program can accept up to 14 participants and is open to anybody between 15 and 30 years of age who is not currently employed.
The program takes place virtually for about 20 hours each week and participants receive minimum wage for taking part.
“It doesn’t matter where they are,” says Ashley Myers, job developer with the program. “We can get them a laptop and they can join every day online.”
The REaDY program is two years old and is funded by the government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) program. As a federally funded program, REaDY can offer a range of additional training and support, including CPR and First Aid, Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training and food safety.
Upon completing the program graduates receive a 16-week work placement with 80 per cent of wages subsidized.
“We’ve placed people in flower shops and doggie daycares,” Beach says. “The options are limitless. One student went on to pursue his passion in landscaping.”
For young people in rural areas, another frequent barrier to employment is transportation to and from the job site. That’s why everyone who takes part in the REaDY program is eligible for the cost of Driver Education upon completion.
While Myers helps clients with job readiness skills, Beach’s focus is on life skills.
“This could include support for people with mental health issues or who struggle to understand social constructs in the workplace,” Beach explains. “We do our best to support people in every situation.”
Promoting a health worklife balance is part of the program, she adds, in part to help graduates avoid burnout and fatigue.
“We go over common mental health diagnoses to promote empathy towards other youth in the program who may be going through some difficulties,” Beach says. “We also do class work on appropriate conversations in the workplace and the boundaries on the types of things we should share with our colleagues.”
Young people are often looking for a career change, Myers points out, and this is another area where the REaDY program can offer assistance. Program graduates have gone on to post-secondary education, including university and the Nova Scotia Community College.
“Maybe they took something in school and it didn’t work out or they couldn’t find work and now they’re back to the drawing board,” Myers says. “We try to get them into something they are passionate about because that greatly increases their chances of success.”