Participants of the DiverseFutures program with Nanaimo Youth Services Association get trained in short order on vital job skills. (NYSA)

By Alex Rawnsley

career guidance

‘Enables you to broaden your opportunities:’ free Nanaimo employment program offering key job skills

Oct 25, 2023 | 5:24 AM

NANAIMO — A crucially important job skills training program is preparing to ramp up for another cycle.

DiverseFutures is run locally by the Nanaimo Youth Services Association and works with people aged 16 to 30 years old to teach important life and job skills, while aiding with job placement and other services.

Trainer and administrative coordinator with NYSA Kennedy Barbosa said the intensive, no-cost program has a wonderful track record of getting people into the workforce with a wide array of new skills.

“We offer four weeks of in class training consisting of various workshops that include different hard skills such as first aid, WHMIS, Serving It Right. We also pay our participants hourly for their time.”

A job coach is also on hand to work with participants on career guidance, job skills and other aspects of the workforce.

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Following the first four weeks of training, participants can move into jobs with the program offering wage subsidy to employers for up to 30 hours a week for a period of 14 weeks.

Another big part of the program is a program-paid-for shopping trip for participants to select work-appropriate clothing to wear to job interviews.

Barbosa said it takes away the need to choose between “basic needs or a blazer”.

Similar programs have run in the past with more niche focuses, including one for hospitality workers and another in partnership with Snuneymuxw First Nation.

Barbosa told NanaimoNewsNOW DiverseFutures has expanded to a point where they try to offer something for everyone.

“In recent years we’ve honed in to focus on general career starts just because when you offer specific programs, it kind of shapes who’s going to apply for them. In order to provide the program to a wider audience, we broadened the scope of it.”

Success has come for many who enter the program and leave with skills and formal credentials.

Barbosa added some previous courses had a focus on early childhood education and led people to careers in the childcare sector.

“We’ve had people who have done the first aid course that we offer, then gone offer to pursue higher levels of first aid, who then can end up pursuing a career as a paramedic for example.”

The program is also a way to break down barriers for those who are eligible, and may otherwise struggle to gain traction in their careers or lives without the extra supports.

Barbosa said a lot of the population they serve are people living in poverty, who may not be able to afford to take specific courses.

“If you really need Food Safe for a job, because you want to work in the fast food industry…but you can’t afford to take that, we obviously get that for you and that enables you to broaden your opportunities.”

To be eligible for the program, participants must be between the ages of 16 and 30, be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, be unemployed and not enrolled in full-time schooling.

Those interested can email diversefutures@nysa.bc.ca, or call/text 250 618 1624.

DiverseFutures is funded in part by the federal government under its Youth Employment and Skills Strategy program.

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