The Jasper Adult Learning Centre has run the Mature Workers’ Program for the past year and 29 individuals have taken the program. It provides skills training for unemployed individuals ages 55 to 64.
The program won’t run over the summer because most people usually have jobs, said Ginette Marcoux, executive director at the learning centre.
So, it wrapped up its final class last week. The program is highly successful, with about 90 per cent of people who took it gaining employment afterwards, said Marcoux.
“Sun Dog Tours is one of the key employers that benefitted the most [from this program.]”
The benefits extend most importantly to Mature Workers’ Program participants.
Anthony Smith has nothing but positive feedback from his experience. After being diagnosed with chronic osteoarthritis a few months ago, he was at a crossroads.
As the only housekeeper for six years at an apartment building in town, he realized that continuing this work would only further aggravate his condition.
“I thought there had to be another alternative,” said the 60-year-old, who didn’t want to go on disability. “I didn’t want it to be the end of my working career. I was hoping to be retrained, or if the opportunity came, to go back to cooking, which I’ve done for almost 15 years.” Thanks to the program, he has done just that.
Smith is doing his week-long work experience—a requirement of the program— in the kitchen of a local nursing home, and eventually he hopes to be employed there.
Smith’s change in employment happened because of the learning centre, he said. “I had a dream that the learning centre helped make a reality. Everyone there is knowledgeable, empathetic and compassionate.”
The learning centre opened the doors of opportunity for Smith and provided him with skills and access to programs, online courses and training.
“I’m in the midst of taking a home cooking course now,” he said. “Now I can pursue my cooking, maybe in the future I will go for my red seal.”
All of the learning centre’s employees have caring attitudes, which Smith said made his experience in the program personal and positive.
He hopes the contract will be renewed in September so that more people will be able to benefit the way he has.
And if the contract is renewed, the learning centre wants to explore alternative options to fund a training program for a broader age range of adults, said Marcoux. She believes people in their 30s and 40s would benefit from a program similar to the Mature Workers’ Program.
“As years progress, [job] qualifications increase.” People require training to get into positions, especially if they haven’t completed high school, and in some cases, post-secondary education.
“Computer skills is the number one essential skill critical to being successful,” said Marcoux, adding that even some housekeeping jobs require employees to input and read data from computers.
Learning computer skills is one component of the Mature Workers’ Program, but as Smith said, the learning centre provides access to all types of resources.
“[The Mature Workers’ Program] is the best decision I made for myself.”
