male construction worker
female baker
male truck driver
Female Lab worker

December 2019

Facing a layoff is never easy. When Aaron first received his layoff, he wasn’t immediately concerned. He was employable. He had skills. Unfortunately he did not have the certification to get the jobs he was focused on.

Aaron was mechanically inclined growing up.  His focus after high school, however, was business.  He received his Executive Office Business Diploma but was unable to find anything sustainable in this field.  So he decided to return to what he knew.  He was a competent welder.  He just didn’t have the certification. He had experience operating heavy equipment, but he did not have any formal training or licensing.  He had applied many times at mines and mills in the region, but without completed training, he was not receiving interview offers.  After applying for suitable positions and exhausting every lead, Aaron was starting to panic.  His savings were dwindling and he needed meaningful, long term work.  He shifted his focus to training opportunities.  He knew that if he could gain his Heavy Equipment Operator and A/Z licensing, he would be more marketable to the employers offering work in the region.  He started researching training providers.  Transport Training Centre Canada had a course starting in November.  He had heard about Employment Ontario’s Second Career program so he came in to YES.   We scheduled an appointment for him with Career Development Practitioner (CDP), Michelle Stewart.

Second Career is an option for Ontario residents who have received a layoff and are unemployed or working a temporary or “survival” job.  You can gain new skills – those needed for jobs in demand now – and financial support when you qualify for Second Career. 

Step one is getting connected to an Employment Services agency like YES for support with your application.  As part of the process to determine suitability for the program, Michelle asked Aaron how long he had been unemployed, how long he had been actively seeking work, what his level of education was and some questions about his work history.   Individuals seeking Second Career training must provide information about their own financial situation.  They need to research schools and costs for the training requested, and they must demonstrate an occupational need in the local labour market for the requested training.   

Once eligibility and suitability were determined, Michelle and Aaron worked in partnership to build a strong application in what was a very tight timeline.  Michelle walked Aaron through the process by breaking up the requested information into tasks for herself and for Aaron.  Together, they established task deadlines to sure that the application was ready for submission within the training timeline.  Michelle submitted the completed application to the Ministry of Labour Training and Skills Development on October 9th. The Ministry approved Aaron’s application and he started his Heavy Equipment Operator and A/Z training with Transport Training Centres of Canada on November 27th.  We caught up with Aaron at the training site and he was grateful to be working toward his training goals, “Michelle worked really hard for me.” Aaron said, “I appreciated all the help.”   Now Aaron is looking forward to receiving his Heavy Equipment Operator certification and his A/Z license and he feels confident in his ability to find sustainable, long-term work in the region once his training is complete.

If you are interested in learning more about the Second Career program, just walk in to YES and make an appointment to speak to one of our Career Development Practitioners.

YES staff members have been busy collecting items for our annual Holiday Hamper giveaway. We are holding draws for three hampers this year filled with food items, gifts and goodies just in time for Christmas. Visit our Resource Area to fill out a ballot to win our display hamper. All visitors are encouraged to enter. Take a peek under the tree to view the hamper items. There will also be a hamper given away to participants in our Youth Job Connection program. A third hamper will be given away in Nipigon. We are working with the DSSAB office in Nipigon to distribute ballots to families in need.

Good luck to all who enter. The draw will take place on December 18th to ensure pick up before Christmas.

Happy December!

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