October 2020
Chris came in to YES in January of this year. He had been working in civil construction. He was good at his job, but it involved long hours, out of town work (sometimes with very little notice), no work/life balance and now, a layoff. He was not sure this career was the right choice for the life he was looking forward to building. His girlfriend suggested that he visit YES. She had gone to school with a couple of our staff members and she was sure we could help.
After registering for the Employment Service program, Chris started working with Career Development Practitioner, Michelle Bell. “We talked about a lot about a lot of different paths”, Chris said, “Michelle suggested some alternative employment options and she told me about re-training through Second Career.”
Second Career is an Employment Ontario program that provides financial help to individuals seeking skills training for in-demand occupations in Ontario. YES helps qualified individuals develop their Second Career applications. Chris had considered returning to school in the Electronics Engineering Technician program so Michelle asked him a series of questions and determined he was eligible and suitable for the program. .
When you apply to Second Career, you need to provide the specific costs to be covered during training. You can apply for up to $28,000 for costs including tuition, books, manuals, workbooks or other instructional costs, transportation, child-care, and a basic living allowance, if you qualify for one, (max. $410/week). The grant can be applied to skills training up to 2 years in duration. You may have to pay part of these costs yourself. The amount you will have to pay is based on several things starting with your gross (before tax) household income. Michelle talked to Chris about all the requirements for the application and he started accumulating the information required for the Second Career Cost-Shared Grant application. At this point, however, he was still undecided about what his next steps would be.
When the pandemic hit, Chris kept his options open, but employment opportunities were few. By the summer he had decided to fully commit to re-training and he completed his Second Career application. Michelle submitted the application to the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development and it was approved. Chris started his 2-year Electronics Engineering Technician program at Confederation College this September.
Congratulations, Chris! We are glad you took the time to work with one of our Career Development Practitioners to consider all your options and commit to a long-term career goal that you know will be right for your future.
If you would like to explore your employment options, YES can help. We are offering in-person and virtual service. Just call or visit to get started.
