New Youth training program is coming to Sharbot Lake

Jeff Green | Jul 29, 2010

The YAK Youth Centre from Perth has been running Skills Link programs in Perth and Smiths Falls for a number of years, and next month the program will be starting up in Sharbot Lake as a pilot program.

There is room for 10 participants between the ages of 15 and 30 from the surrounding area in the six-month program, which will be based at the meeting room at the North Frontenac Telephone building in Sharbot Lake (see ad on page 6).

Tara Cameron, a program coordinator with YAK, said, “We are very excited to be able to work with the community in Frontenac County. Skills Link will involve the community in many ways.”

Skills Link is a program that assists youth in developing skills that will provide a foundation to build upon in the work place and in life. “It all depends on the needs of the participants, and the youth always have a lot of input because only they can identify their own needs,” said Cameron.

Training will be offered in positive self image, managing interpersonal relationships, turning obstacles into opportunities, career planning, developing financial plans, conflict resolution, and leadership training.

In addition to curriculum work, the youth will be available to the community to help out, and local groups and businesses will be approached to provide leadership and to make use of some of the skills offered by Skills Link participants.

David Hitchcock, who will be running the Sharbot Lake program, is a recent graduate from Algonquin College himself. He returned to school later in life to get a social worker degree after working as an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) technician for a number of years.

“My attitude is that we will be the pioneers for this program. Since it is new, we will be able to experiment and have some fun with it. There are a number of youth who have strayed, for a variety of reasons, and this will be a chance for them to get back into the mainstream,” he said.

Tara Cameron said the program in Perth and Smiths Falls has had an 85% success rate. “That could mean a youth finds a career objective, a job, a high school certificate or enrolls in college. Success is defined by the needs and goals of each participant.”

Skills Link is a 9-5 program, and is available to youth with barriers to employment, who are not in school and are currently unemployed. An allowance equal to the minimum wage will be available to participants.