BARRY’S BAY – It’s a situation that many of us have experienced or heard about before.
A student in the 1960s or 70s drops out of high school to help their parents on the farm. As the years progress, that same individual manages to find employment at a local mill or becomes self-employed.
Today, after years in the same field, that individual is either laid off or is experiencing various ailments from the years of backbreaking work. He or she may want to switch careers, but has never completed high school, a mandatory requirement for many jobs these days, or they might need help navigating a computer.
It can be a daunting process, but the Barry’s Bay Training and Learning Centre (TLC) can help.
Helen Benn works at the local office located upstairs in the Tyreman and Daughters Rural Employment Outreach building.
The TLC is a non-profit organization funded by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development. Adults come to the TLC because they need to upgrade their skills or learn new skills for a number of reasons, including finding a job, learning to become adaptable employees or more confident in learning how to use a computer.
The TLC is different from the Tyreman and Daughters service in the same building downstairs because it helps adults develop the core skills necessary to help them secure employment. It is not associated with the Access Work Services or the Madawaska Valley Association of Community Living; but it can work alongside these services based on client needs.
To read the full story, pick up the May 15, 2019 Valley Gazette or subscribe online.