Incentives, coaching and solar power - June's best news from SJLE! No Images? Click here JUNE 2018June has been an exciting month for learners and staff here at the Learning Exchange. We love sharing our best stories of the month with you! Learner Story: Jessica Pitre (WorkLinks) I came back to the Learning Exchange for job search in 2017 because I knew how helpful everyone there was. In 2012 I did the WES program and built my confidence to go to work. After WES I went to college in Ontario and graduated with my General and Medical Office Administration Diplomas. I moved back to Saint John and found that I was having a really hard time navigating the job market here. I had found temporary employment but was underemployed and struggling to find that permanent job. What I really liked about working with my coach in WorkLinks was that I always felt accepted, appreciated, and that there was no judgement around my situation or ability to find work. One of the main things I worked on was my confidence around preparing resumes, cover letters, and doing interviews. For me that was a huge deal because I had a hard time in the past answering questions and the more I worked with my coach the more comfortable I was during the interview process. My coach always encouraged me and offered constructive feedback which helped me realize my potential. Suddenly I was applying for jobs that in the past I never would have thought I was qualified for. In May I was hired as the Administrative Assistant at the Human Development Council. The job is going so well, I love it here. The organization is encouraging and supporting me in my quest to continue to grow as an Office Administrator. I have the opportunity to attend professional development conferences and/or workshops. As a lifelong learner that’s something that has always been very important to me. My time at the Learning Exchange has improved my quality of life for both myself and my daughter. New Project Announcement: Incentives for Achievement We are excited to announce that we have received funding through Living SJ to offer incentives to learners for achieving their goals. Participants will work closely with members of our staff to set goals and then receive a financial incentive when they have accomplished these goals. This process builds confidence and also more closely models a culture of work. Part of the funding will also scale our soft skills training and build capacity for soft skills growth in the community in partnership with other agencies. The project includes collaboration with government and other stakeholders on policy issues relating to transition to work programming and sustainable workforce attachment. We look forward to sharing stories of success and achievement as we begin to roll out our incentive program! Building a Coaching Culture 27 Learning Exchange staff packed into room 202 for three full days of intensive training in non-directive coaching - a coaching approach that builds an individual's capacity to change, adapt and grow. Nearly the entire Learning Exchange team, including staff from our businesses, participated in the Excelerator Coaching Program with Essential Impact. The skills gained will help us better serve our clients and will also help us better support each other in our work. We are so grateful to David Busse and Robert Gray from Essential Impact for leading us through this intensive and transformative training! Solar Panel Installation Participants from our new youth program, GOALS, as well as BEST and CALP helped with the beginning stages of a solar panel installation up on the roof at the Social Enterprise Hub. This is the largest project of its kind in the city and helped our learners develop some impressive new skills! Thank you so much to NEXGEN and the Saint John Community Loan Fund for allowing the learners to participate, we're excited to see the installation finished. If you are looking for support achieving your academic or employment goals, The Learning Exchange has a program for you. Our staff and facilitators are ready to learn about your unique goals and help you create an individualized plan for success!
The Learning Exchange is a leader of social innovation in our community. We have created a number of services for the socially minded consumer. We pride ourselves in looking outside the box to provide our customers and program participants with the highest quality service. Our bottom line at The Learning Exchange has always been the success of every individual that walks through our doors. When people reach their full potential, our whole community benefits. We seek to share these stories in hopes of inspiring new stories of success and community engagement. |