Circle of Eagles Lodge Society/Anderson Lodge – Pre-Employment Program
(April 1, 2009 – October 31, 2009)
(On-going intakes: contact Circle of Eagles Lodge Society to check on available seats)

The Anderson Lodge for Women and the Circle of Eagles Lodge Pre-employment Program is a job readiness/pre-employment/targeted wage subsidy program of six months for both men and women who may have had conflict with the law, little or no education, little or no work history.  Program is through continuous intake for May and June only which is during the classroom phase of program. Upon completion of the program, the participants often seek employment on their own, are placed in work experience of three to four months or may go onto further training or education.

The job readiness program includes certificate training in Traffic Control, WHMIS, Confined Space Awareness, First Aid Level 1, and Fork Lift Operation. The program also offers a cultural and life skills component to address goal setting, creating a budget, time management, introduction to computers, i.e. basic word, excel, PowerPoint, Front Line Management, basic maths skills, hearing test, learner’s license, and job readiness component, such as interview skills, and job search techniques.

Helping Spirit Lodge Society – Visions and Decisions Pre-Employment Program
(May 25, 2009 – October 16, 2009)

The Visions and Decisions Pre Employment program is a 17-week program designed to enhance employability skills within multi-barriered Aboriginal women. The program provides pre-employment services to Aboriginal women that include counselling, job practicum, upgrading, computer training, life skills, and therapeutic and cultural workshops.

The participant program runs from June 8, 2009 to October 2, 2009. 

Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts Training Program
(August 3, 2009 – March 31, 2010)

In partnership with the Native Education College, ACCESS is providing a unique training program for Aboriginal artists to improve their form-line art and silver carving skills and learn studio management.  The course will provide a certificate upon completion of the program in Northwest Coast Jewellery Arts.  The courses are Form-line Drawing, Metalwork Technique, Jewellery Design Studio, and Studio Management.  Each student will complete a drawing portfolio of a ring, earrings and 3 pendants.

Contact Native Education College to check on seat availability.  Classes will begin in early September 2009.

Summer Student Employment Program

The summer student employment program hires secondary and post secondary students for up to four months from May to end of August each year.  Employers provide students with meaningful work experiences at either an entry or more advanced level.  Usually each organization is funded for one student except for the group projects.  The one group project at UBC Museum of Anthropology, the Native Youth Program, hires 4 secondary students to learn about their culture and to lead museum tours and one post secondary student for the program coordinator position. The second program was a summer day camp program at Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society where five secondary and post secondary students were hired to lead group activities and outings for East Vancouver Aboriginal children. 

Other organizations that were funded for this program in summer 2009 were Native Education College, Naut’sa mawt Tribal Council, Healing Our Spirit Society, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (Vancouver Campus), Vancouver Native Health Society, Tale’awtxw Aboriginal Capital Corporation, Metro Vancouver and Constant Arts Society.