Billed as a “social enterprise”, a made-in-Chatham-Kent program is helping disadvantaged youth get a leg up on a career in the skilled trades.
Thanks to new provincial funding, the program will offer introductory construction training to 75 young people. After that training is complete, Phillip Mock with the Prosperity Roundtable says participants have the option of working as a sub-contractor with Ambition Trailer.
“We’re opening up a handy-person business in the community where they’re going to be partnered up with our staff as well as more experienced participants,” Mock explains. “Once we get the program running, to go out and serve people in this community and act as handy-people, to get that experience and earn while you learn. We get a chance to come in, keep growing that skill while they’re getting a pay cheque.”
The Prosperity Roundtable and its partners are teaming up with local school boards, social agencies, and employers, with hopes of announce details of the application process in the near future.
“It is a huge challenge for local businesses to not only attract but retain a really strong labour force in this community,” Mock says. “Don’t get me wrong, there are a significant number of people who have strong skills in a variety of skilled trades, but employers are needing more.”
Mock calls the program an “ecosystem of opportunity,” allowing participants to utilize jobs through Ambition Trailer when they need, before moving onto other employment or further education when the opportunity becomes available.
