Left it to the last minute? It’s not too late to find a summer job with the help of the Centre de resources en emploi Penetanguishene Employment Resource Centre.
Bilingual employment specialist Celeste Lalonde said the centre is hosting an open house for students on Thursday, July 3.
She invites everyone to drop in from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to meet the youth services officers from Service Canada Centre for Youth.
“It will be a fun day with draws and prizes. Service Canada Centre for Youth officers will be here every Tuesday throughout the summer to help kids with job finding.”
After a decade of serving the community, Lalonde said many people are still unaware of the centre’s existence or unsure of its services.
“Some people think our service is only in French. We serve in both English and French,” Lalonde stressed.
Once through the doors, she said, “We provide a tour of the place ask what their needs are and give them a tour of the resources available here.”
Those resources include everything from information on making an initial career choice or transition to apprenticeships, summer jobs, starting a small business, a calendar of courses and workshops on job hunting skills, job postings, upgrading and training available, special program funding information and referrals to other agencies for help with literacy, learning, French skills and more.
Also on site is the employment preparation service, Job Connect, which is associated with College Boreal.
The centre serves jobseekers of all ages, works with employers wanting to post a job and has partnerships with many other organizations in the community and it’s all free.
“There’s no fee for our services,” Lalonde said.
Staff helps clients navigate through the array of information available.
“We focus on what it is they need right away,” Lalonde said. “It might be resume help, practice interviews or cover letters.”
For those considering career choices, a computer program helps them explore different options, examining strengths, values and skills.
They can even provide help long distance with the assistance of technology.
“We can help with virtual resumes. If someone is at university and coming back to the area we can offer suggestions online, it’s one of the neat things nowadays.”
Lalonde said, “We’re more than just a job centre. We are also a community access centre where people can come in to use the computers. We have kids from high school who do homework and research here. We can sit with someone and help them set up an email account. There’s no Internet café in town but we do have community access to computers so tourists who want to check their e-mail or do online banking can do it here.”
Employment Ontario programs are funded in part by the Government of Canada and the centre comes under the umbrella of La Clé d’la Baie that has many different strands to support and strengthen francophone services in the community, including the employment resource centre.
The Centre de resources en emploi Penetanguishene Employment Resource Centre is at 175 Main St. in Penetanguishene in the Angel Gate Plaza and is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 549-5227 for more information.
