KSPFN Employment & Training, Local Delivery Mechanism, LDCC Aboriginal Human Resource Development Agreement

 

 

Four Winds Business & Training Centre

Barbara Bressette

Coordinator

519-786-5731

Project /Training Executive Summary

 

 

Purpose of the project

 

Four Winds Business & Training Centre staff are responsible for the employment & training program delivery  and support services for Kettle & Stony Point membership under the LDCC AHRDA.

Four winds staff provide employment & training support services for community members who are requesting financial support to become employed in a full time job.  Staff assist community member with client intake to make application based on program criteria of the Employment & Training Program.

Four Winds staff also assist in the development and delivery of priority training programs as determined by the First Nation Chief & Council as determined and based on community goals and developments. 

Under this agreement First Nations can design and deliver programs specific to community needs.

1. Assist the Economic Development Manager in the development & delivery of training and employment initiatives.

2.  Assist clients with intake, career or training development plans, skills  development, distance education and support.

3. Promote and enhance Four Winds Business & Training Centre programs.

4. Coordinate alternative life strategies training for Community members.

5. Assist with coordination of Youth Theatre Arts Training.

6. Coordinate Golden Eagle Seniors Seasonal Workshop Series

7. Assist with Cultural and Language Initiatives

8. Provide support and encouragement to clients with referral when required or requested.

Four winds was designed to provide an alternative learning environment with access to computers, Internet, community based training, skills development with employment support services such as referral, faxing, telephone, photocopying etc.  The center is a hands on learning center for all community members who are working at bettering their lives.

 

Training

 

Native Early Childhood Education Program, Anishinabek Training Institute & St. Clair College, May 2005 – September 2006

 

The Native Early Childhood Education Diploma is a unique post secondary program that provides the student with the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills needed to organize and maintain a safe and stimulating learning environment, which insures the total development of the young child.  Having to fulfill all of the mainstream curriculum requirements of an E.C.E. program combined with a Native enhancement component in each area of curriculum results in a rigorous program that qualifies graduates to work in all Daycares, Head start or Early Year programs.  Graduates of the NECE program are also uniquely prepared for their role as early childhood educators and child care workers in addressing the culturally based and culturally specific needs of First Nations Communities.

 

Project/Training Objectives

 

Theatre Arts Training - Telling Our Story, April 2005 - August 2006
In partnership with Creating a New Legacy, Health Services and Four Winds Training Centre, Employment & Training Development.
Three Youth Coordinators were contracted to assist in the development a theatre arts Presentation that would provide education and awareness of the Indian Residential School Experience to First Nations people and the intergenerational effect on families today. A Small Group of young adults trained in script production with a final summer production titled “Telling Our Story”.
Debaajamajig Theatre Arts Training Group delivered four weeks of training for young adults , and offered training sessions related to script theatre training consisted of voice, dance, acting classes, review of storytelling of local legends and community history.

Golden Eagles Seniors Workshop Series, Seniors Training & Development, May 2005 – May 2006

The Golden Eagle Seasonal Workshop project was designed to celebrate, share and explore the skills, experience and wisdom of seniors to help empower them and their peers by finding their voice, learning to express themselves within the community and learning to share with individuals, families and the community. The Four Seasonal Workshop (Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall) forum was a natural development because this forum allowed the seniors and elders to apply specific skills and knowledge to a specific season rather than having to try and remember all the important teachings at one workshop. This forum allowed for the transference of skills and knowledge related to each season.
Regular Attendance at each workshop was 55 people of all ages.

Small Business Plan Development, Spring 2006, Tecumseh Development & KSPFN Economic Development
Six evening classes where conducted by TDC to assist community members with the development of a business plan with market and feasibility studies.


Tecumseh and Economic Development also conducted a one Day program for Artisans on “How to price and market their work “.
Ojibway Legends, Art Gallery & Gift Store from Aamjiwnaang First Nation One Day Purchasing for the grand opening of the arts & craft store located at the new Tourism Building for the Sarnia Bluewater Bridge.

Employment


Patricia Shawnoo, Client Intake/Receptionist
Patricia assist clients with intake to make application for Employment & Training funding to assist clients with access to employment resources and services at Four Winds. It is based on ongoing intake; she is also responsible to record and monitor interventions and assist with computer access. Patricia also received training in Client Assessment, Counseling Skills and Life Skills Coaches Training.
 

Chelsey Bressette - Casual Youth Worker
Chelsey assists with many computer related tasks such as training, promotions, posters, reception and basic computer training. She worked with the Theatre Arts group April – July) community access and training (August – March). She provided Internet and computer training for the Seniors Basic Computer Training and Scrapbooking Program in partnership with Health Services, Louise George, Seniors Support Worker.
 

Summer Bressette and Telford Bressette - Youth Volunteers
This service provided tutoring and computer access for students, Monday and Wednesday 6 – 9 p.m. to assist students with computer assess to complete homework assignments.
 

Kevin Jackson, Internship Placement, Computer Science, Confederation College
This Internship position was to provide for the development of a network system for the computer access areas of Four Winds. As well as develop programs for administrators to monitor program and to upgrade computer programs. Kevin also assisted other First Nation departments with computer maintenance, development and upgrades such as troubleshooting and developing ideas for future program developments. This program was in partnership with Public Works Department focusing most attention to upgrading the computer program for the operations of the Water Treatment Plant.
 

We provide services that no other department provides in our community, for example: volunteers from community service organizations use our services and access for promotions, fundraising activities and advertisements. Individuals use the services for business plan development, proposal writing, advertising and promotions. Youth and Students use the access for completing assignments, messenger, email, research or surfing the internet. On a monthly basis we provide support services and/or access to approximately 100 people per month.

Four Winds was also host to the Water Walkers, May 13 – 14, 2005 and also hosted a careers promotion presentation for the Center for Indigenous Theatre, June 2005. Four winds Staff also assisted with the Unity Gathering, hosted by Kettle & Stony Point First Nations by providing community volunteers and service in the areas of storytelling, workshops and vision session for the gathering.

Four Winds has many partnerships to best utilize access to human and financial resources to better serve community members. Four Winds had many partnerships this year, they are: Community Healing Project, Health Services, Anishinabek Training Institute, Job Connect, KSPFN Radio Station, KSPFN Mall Management, KSPFN Day Care Head Start, KSPFN Administration – Constitutional Committee, Finance Department, Housing Department and Southwind Development Corporation.

The benefits of working together provides for access to more human and financial resources as well as access to additional volunteers.

The success of the program and its projects came from community partnerships with other program/services and because of the positive atmosphere created at Four Winds it keeps people coming back to use the services.

Personal success for community members are those that completed their training interventions and secured full time employment on and off the reserve.


Project participants benefited from this project in the following areas: