Eight local organizations come together to help you achieve your goals
If your New Year’s resolutions involve making improvements to your education or career growth, you’re probably going to want to make a stop at the Gaynor Family Regional Library on Jan. 14 for the bi-annual Adult Education Casual Information Drop-in.
“It’s an open house that is open to all of the public in Selkirk and area. It’s at the library, and it’s a late afternoon time. It’s for anybody who, with the New Year (here), they may have some New Year’s Resolutions or want to be changing things up, and if they want to return to school in any capacity (it’s for them),” said Adele Plett Bartel, Program Coordinator of the Selkirk Adult Learning Program.
The open house will take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Jan. 14 and include representatives from:
- AIM for Work
- LSEC Adult Learning Centre
- LSSD – Continuing Education
- Selkirk Employment Services
- Training and Employment Services
- Red River College Polytechnic
- Selkirk Adult Learning Program (SALP)
- Workplace Education Manitoba (WEM)
Aim for Work offers a full range of vocational rehabilitation services for persons with physical disabilities or chronic illnesses.
The Lord Selkirk Education Centre offers learners, 19 years of age or older, the opportunity to complete their Grade 12 mature student diploma, improve their employability skills, or upgrade credits for entrance into post-secondary educational institutions.
LSSD Continuing Education provides a variety of personal interest, safety, health and wellness, arts and crafts, fitness and computer literacy programs. With a huge amount of learning opportunities in a variety of topics, just about anyone can find something they are interested in.
Selkirk Employment Services offers individualized and group-based employment assistance to unemployed or underemployed individuals. Their services provide clients with the necessary support to enter or re-enter the labour market into sustainable employment.
Training and Employment Services supports labour market development activities that link individual needs with opportunities in the workforce and also delivers employment services through partnerships with community, industry and employer groups. Find employment, plan your career and get advice and/or financial support for training that leads to long-term employment.
RRC Polytech is Manitoba’s largest institute of applied learning and research, with more than 150 full- and part-time degree, diploma and certificate options.
The Selkirk Adult Learning Program provides tailored learning support for people who wish to engage in further study or training, people who need support with literacy, numeracy, computer basics, and newcomers learning English as a Second Language.
Workplace Education Manitoba aims to help employers and employees with upgrading to create a skilled workforce that is efficient, effective and adaptable. They do this by providing essential skills education in reading, writing, numeracy, digital skills, problem-solving, communication, creativity and innovation, collaboration, and adaptability.
Plett Bartel explained that there are many local opportunities for education and upgrading and that it’s important to have these options available closer to where people live to make it so that everyone has a chance to learn more.
Having all eight local groups in the room together is also a great chance to learn what the best fit for you or a friend or family member might be without having to check out and compare a bunch of websites or make multiple calls.
“It’s just really nice often to be able to talk to a person and feel like there is a good connection,” she said. “(For example,) if you want to go to Red River, they’ll actually be a person there to talk to you about Red River, or about going back and getting your high school diploma, or Continuing Ed. It’s just a really good opportunity for that in-person, face-to-face to find out, get your questions answered, and just get more information. You can even, often, fill out application forms, right there, if that’s something that you want to do.”
Plett Bartel also wants attendees to know that there are absolutely no requirements to come to this event.
“It is a drop-in. It is casual. You can come in and talk to all of us, or talk to just one of us. There are no appointments. We are there just to be available for whoever wants to do some exploring and get some questions answered,” she said.
Plett Bartel hopes that residents will brave the cold and attend this event.
“I would also encourage you to bring somebody. If you know somebody who might benefit from this, just offer to come with them to this open house and just chat with people and find out more and explore. There’s no cost. It’s at the library, there’s bus services there, so, hopefully, everybody can get there that wants to get there. We’re just trying to make it accessible to anybody who may be interested. And, even if you’re looking for somebody else, if they don’t want to come, and you want to come and just collect some brochures and talk to somebody, you can do that as well,” she said.
