Employment programs are about developing new skills: the skills we need to look for work, do a job, and better adapt to a constantly evolving and changing labour market. In assisting our clients to develop these skills, we help them acquire the tools they need to deal with change. This year as a department, we, too, developed skills for change.

The beginning of the year saw a stable, flourishing department. MOSAIC South (2555 Commercial Dr.) delivered four programs–Case Management Services, Employment Access, Career Connections and New Start. These employment assistance services offer all immigrants and employment-eligible refugees a variety of interventions to assist them as they move toward employment or further training. One-to-one counselling, resume writing, and the development of interview skills are just some of the services offered.

MOSAIC North (1522 Commercial Dr.) housed our skills training programs: Technical Alternatives, Computerized Accounting, Office Systems Support and Workways. A major component of these programs is that they offered skills training specific to employment.

In the late spring of 1998, we learned HRCC E.10th was prepared to fund a new project-based training program–Community Program Management. Long a dream of both MOSAIC staff and Project Officer, Elizabeth Murdoch, the program was designed to develop the skills of clients wishing to work in social services.

Summer brought the information from Human Resources Development Canada that project-based aining programs would no longer be funded by block purchase after June 30//99. As a department, this meant that the variety of skills training programs we offered clients would be dramatically impacted.

It was here that our ability to adapt to change became apparent. We negotiated new options with funders, advocated with sister agencies and informed staff. We explored new types of programs which could be offered in innovative ways. We recognized that innovation takes time, and no change could be made quickly, as new information arrived daily and had to be taken into consideration. Most importantly, we remembered to laugh, perhaps the most important response during times of great transition.

The staff in this department are well equipped to assist our clients through transition, as they have become change experts themselves. Staff remaining on with our programs include: Larry Chan, Heather Yatabe, Terri Phillip, Martha Maier, Celia Brookfield, Martiza Martinez, Rosi Bernini, Hana Sepahi, Damarys Purgas, Esther Chan, Shelley Saje, and Justine Mills.

Staff who moved on to different projects and positions include: Patrick Coady, Rumani Singh, Kate Saunders, Yasmine Abou-El-Kheir, Brian McGavin, Cheryl Causely, Bruce Hiebert, Omar Portillo, Bernadette French, Polly Szeto-Pinkney, Sara Yuen, Dawn Loveland, Rada Allueva, Manjul Singh, Brad Hornick, Sue Lane, Jackie Fillion, Johanna Gilesphy, Lorna Goodwin, Jason Clayton, and Jeana Wiginton.

My thanks to all of them.

Kelly S. Pollack
Director

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