Blockade to better jobs disappears with training

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Barbara Laboucan, 23 and a single mother, is trading in her janitor's job for a typewriter.

She is one of 15 students enrolled in a basic job readiness program, instituted by the Whitefish Lake band. Her past jobs have involved janitorial work and cooking but her new goal is to work in an office after completing a secretarial arts program.

Laboucan says her lack of education "most definitely" blocked her attempts to find gainful employment. She applied for a teacher's aid position with the Atikameg school but was turned down and told she needed more education.

Since starting the basic job readiness program her grade level has increased from Grade 6 to 8 and her outlook on life has improved.

The discovery that Whitefish Lake band members shared a lack of job skills and basic, useful education spurred the council to action. Last fall the two-year program for unemployed band members with a long history of social assistance dependence was put into place on the reserve, located 250 km northeast of Edmonton. "Typically they (uneducated band members) were saying they had Grade 7 or 8 (education)," said Brian Pitcairn, coordinator of education and social development.

A core group of about 25 members who were given academic testing prior to the start of the job readiness program were found to function at a Grade 5 to 6 level.

"Basically, we have a problem where you have a whole host of people between the ages of 18 and 30 who are functionally illiterate. In other words, they do not read or write at a Grade 9 level."

The objective of the program is to bring the students up to a Grade 9 level so they can either find employment or upgrade to a high school level.

Program courses include lifeskills training and academic upgrading included with other subjects like job interviewing techniques and resume writing.

Without at least a Grade 8 education individuals are unlikely to qualify for job skills training programs offered by such institutions as Canada Manpower.

"In terms of job training it's a totally hopeless situation," he says.

Employment prospects for people considered functionally illiterate are also drastically reduced, says Pat Campbell, co-ordinator for Prospects, an adult literacy program in Edmonton.

The band has put up most of the money to operate the program. A grant from the Northern Development Agreement of $172,000, used to pay instructors' fees and buy classroom supplies, also helps.

However, Pitcairn says there is no commitment to continue the course beyond two years.

"But we're going ahead with it because it deals with such a critical problem in the community and I don't think we can afford to wait."