The Skills Centre provides free and low-cost skills training and employment programs. We will help you get the certifications you need, help with your resume and interview skills, and offer financial support while you learn.

Skills Training

- The Medical Lab Assistant training will allow participants to obtain stable employment, earn a living wage, and fill essential job vacancies in our region.
- We’ll also provide soft skills and essential skills workshops to help participants prepare for job interviews and starting a new job.
- The program consists of five online theory courses, a five-day in-person workshop, and an 8 week clinical practicum in a hospital or laboratory. These components provide the theory, skills and certification required for participants to work as a Medical Lab Assistant.

The Skills Centre is partnering with Interior Health and Thompson Rivers University to offer this training.

To be eligible for this program, you must:
- be a woman 19 – 29 years old
- be a Canadian Citizen; or a Permanent Resident; or Protected person entitled to work in Canada
- be living in B.C. 
- have a Social Insurance Number (SIN) 
- be unemployed, or employed part time, seasonally, casually, or precariously employed and seeking training to find a new job, prepare for changing job requirements or new job opportunities 
- Participants cannot be enrolled in another federally or provincially funded training program at the same time.
- Participants currently receiving regular Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, and those on Income Assistance (IA), are eligible to participate.

Are you eligible for the Medical Lab Assistant training?

"I was very impressed with the level of service provided by the Skills Centre. I was able to find full-time employment in my field within a month of completion of my courses. I highly recommend taking advantage of what the Skills Centre has to offer."

Medical Lab Assistant Training

Certification exams for companies like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco, HP, and CompTIA are available at the Skills Centre.

From the [Pearson Vue Test Takers web page](https://home.pearsonvue.com/test-taker.aspx), you can search for designated exams and register online to come in and write the required exams.

The Pearson Vue Testing Facility offers:

***Pearson Vue offers proctored, online testing and certification for hundreds of credentialed organizations in a variety of sectors, including:***
- Academic entrance and admissions to various institutions
- Information Technology
- Financial and related services
- Government
- Health Care

Online testing and certification

"Through this program I was able to get certifications with WHIMIS, Serving It Right, and Food Safe. I have been supported through my entire journey by everyone I met through these programs! I now have my confidence and self esteem that had slipped out from me due to my age. Everyone has been patient, flexible, and kind!"

Pearson Vue Test Facility

**Karina Allis** changed career tracks as a mature worker to become an employment counsellor. Her experience making a career and employment transition is key to successfully supporting job seekers. She knows her stuff, and she knows how to help people find the confidence and comfort level to learn new skills and find a new job at any stage of their life.

“There are many reasons why people over 55 are looking for a different job. We understand those reasons, and I will work with them to help them make that change,” she says.

“Many of our clients haven’t written a resume in 25 or more years. The last time they looked for a job, it was a very different experience. We’re here to give people the tools to get through those challenges and start a new phase of their life.”

“I often say to people I practiced being unemployed before starting my career as an employment counsellor, and learned that finding the right employer is as important as finding the right job!”

Your Mature Workers Facilitator: Karina Allis

Karina Allis

Project Specialist

**Karina Allis** changed career tracks as a mature worker to become an employment counsellor. Her experience making a career and employment transition is key to successfully supporting job seekers. She knows her stuff, and she knows how to help people find the confidence and comfort level to learn new skills and find a new job at any stage of their life.

Meet your facilitator

- Food Safe
- WHMIS
- Super Host
- First Aid training
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training
- Naloxone
- Mental Health First Aid
- Basic Security Training Certification

We offer job specific certificates such as:

- Workshops on job searching today, updating your resume, and interview skills
- Workshops on soft skills including communication, confidence, team work, interpersonal skills, age in the workplace, coping skills (such as stress or shift work), health and wellness, mental health & self-care
- Job placement support including wage subsidies and connecting you with employers
- Funding for transportation, required work clothing or gear, criminal record check, and more.

We offer workshops such as:

"Knowing my job application skills were rusty and needed to be fine-tuned, I joined the Mature Workers program. As well as providing some guidance in updating skills, the staff has assisted in financial support for further courses and partnering with other community agencies. Many thanks to the staff of the Skills Centre."

Mature Workers

**Allan Pusey** is a Red Seal Carpenter with more than 14 years of hands on work experience in construction, including 5 years operating his own custom woodworking company. He has taught 3 ITA approved Carpentry Red Seal refresher courses and helped over 300 laborers, apprentices and journeypersons prepare for training and new employment in the trades.

“One of the biggest challenges for people entering the trades is knowing what to expect and what is expected of them, and gaining the skills that employers are seeking. We help them overcome these hurdles with Tools for Trades,” Allan says.

Allan has 10+ years of experience working with job seekers and employers across the Kootenays, giving tried and tested advice, assistance and supports. Tools For Trades participants can expect to gain valuable insights into the world of construction, access to funding for foundations training as well as safety courses, work clothing, tools, accurate labour market information, and thorough job search coaching.

Your Tools for Trades Facilitator: Allan Pusey

**Allan Pusey** is a Red Seal Carpenter with more than 14 years of hands on work experience in construction, including 5 years operating his own custom woodworking company. He has taught 3 ITA approved Carpentry Red Seal refresher courses and helped over 300 laborers, apprentices and journeypersons prepare for training and new employment in the trades.

Allan has 10+ years of experience working with job seekers and employers across the Kootenays, giving tried and tested advice, assistance and supports. Tools For Trades participants can expect to gain valuable insights into the world of construction, access to funding for foundations training as well as safety courses, work clothing, tools, accurate labour market information, and thorough job search coaching.

- Career Assessments
- Soft skills + essential skills workshops
- First Aid
- Communication, appearance, habits, diversity, teamwork + conflict
- Foundations Program
- Short term training courses related to trades

We offer workshops covering topics and activities including:

Tools for Trades can help you get into the Trades Foundations program at Selkirk College and cover the costs up to $7,000. Or we can help you find a job placement in the trades.

***We can also provide:***
- Up to $800 in support for tools, equipment & clothing required for training or apprenticeship
- A training wage & a bonus when you finish
- We match you with an employer & provide a wage subsidy

How it works

"I feel I can better represent myself when interacting with a supervisor or co-worker. I feel more confident of how to express myself better. I am feeling more positive. I would recommend this workshop for sure. I found it very enjoyable and encouraging." 

Tools for Trades

The Skills Centre is partnering with the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) to deliver the new program throughout the Kootenay and Boundary regions.

This new program is now available and will run for two years in 16 communities across the Columbia Basin and Boundary regions.

![](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/media/In%20part%20-%20English.png)

A 2 year partnership

Navigating the financial supports available to people living with low income means filling out forms, answering personal questions, reading and signing documents—actions that can be over-complicated to the client trying to get the service.

Financial Navigation will help empower adults and families living with low income to improve their financial wellbeing. We will help you increase in your knowledge of the benefits to which you are entitled and help you improve your ability to access them.

Helping people living with low income

- Do you know all of the financial empowerment services for people living with low income in your community?
- Are you giving clients all the information on financial supports they may be eligible to receive?
- Join us in sharing best practices for offering financial empowerment to people in living with low income. Build stronger partnerships in your community and offer the best service to your clients living with low income.
- This program will share information, tools, resources and best practices so that you can be the best source of help for people living with low income and struggling with understanding all of the financial services out there.

Helping service providers, too

Financial Navigation Training

**Bethel Torres** has been part of the Skills Centre as admin support and more recently as our new project specialist. Helping guide youth to achieve what they want is an important part of the program, and Bethel says there is so much that we can learn at any point in our lives.

“Young people know they can learn new skills. They’re not always sure what to learn because there are so many options. We’re here to help them focus on what they want,” she says.

“This is just the beginning of their career journey. We help them identify their abilities and match them to their preferences. They often discover many things about themselves that they didn’t know, and that leads them to start to realize their potential,” she says.

Driven by her commitment to make a positive impact on our clients, she takes pride in providing support to our programs for young adults.

Your Skills Training for Youth Facilitator: Bethel Torres

Bethel Torres

Inspiring Wellness & Learning Assistant

**Bethel Torres** has been part of the Skills Centre as admin support and more recently as our new project specialist. Helping guide youth to achieve what they want is an important part of the program, and Bethel says there is so much that we can learn at any point in our lives. 

Driven by her commitment to make a positive impact on our clients, she takes pride in providing support to our programs for young adults.

- Super Host
- WHMIS
- Emergency First Aid
- Food Safe
- Serving it Right
- Fall Protection
- Transportation of Dangerous Goods
- Forklift Operator

***Complete the program at your own pace or join a small group of other like-minded learners and work with us over four to five weeks to get the skills and certifications you need to be competitive in the labour market.***

- Workshops on job searches, writing & updating your resume, and interview skills
- Workshops on soft skills including communication, team work, interpersonal skills, meeting employer expectations, customer service, problem solving, coping skills (such as stress, shift work), health and wellness, mental health & self-care, and safety on the job
- Job placement support including wage subsidies and matching you with an employer
- Funding for transportation, childcare, up to $225 for work clothing or gear, and more.

Skills Training

Pearson Vue Test Facility

The Pearson Vue Testing Facility offers:

Online testing and certification

Inquire today