Women aged 25-54 actively sought employment at record highs in 2022 and reached 81.6% employment by the end of the year. It’s important to evaluate what employment actually looks like for many women, particularly with the gender wage gap and persistent pay inequities.

**Gender wage gap: what is it?**

The gender wage gap is the difference in people’s average earnings based on gender. It exists across industries and professions, and it is often worse for racialized women, Indigenous women, and women with disabilities.

Many factors contribute to the gender wage gap. Here are a few: 

- Pay inequity – exists when unequal pay is given for equal work
- Unequal access to advancement opportunities and higher paying jobs – women are often grossly underrepresented in higher paying professions and senior level roles, and often receive lower levels of mentorship than men, speaking to unconscious biases around the transfer of specialized knowledge
- Limited flexibility in workplaces – particularly around childcare and caregiving needs that continue to fall predominantly on women; women provide childcare at a higher rate than men and represent 67% of caregivers providing 20 or more hours of support per week  
- Unpaid work – women are often responsible for more unpaid work activities than men, averaging 25.2 hours per week compared to men at 16.8 hours

These factors influence women’s decision making about employment and labour market participation (looking for work, staying in a job, etc). 

**What does this mean for women in our communities?**

Quick Facts:

- On average, women make 25.7% less than men in Canada 
- B.C. has one of the largest gender pay gaps in Canada with women making, on average, 28% less than men
- In Kootenay Boundary the gap is 30.6%, in Central Kootenay 25.7%, and in East Kootenay 35.7%
- B.C. is one of four provinces without either pay equity legislation or pay transparency 

To better reflect all Canadians, the most recent Stats Canada census used gender terminology inclusive of identity and expression to include non-binary and transgender persons in their information gathering, noted as women+ and men+. In the Kootenay Boundary, women+ had an average income of $39,960 compared to men+ earning $57,550 last year, a difference of almost $20,000.

Central Kootenay women+ averaged $39,200, and men+ earned an average of $52,750. In the East Kootenay, this gaps widens the furthest with women+ earning $43,560 and men+ $67,700. These figures highlight that there is a lot of work to do to reduce the gendered wage gaps in our communities.
   
Progress is happening, but it's too slow and not enough. In December, StatsCan reported decreases in both household income inequality and the gender wage gap. Even with these drops, the national wage gap between men and women is still $3.60 per hour. This works out to about $7,500 gross income per year less for women working full-time (40 hrs per week, 52 weeks per year) than men working the same hours. 

Pay inequity between women and men is gender-based discrimination and injustice. It is also only one factor that contributes to gendered wage gaps and is proven to be deeply detrimental to women’s ability to achieve economic equality.

> It will take 267 years to close the economic gender gap worldwide at the current rate of progress, according to the Canadian Women’s Foundation.


**What can be done?** 

Women are not responsible to drive this change yet should be engaged in identifying the solutions needed to drive that change. Removing systemic barriers to achieve pay equity and eliminate gender pay gaps involves areas such as:

**Legislation**

- Government and employers must prioritize legislation that supports equity for women – this includes promoting pay transparency and implementing and maintaining universal childcare initiatives

**Representation**

- Women must be given the opportunity to secure higher paying jobs and career advancement opportunities
  
**Workplace flexibility** 

- Employers must promote and normalize flexible working conditions such as remote or hybrid work and flexible work hours 
- Employers must provide comprehensive benefits including paid sick time, optional flex days for personal use, and designated childcare/caregiving benefits and supports 

**Are you an employer?** 

Taking action on any of these can set change in motion. In a market that is chronically short on available workers, making work more accessible and equitable for women just makes sense. These actions are critical to support options for women to continue to enter the labour force at record high rates and remain competitively employed.

These initiatives promote diverse and inclusive workspaces and opportunities to dismantle systemic barriers for women. Don’t you want to be a part of that?


Women are setting records in employment, so why is employment equity not breaking records, too?

What are some issues affecting workers over the age of 55? We started discussing this question and quickly realized we have to offer solutions if we’re going to discuss issues. These solutions highlight the benefits of hiring mature workers.

Let us know if you’ve experienced any of these.

**Issue: Age discrimination.** Despite laws and regulations aimed at preventing age discrimination in the workplace, some workers over the age of 55 still face prejudice and bias in the hiring process. This can make it difficult for older workers to find and retain employment.

***Solution: Experience and expertise.*** Older workers often have years of experience and a wealth of knowledge and skills that can be valuable to an organization.

**Issue: Health concerns.** As workers age, they may face health issues that affect their ability to perform their job duties. This can lead to difficulties in the workplace, including reduced hours, job loss, and discrimination.

***Solution: There is a need for part time workers, and mature workers can fill this gap.*** Also, they create a multigenerational work place with mentorship opportunities. Older workers can provide valuable mentorship and guidance to younger employees, easing the mature worker’s work load and helping the younger employees to develop their skills and careers. This can lead to a positive, supportive work environment and a sense of teamwork and camaraderie.

**Issue: Job security.** The rapidly changing job market can make it difficult for older workers to remain competitive and secure in their jobs. Automation and technological advancements have disrupted many industries, leaving older workers at risk of being replaced by younger, more tech-savvy workers.

***Solution: Loyalty and stability.*** Older workers tend to be more committed to their job and more likely to stay with an organization for an extended period of time. This can lead to greater stability and continuity within the workplace.

Also, while younger employees will likely change jobs many times in their careers, perhaps staying with your business only a few years, older workers are not on a career path looking for the next big thing. They’re much more likely to stay with you until they do fully retire.

**Issue: Retraining and upskilling opportunities.** As workers age, they may need to acquire new skills to remain relevant in the job market. Access to retraining and upskilling opportunities can be limited, especially for workers who are already in their 50s and 60s. This can make it difficult for older workers to move into new roles or industries.

***Solution: Positive attitude and life experience.*** Many older workers are lifelong learners who are keen to take training, have a good work ethic and study practices and are good at putting in the work to succeed in their training. They are usually dedicated to completing tasks to the best of their ability, making them a valuable asset to any team.

And, back to the mentorship discussion, training can work both ways, with mature workers imparting their knowledge to younger employees.

**We’re all about helping employers and employees find solutions to any issue that comes up.** As a final note, older workers often have a positive attitude and a wealth of life experience that can bring a fresh perspective and energy to the workplace. Their life experience can also help to increase empathy and understanding in the workplace, leading to a more inclusive and respectful work environment.

And if that’s not enough, who is more likely to bring home-baked snacks for the lunch room?


The benefits of hiring mature workers

Wow! We’re so excited to share our vision for our new building in downtown Trail! And today’s announcement of more than $2.39 million from Infrastructure Canada will help make it happen.

Read the news release, ***[Canada invests to make the Skills Centre more accessible and sustainable](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/files/NR%20-%20GICB%20-%20Skills%20Centre%20Eco-Renovation%20Project%20Trail%20-%20BC%20-%20EN_JSC.pdf)***

![](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/media/West%20White%20final%20web.webp)


Canada invests $2.39 million to make the Skills Centre more accessible and sustainable

**Kootenays** 

Has your commute seemed busier these days? What about parking, more difficult? Normally quiet places seem slightly busier? If you answered yes to any of these questions you may not be surprised to hear the region’s population grew again last month. With 100 more people in our communities in December, we’ve seen overall growth of about 500 people since June.

**Yet there continue to be more jobs than available workers.** If you are looking for work, that is good news.

The region’s unemployment rate dropped to a low of 2.9% in December, down 1% from November. While 400 people said they’d found a job during the month, an equal number of people left the workforce. Why would 400 people leave the labour market? Retirement or medical reasons are just two possible explanations.

This is not new, it’s the same trend we’ve been seeing for months – people continue to get jobs while others are exiting their job search altogether. It highlights that everyone needs to pursue their own path, and we can help you with that.

**British Columbia** 

BC followed a similar trend as there was a drop in the province’s unemployment to 4.2%, the third lowest in Canada for December. This is highlighted by 16,600 people starting a job last month.  

**Canada** 

Canada overall saw 104,000 more people get a job in December, reflected by a drop of .1% in the country’s unemployment rate, bringing it down to 5%. The growth in employment was led by youth aged 15–24 years followed by people 55 – 64. Women 25 – 54 with children under age 6 also saw big increases in employment.

With multiple viral and respiratory illnesses continuing to make waves across the country, it’s no surprise to see that close to 1 in 10 employees reported being absent during the month: 8.1%, up from 6.8% in November. As illnesses such as Covid and influenza persist, we can anticipate seeing higher rates of absenteeism continuing. 

Wages continued to increase, up 5.1% from December 2021, or +1.57 to $32.06. Ending the year, roughly 1 in every 10 workers currently has a hybrid working arrangement, up 6% from the start of the year. Hybrid indicates a combination of working from home and in the place of business, and if you are job searching, you can likely anticipate continuing to see this style of work available for many roles.

Understanding labour market trends can help you decide on your skills training and job search path. Have questions? [Contact us to see how we can help you.](https://skillscentre.ca/contact/)

Questions or comments? Alia Locken, Research Officer at the Skills Centre, prepared this release. Contact her through email [alocken@skillscentre.ca](mailto:alocken@skillscentre.ca) or phone (250)368-6360 ext 223.
*Unadjusted, 3-month moving average 
**Seasonally adjusted

***Sources:*** 

Statistics Canada. [Table 14-10-0387-02  Labour force characteristics by province and economic region, three-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality (x 1,000)](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410038702) Jan 16, 2023

Statistics Canada. [Table 14-10-0287-01  Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410028701) Jan 16, 2023

Statistics Canada. [The Daily — Labour Force Survey, December 2022 (statcan.gc.ca)](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230106/dq230106a-eng.htm) Jan 16, 2023

BC Stats. [Labour Force Statistics Highlights Issue #22-12 (gov.bc.ca)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/data/statistics/employment-labour-market/lfs_highlights.pdf) Jan 16, 2023


Low unemployment rate continues in the Kootenays

We hear there is an employment crunch. Lots of places are looking for workers. If you are someone looking for work, where do you find all these jobs? What do you have to do for your job search to work for you?

Advertising can be expensive, so many places look at quicker, cheaper ways to post a job. Here are a few suggestions to help you find out who is hiring.

**Job boards –** Search the job boards, online and in the newspapers. Respond quickly to ads. [Check out our job board](https://skillscentre.ca/jobs/) regularly to start! 

Think about the **niche job boards.** Many industry associations will advertise jobs on their websites. For instance, looking for work with a municipal government? [Civic Info BC](https://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/) is a great place to look. What about the education field? School boards advertise jobs almost exclusively on their site [Make a Future](https://www.makeafuture.ca/).  

***Not everyone advertises positions on the many job boards though, so where else do you look?***

**Facebook pages and groups –** Some local businesses and organizations put out a call on Facebook as the first step in advertising a job. It’s quick and economical and reaches their followers, so they are speaking to the audience they have already built. Stay on top of these and again, respond quickly.

You should also consider **following the social media of any businesses you’d like to work at** as well as checking their websites regularly. Some places only advertise on the careers or jobs page of their own webpage. It’s a bummer to miss out on an opportunity because you didn’t know they were hiring.

That leads to **word of mouth –** ask people if they know of any jobs. **Tell people** you are looking for work and they are likely to keep an ear out for you. You can also **ask people** about where they work, how they like their job or if they would recommend you for a job there.

**Look for signs –** signs in a store window that is. Many places start with a sign in their window saying they are hiring. Walk in and ask for more information. We’ve noticed that many employers looking for part-time help are likely to use only the sign in the window approach. So take a walk or drive around town and do some window shopping!

**Another sign** you might want to look for is the one that says, “closed today due to staff shortage” or something similar. That’s practically an invitation to walk in and ask if they are hiring.

A new one we’ve noticed in recent months: many of the fast food restaurant chains advertise jobs on **the coupon books** you receive in the mail. They know they’re reaching a lot of people, so why not tell their audience, we’re hiring.

There is no one way to look for a job. Do as many of these as you can. Doing the best you can means you’re engaged and serious about your job search. And that’s the best way to find success.

Check out [how we can help you](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/) look for work, get some training and other ways we can support you in your job search.


Where are all those jobs we’re hearing about?

### Women reach record high employment

The good news: women 25 to 54 years old continue to secure employment at record high levels.

The bad news: income inequality is still prevalent.

Pay equity for women continues to be critically unmet. High inflation, persistent gendered wage gaps, and low wage growth in predominantly female sectors are a few major factors contributing to this. This inequality reduces women’s purchasing power in our economy. That means women have a reduced ability to purchase and consume goods and services competitively, putting them at a predetermined disadvantage.

> As detailed by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, “pay inequity is so important because earnings are a key determinant of economic well-being in Canada… It’s one of the root causes of gendered poverty.”

In January, we will be releasing more in depth blogs on women in the economy and 2023’s potential for a recession. Stay tuned for those.

**Going to college after university**

Stats Canada released their final census report of the year on November 30, with results on education, labour force, and minority official languages. It showed that 24.1% of BC college students already hold a bachelor’s degree or higher degree before entering college. Nationally, closer to 20% of college students already hold a degree.

Women were 6.2% more likely than men to possess a bachelor’s degree or higher when they start a college program. The most common studies for these students were human resources/management, nursing specializations (eg, critical care nurse), and allied health professions (eg, paramedic). 

![](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/media/Nov%20imbed%20LMI%20blog%20visual%20%20(2)%20web.webp)
### Statistics Canada’s November Labour Force Survey data

**Kootenays**
•	3.9%* unemployment rate, down 1% from October
•	6,600 fewer people are looking for work since June
•	1,200 more people are no longer in the labour force 
•	Employment fell by 300 jobs while .8% fewer people participated in the labour market 

**BC**
•	4.4%** unemployment rate, up .2% 
•	Gained 8,800 full time jobs yet had an overall decline in jobs (-13,700) driven by a decrease in part time positions
•	105,000 more people work in BC than pre-pandemic 
•	BC leads in women’s job recovery with 73,500 more working now than pre-pandemic 

**Canada**
•	5.1%** unemployment rate, down .1%
•	Core age workers (25-54 years) saw employment grow by 38,000 more people employed led by women who accounted for 25,000 of those workers
•	Core age women reached a new record high employment rate of 81.6% 
•	10,000 more people are employed than last month
•	Average hourly wages are up 5.6% (+1.71, $32.11) compared to last year at this time 

The census release also highlighted how Covid-19 has changed the current labour force: three times more people work from home now than before the pandemic, and public transit commuting has declined by 50% over the past three years. 

**Do you see yourself in any of these scenarios?** 

Are these fluctuations in the labour market affecting you? Do you want to look at new training opportunities? If you need help with your skills upgrading or job search, contact us to see how the Skills Centre can help you.
Interested in the full survey? [Check it out here.](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221202/dq221202a-eng.htm) Read more of the Census release [here](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/index-eng.cfm?MM=1). 

Alia Locken, Research Officer at the Skills Centre, prepared the statistical interpretations of Statistics Canada’s data release. If you have any information and/or questions, or would be interested in sharing about your experience in our local labour market, contact Alia at [alocken@skillscentre.ca](mailto:alocken@skillscentre.ca) or by phone at (250)368-6360 ext 223.

*Unadjusted, 3-month moving average 
**Seasonally adjusted

Sources: 
Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0387-02  Labour force characteristics by province and economic region, three-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality (x 1,000) Dec 5, 2022
Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0287-01  Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months Dec 5, 2022 
BC Government News. Minister’s statement on November Labour Force Survey results | BC Gov News Dec 5, 2022 
Statistics Canada. The Daily — Labour Force Survey, November 2022 (statcan.gc.ca) Dec 5, 2022
Statistics Canada. Going to college after finishing a degree (statcan.gc.ca) Nov 30, 2022
Statistics Canada. Commuting in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic: What changed from 2016 to 2021? (statcan.gc.ca) Nov 30, 2022
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). Women’s earnings lag behind high rates of inflation | The Monitor (monitormag.ca) Nov 23, 2022


Women reach record high employment

The unemployment rate in the Kootenay region saw its first drop since June, falling 1.2% to 4.9%*. Compared to the provincial unemployment rate of 4.2%** and national rate of 5.2%**, our region aligns quite closely.

![](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/media/October%20imbed%20LMI%20blog%20visual%20web.webp)
**At a glance:**

**Locally:**

- The Kootenays saw a 100 person population increase for the fifth month in a row 
- 3,000 fewer people are actively looking for work
- Employment fell 1,900 while the total unemployment dropped 1,100

**Provincially:**

- 4.2% unemployment rate was a slight drop from September
- BC added 9,800 people and the same number of new jobs to the labour market
- Full time employment increased for people 15-24 years and 55+ while part time positions grew for 15-24 and 25-54 year olds

**Nationally:**

- 5.2% unemployment rate was unchanged this month
- Canada reported just over 108,000 more people with jobs in October
- Employment was up for men and women 25-54
- The unemployment rate for men 25-54 decreased slightly while the rate for women 15-24 increased 1.7%
- Driven largely by the increased price for gas, inflation was up 0.7% from September marking the highest increase since June 
- Inflation is 6.9% higher than this time last year (find out your personalized inflation rate [here](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/71-607-X2020015))

**What does this all mean?**

The drop in the unemployment rate is not an entirely positive sign of the state of our local economy. Coupled with 3,000 fewer people in the labour force, the number of employed people down 1,900, and a participation rate decrease of 2.2%, it begins to highlight there may be more going on.

Traditionally, a decrease in the unemployment rate is encouraging as it can be a signifier of health in an economy. It can indicate that job seekers are getting jobs at a greater rate than not – so, it’s a good thing! In our current economy though, we’re operating in a bit of an unknown. Along with the unemployment rate drop, we saw an increase of 3,000 people not in the labour force. We will see in the coming months just how much of this can be attributed to job seekers securing sustainable work versus other contributing factors such as a discouraged labour force.  

We continue to navigate a complex and unique economic time, hearing of local employers struggling to fill vacancies, a sometimes discouraging labour market, and record high inflationary impacts. We also hear of innovative approaches to addressing new workforce pressures and career advancing opportunities for job seekers that maybe didn’t exist two or three years ago. We’re seeing employers evaluating their hiring and retention practices. 

It is not possible to predict the future of the labour market, however, we can conclude a few important things. Being knowledgeable on evolving labour market trends and changes will remain critical in supporting informed decision making. Trends in data do exist and we track them. These are both areas we report on - when it comes to the data, let us be your expert! Check our [News](https://skillscentre.ca/news) section for insightful labour market blog posts and be sure to follow us on social media for updates. 

Interested in the full survey? [Check it out here.](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221104/dq221104a-eng.htm) Looking for key definitions? [Our July blog can help.](https://skillscentre.ca/news/view/what-do-the-latest-employment-numbers-mean-for-you)

**Note:** October reported on youth (15-24), if you want to know more about youth in the Trail area, Statistics Canada’s Portrait of Youth Data Visualization Tool (picture below) gives a great interactive snapshot for ages 15-34. [Find the full tool here.](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2022020-eng.htm)

![](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/media/statscan%20portrait%20of%20youth%20tool%20picture%20web.webp)

Alia Locken, Research Officer at the Skills Centre, prepared the statistical interpretations of Statistics Canada’s data release. If you have any information and/or questions, or would be interested in sharing about your experience in our local labour market, contact Alia at [alocken@skillscentre.ca](mailto:alocken@skillscentre.ca) or by phone at (250)368-6360 ext 223.

**Unadjusted, 3-month moving average
** Seasonally adjusted*

**Sources**
Statistics Canada. [Table 14-10-0387-02  Labour force characteristics by province and economic region, three-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality (x 1,000)](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410038702) Nov 8, 2022
Statistics Canada. [Table 14-10-0287-01  Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410028701) Nov 8, 2022 
[Labour Force Statistics Highlights Issue #22-09 (gov.bc.ca)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/data/statistics/employment-labour-market/lfs_highlights.pdf) Nov 9, 2022 
[The Daily — Labour Force Survey, October 2022 (statcan.gc.ca)](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221104/dq221104a-eng.htm) Nov 8, 2022
[The Daily — Consumer Price Index, October 2022 (statcan.gc.ca)](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221116/dq221116a-eng.htm) Nov 17, 2022


October’s given us a lot to talk about!

The living wage has gone up across the province, and West Kootenay and Boundary communities are no exception. They have all seen a significant increase over the 2021 rate, this year’s Living Wage Update report shows.

The increase is driven by two essentials that every family needs: food and shelter.

- In Trail, the new living wage calculation is $21.13 an hour for 2022, up 16% over last year
- In Castlegar, the living wage is $20.54 (this is Castlegar’s first year calculating a living wage)
- In Nelson, the living wage is now $20.83, up 6% over last year
- In Grand Forks, the 2022 living wage calculation is $20.05, a 17% increase

> The living wage is the hourly wage that two parents working full-time need to earn to support a family of four. Other communities across the province that have seen staggering living wage increases include Kelowna at $22.88, 23.7% higher than last year; Victoria at $24.29, 18.7% higher than last year; and Metro Vancouver at $24.08, 17.3% higher than last year.

“With general inflation shooting up to a 40-year high this year, and with the cost of food rising even faster and rent increasing everywhere, especially for families that need to move and are no longer protected by rent control, it’s not surprising to see such big increases this year,” says Anastasia French, Living Wage for Families provincial manager.

“Locally, we’ve all seen the cost increases and are finding our own ways to deal with them, regardless of our income,” says Heather Glenn-Dergousoff, poverty reduction program specialist at the Skills Centre in Trail, one of the region’s living wage employers. “For people in working poverty, the concept of a living wage is a huge step up financially that has ripple effects on their stress levels, their health and wellness, their job satisfaction, and their family life.”

“If you’re working a 40 hour week for minimum wage, you’re earning a little over $32,000 a year. A living wage for a 40 hour week is about $42,000 a year. That difference will be life-changing for a family,” Glenn-Dergousoff adds.

[Read the full Living Wage Update here.](https://policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/working-living-wage-making-paid-work-meet-basic-family-needs-metro-vancouver)


Major increase in the living wage across BC

***Have you recently retired and are now looking for a way to connect with people or put your skills to use? Have you thought about a part time job?***

Notice how we don’t see those Freedom 55 ads anymore? That’s because the majority of Canadians between the ages of 55 and 64 are still actively working. Only one fifth of Canadians in that age group are fully retired. Are you retired or semi-retired or thinking about how you can make retirement work for you?

Are you considering looking for a post-retirement job? Perhaps part time or a different type of job than you held through your career? What can post-retirement work look like, and who needs it?

**These are the important questions we help you answer with our Mature Workers program.**

Baby boomer retirements continue to place pressure on an already reduced labour supply. This is a problem, and it can be an opportunity. The 55+ worker has a lot to offer employers. You bring skills, experience and knowledge that are transferable, meaning maybe you’re looking for a different type of job, yet your experience and knowledge are suitable for a wide variety of roles.

> A multi-generational workplace is a good thing. Different people at different stages of their careers bring different skill sets, motivations, experiences and ideas.

If you are a mature worker looking to re-enter the workforce and find a new job, here are a few of the many benefits of working after retirement: 

- It can be an opportunity to try something new
- You continue to be part of a social group through a job 
- You are able to top up your income 
- You can contribute your knowledge and expertise in the workplace 
- It can give you a sense of purpose 
- You may have an opportunity to enhance your skills or learn new skills 
- It can be a chance to stay active and maintain your confidence

If you are a mature worker who has recently retired and would like to explore options to re-enter the workforce, whether you are returning for social or financial gain or any other reason, we offer support to get you there.

The Skills Centre’s [Mature Workers program](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/skills-training/) offers support in looking for work, finding a job match, applying for jobs, connecting with employers, and helping you improve your resume and interview skills. We also help you develop your skills and get the training to start working again.

You are not alone in the process of finding work past 55. [Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you.](https://skillscentre.ca/contact/)


Recently retired? Looking for part time work?

Statistics Canada's **September Labour Force Survey** is here! August data trends continued to prevail with a few key additions, so let’s see what the numbers say.   
![](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/media/September%20imbed%20LMI%20blog%20visual%20(2).png) 
>**Unadjusted data - regular seasonal events included*

 September brought about another rise to 6.1% in our region’s unemployment rate (unadjusted, 3-month moving average) which continued to trend higher than the province at 4.8% (4.3% seasonally adjusted) and Canada at 5.3% (5.2% seasonally adjusted). 

**Provincially,** British Columbia led national employment increases adding 33,000 jobs in September and reported one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada with 109,000 more working today than before the pandemic. BC was one of only two provinces to have experienced job growth for youth.

**Nationally,** the unemployment rate decreased .2% bringing it to 5.2%. Employment dropped for women 15 – 24 years, but men of the same age saw an increase as did core age women (25-54 years). Unemployment was down for women 55+ and 25 – 54. Insight into two social conditions that influenced employment: 
-	Baby boomer retirements continued to place pressure on labour supply as Canadians 65+ have increased 11.6% since 2019 accounting for 736,000 Canadians
-	Women are more likely than men to make career/job decisions around daycare responsibilities

**Locally,** we continue connecting with local employers to identify labour market trends and listen to the impactful stories of economic conditions in our communities. These conversations and meetings help us respond to needs and build a deeper understanding of issues affecting those we serve. While we continue to report back on what we discover, we welcome employers to reach out.   If you are interested in sharing your experience in our labour market or to find out how we can help, let’s connect: (250)368-6360 ext 223, [alocken@skillscentre.ca](mailto:alocken@skillscentre.ca)

**Interested in what we do?** Here’s a list of services for job seekers, employed persons, and employers alike – we have something for everyone! 
>- **[Job board](https://skillscentre.ca/jobs) or [Post a Job](https://skillscentre.ca/jobs/post)**
>- **[Support for businesses](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/support-for-business/)** 
>- **[Employment programs](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/skills-training/)** 
>- **[Skills Centre Newsletter](https://skillscentre.ca/news)** 
>- **[Poverty Reduction](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/poverty-reduction/)** 

Check out the full survey [here](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221007/dq221007a-eng.htm?HPA=1)!

**Questions and/or comments?** 
Alia Locken, Research Officer at the Skills Centre, prepared the above statistical interpretations. You can contact Alia directly by email [alocken@skillscentre.ca](mailto:alocken@skillscentre.ca) or phone (250)368-6360 ext 223.

>Sources:
>- Statistics Canada. [Table 14-10-0387-02  Labour force characteristics by province and economic region, three-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410038702) Oct 13, 2022
>- Statistics Canada. [Table 14-10-0287-01  Labour force characteristics, monthly, seasonally adjusted and trend-cycle, last 5 months](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410038701)Oct 13, 2022
>- [The Daily — Labour Force Survey, September 2022 (statcan.gc.ca](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221007/dq221007a-eng.htm?HPA=1) Oct 13, 2022

Employers, Job Seekers, Employees – how are you doing?

It all comes down to raising a family in the best place for Heather Glenn-Dergousoff. Along with her husband and two young children, Heather traded the urban lifestyle of Calgary for the rural lifestyle of Rossland 10 years ago. Other than driving through once, they hadn’t even spent time here!

Her husband got a job with Fortis, though, and Heather was ready to leave her law enforcement career as a civilian criminal intelligence analyst to stay home with their two daughters. Their son was born here, and when he was 2, she decided it was time to go back to work.

> “I started working with families with young children to make this region the best place to raise a family,” Heather says. “It’s very important to support our families, especially with young children, because that’s the way to build vibrant communities.”

Heather started at the Skills Centre recently, working three days a week on poverty reduction initiatives. She continues to work the other two days as the executive director of the Family Action Network.

Last year, she also worked for the school district as an inclusion support employee, helping include the diverse needs of students in the classroom. She sees a natural progression from working with families and the complexities of working with different service providers to working to reduce poverty.

Heather’s work is primarily focused on reducing the number of people who are working yet still living in poverty in Trail. It’s a three year project that’s just getting started, and it lives up to her goal of making this the best place to raise a family.


Meet Heather

If you think Sandi looks familiar when you first walk through our door and she’s there to greet you, you’re probably right. Sandi was born in Trail and has lived in the West Kootenays all her life. She’s lived in several different Kootenay communities, and now calls Fruitvale home.

You may know Sandi from Little Hands Family Daycare which she ran for 19 years, or from her time as district commissioner for Girl Guides of Canada.

She has recently joined our team as administrative support. With over 20 years of office experience, Sandi will be one of the friendly people helping you when you contact the Skills Centre.

> “I’m extremely approachable which is a quality I’m very proud of because not everyone is,” Sandi says.

She has trained at Selkirk College and College of the Rockies in office administration, as an educational assistant, and as a community support worker, all of which give her tools to help our clients and potential clients here at the Skills Centre. 

Sandi and her husband have been married for 30 years and have two adult children. Two years ago, they adopted Yogi, a dog originally rescued from Turkey, at the local animal shelter.

Sandi says she knows a lot of people in the community and a lot of people know her, and she’s excited that people will get to know her in her new role with the Skills Centre.

Meet Sandi Oorthuis

We’re launching a new program that will empower people living with low income and their service providers across the Basin and Boundary area.

**We’ve partnered with CBAL to offer Financial Navigators:** helping people living with low income figure out what support is available for them in the community, and building stronger partnerships among community service providers to offer the best service to their clients.

It will offer workshops, information and resources to navigate government benefits, financial institutions and financial literacy resources to increase the financial well-being of participants.

**We’re offering this Financial Navigation program in 16 communities throughout the region:** Arrow and Slocan Lakes, Grand Forks, Castlegar, Cranbook, Creston, Elk Valley, Golden, Kaslo and Balfour, Kimberley, Nelson, Revelstoke, Salmo, Slocan Valley, Trail and Area, Valemount, and Windermere Valley.

Contact Jaime [by email](mailto:jmalcolm@skillscentre.ca) or at 250-368-6360 ext 215 to get involved.

[Read the full news release here.](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/files/Fin%20Nav%20news%20release%20Sep%2028%2022.pdf)

Helping low income population find the finances

Statistics Canada released **August’s Labour Force Survey** recently, and Alia Locken, Research Officer at the Skills Centre, has had an opportunity to review what’s changed. **Here’s what we know.** 

In August, our region’s unemployment rate increased to 5.1% up from 3.9% in July (3 month moving average, seasonally unadjusted). This rate is higher than the province’s 4.8% yet lower than Canada at 5.4% (seasonally adjusted). Our region’s unemployment rate was 6.7% this time last year and 11.5% in August 2020.   

An increasing unemployment rate typically coincides with there being more job seekers than available jobs, but that’s not necessarily what’s happening. 

![](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/media/August%20imbed%20LMI%20blog%20visual%20%20(2).webp)
Nationally, **employment is down 40,000 jobs with the unemployment rate rising to 5.4%**. This is the first rise in seven months and not related to public health restrictions. The drop in employment was among youth, mostly women, ages 15–24 and people ages 55–64. These are two groups [we can help with specific programs.](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/)

**There was an increase in job seekers,** yet recruitment challenges will likely continue for employers: the number of unemployed people was lower than job vacancies. Coupled with many workers reaching retirement age, this added to an already tight labour market.

The unemployment rate for immigrants was lower but remained 2.6% higher than for people born in Canada. **Key to supporting economic growth is immigration,** yet many recent immigrants face unemployment when they enter the Canadian labour market. 

> **The local news**
Local employers and industry noted that these tight labour market conditions are also present in our communities. Accounts of challenges filling vacant positions and concerns about keeping employees have persisted for employers in our region.   

**The latest numbers also show:**

- Hybrid working arrangements continued to trend upwards with a .7% increase
- Average hourly wages rose 5.4% to $31.33 per hour (up $1.60)
- 1 in 10 permanent employees plan to leave their job over the next year, with a career change being the main reason
- Inflation remained high at 7.6%, down from 8.1% in June. The slow in inflation is attributed to decreased gasoline prices while prices of other commodities, such as groceries, continued to rise.
- Students ages 15 to 24 enrolled in full time studies saw an August employment rate of 55.6%. This is similar to last year and pre-pandemic (August 2019) rates.  

**Are you a job seeker?** Labour market conditions continue to be in your favour! Connect with us to learn tools to job search effectively and get the most out of your applications. [Check out our job board.](https://skillscentre.ca/jobs/) We post new and exciting opportunities daily.

**Are you an employer?** Evaluating and evolving recruitment and retention practices remains a priority. Posting to a local job board can help you reach a broader audience. [The Skills Centre offers this service for free.](https://skillscentre.ca/jobs/post/)                           

Interested in the full survey? [Check it out here.](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220909/dq220909a-eng.htm?HPA=1) 
Looking for key definitions? [Our July blog can help!](https://skillscentre.ca/news/view/what-do-the-latest-employment-numbers-mean-for-you/)

**Alia Locken, Research Officer at the Skills Centre,** prepared the statistical interpretations of Statistics Canada’s data release. If you have any information and/or questions, or would be interested in sharing about your experience in our local labour market, contact Alia at [alocken@skillscentre.ca](mailto:alocken@skillscentre.ca) or by phone at (250)368-6360 ext 223. 

*Seasonally unadjusted/actual = data that does not remove regular seasonal events.
**Seasonally adjusted = data that removes changes caused by regular annual seasonal events that happen each year 

August labour market data is in, so what’s changed?

Statistics Canada released July’s Labour Force Survey last Friday, and we’ve had a chance to dive into the data. Here are a few noteworthy stats about our Kootenay region and Canada (definitions included at the end).

**Kootenay Region, July over June 2022** 

- Population increased by 100 (up 2,300 compared to July 2021)*
- Labour force decreased by 100 (down 300 compared to July 2021) *
- Employment was down 200 (yet up 1,300 over July 2021) *
- Unemployment increased yet is still down 1,600 compared to July 2021*
- Slight decrease in both labour force participation and employment rates* 
- Unemployment rate edged up slightly .1% to 3.9% (July 2021 it was 5.8%)*

**What does this mean for our region?**

We are in a rapidly changing and evolving labour market that continues to respond to pandemic conditions, high inflation, and persistent labour market shortages. In our region, we are not exempt from these conditions. 

In July, our region saw a slight decrease in labour force participation and an increase in our unemployment rate (currently 3.9%*; national unemployment rate is 4.9%**). Yet our **unemployment rate** remains almost 2% lower than what it was in July 2021.

Though the unemployment rate has increased it doesn’t necessarily mean the **labour shortage** is over for the region. As this specific data does not remove annual seasonal events, an increase could be from an event like seasonal jobs ending and workers from those now unemployed and job searching. 

**Job seekers** remain in the position of power as the region continues to have labour shortages. This trend is anticipated to continue. 

Nationally, inflation is up 8.1% June 2022 from June 2021 continuing to place pressure on Canadians as it outpaces average hourly wage increases (5.2%, + $1.55 to $31.14*) over the same period.

**If you are a job seeker,** now’s the time to take a chance on a job you may not have considered a year ago. Connect with one of our program Project Specialists to discuss your application or get support in your search!

**If you are an employer,** now is a time to evaluate your recruitment practices and policies to consider how to attract and retain highly sought after employees. 

If you want to explore more details about the latest labour market numbers, [read the full survey here](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220805/dq220805a-eng.htm). 

**Definitions:** 

- *Working age:* 15 years and over
- *Population:* number of working age people 
- *Labour Force:* total employed and unemployed working age people in the population 
- *Employment rate:* percentage of employed working age people in a group of the labour force
- *Unemployment rate:* percentage of unemployed working age people in a group of the labour force
- *Participation rate:* percentage of employed/unemployed working age people in a group of the population 
- *Seasonally adjusted:* data that removes changes caused by regular annual seasonal events that happen each year (ie. climate, holidays, vacation, crop cycles, production/retail sales for holidays, etc)
- *Seasonally unadjusted/actual:* data that does not remove regular seasonal events

**Sources:**
Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0387-02  Labour force characteristics by province and economic region, three-month moving average, unadjusted for seasonality (x 1,000). doi:  https://doi.org/10.25318/1410038701-eng 
The Daily — Labour Force Survey, July 2022 (statcan.gc.ca) August 5, 2022 

What do the latest employment numbers mean for you?

Is that good yet vague job posting for real? Or is it a scam? What is a safe job search these days? 

I saw a job posted in a newspaper recently, a usually reputable source of help wanted ads. The job posting advertised for multiple positions, good pay, no qualifications needed, and the work started soon.

Yet on closer examination, it didn’t say where the jobs were or in what industry. It was not clear who the employer was or who was actually receiving the resumes and personal information—just a generic email address to respond to. There were a few other inconsistencies that made me wonder if it was a real job posting or some sort of scam.

I don’t like to be suspicious. Yet I had a client recently who applied for a job through a job search website and suddenly started receiving any number of scam and questionable job offers that were sent to him as a result of his resume likely being sold to third party sites.

Many of these offers asked him to download software to be interviewed for a job. That alone should make you cautious. In a couple of cases, he was able to identify the company, call their human resources and discover that the company was not involved in the job posting. They also warned him that they do not advertise for postings that way and never require applicants to download any software to apply or be interviewed for a position.

**What can you do to safeguard against scam job postings?**

- Always look for the name of the company, the location, and contact info in the job ad.
- Research the company online with your own search. If you can’t find the job posting on their site, contact them to see if the ad is legitimate.
- Never download software to apply or interview unless you’ve already spoken to the company and feel confident their request is legitimate (such as using a different video call software than Zoom or Facetime).
- If the ad is vague or lacks obvious information, be cautious.
- As they say, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Scams are an unfortunate reality of the internet, and going after people when they are vulnerable and looking for work is particularly repugnant, mean-spirited and just plain nasty. The onus is on you to do your best to understand that the job ad you are responding to is legitimate.

If you have any doubts or questions, [contact us.](https://skillscentre.ca/contact/) We’re here to help.

Is this a real job posting?

Chances are someone in your community has upgraded their skills recently to get a new job, someone has started a trades training program because they found funding that helped cover their expenses, and someone has sought help joining the workforce because English is their second or third language. Chances are also high that someone in your community has found support for trauma to help them prepare to re-enter the workforce, and someone has taken steps to find a path out of poverty.

If you live in the West Kootenays or Boundary area, chances are these people found this support through the Skills Centre in Trail. It’s been a busy year for the Skills Centre with many positive outcomes in the communities it serves.

“Young people, people from equity-seeking groups, women, survivors of trauma, and recent immigrants, all of these people in our communities, took these positive steps towards their training and employment goals. Several of our programs ran at full capacity, and the rest were almost full,” says Morag Carter, executive director of the Skills Centre.

The Skills Centre’s programs helped people in these different walks of life get into trades training, attend boot camps for skills training, access funding to help them upgrade their technology so that they can take the training they need, and work with counsellors and therapists, and in one program, use equine-assisted activities to help survivors of trauma. The Skills Centre also continued to support people living with low income to ensure they had healthy meals and learn to make economical and healthy food choices.

> “It may seem like a long list of activities and supports for people in our communities, yet that is exactly what our work and our vision is, fostering inclusive, resilient and prosperous communities. We accomplish this with the many partners we have, from other non-profits to local governments to businesses,” she says.

It’s also been a year of building the Skills Centre’s capacity and adapting to the community’s needs in the second year of the pandemic.

“As an organization, we have a new board chair as of June 16, we brought on a new board member, we developed a new 5 Year Strategic Plan, and we’ve just released our latest Community Impact Report highlighting how we help people in our communities,” Carter adds.

[Read a summary of the Skills Centre’s new 5 Year Strategic Plan here.](https://skillscentre.ca/news/view/5-year-strategic-plan-release/)

[Read the Skills Centre’s new Community Impact Report here.](https://skillscentre.ca/news/view/collaborating-key-to-community-impact/)

Helping people in our communities at the heart of Skills Centre’s success

Did you know that the Skills Centre partnered with **23 organizations, businesses and local governments** this past year to provide training and poverty reduction activities in our communities? These collaborations helped people upgrade their skills, find jobs, get counselling and other pre-employment support, and find some relief from the cycle of living with low income.

Collaboration is one of our corporate values, and it shows in our new **Community Impact Report** highlighting our work in your communities this past fiscal year. Helping people get training, gain skills, access financial support, and take steps to live the life they want takes a lot of people, time, effort, and collaboration. We’re thrilled to work with other non-profits, businesses and local governments to be able to contribute in our communities.

Because ultimately collaboration is about people--the people we work with and the people we serve, and our new Community Impact Report shares the success stories of the people who have been part of our last year: staff, clients, partners and funders.

[Read the new Community Impact Report here.](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/files/CIR%202022%20Web%20Final.pdf)

Collaborating key to community impact

2022 is the 25th anniversary of the Skills Centre, and it’s an appropriate moment to take stock of how far the Skills Centre has come since the organization was incorporated in 1997 and to plan for its future. 

Our staff and board of directors have put in a tremendous effort to develop a new 5 year strategic plan for the organization. The new plan acknowledges the many challenges and triumphs that are part of our history and lays out an ambitious path for our future.

We will become even more responsive to the needs of our communities as we complete our mission to strengthen rural and industrial communities and workplaces through workforce skills development, training services, social development and poverty reduction programming.

We will strengthen our existing partnerships with all levels of government, businesses, civil society and the community, and we will seek to build new partnerships with more communities and groups that have been marginalized - especially Indigenous, immigrant or LGBTQ2S+ communities.

The future will be exciting, and we hope you will join us on the journey.

> **[Read a synopsis of our new 5 Year Strategic Plan here](https://files.benecms.com/skillscentre/files/SkillsCentre%205YP%202022%20web%20version-compressed.pdf), and [contact us to learn more](https://skillscentre.ca/contact/).**

New 5 Year Plan charts ambitious path for our communities

***Your cover letter is the first thing a potential employer sees—make a good first impression with these tips***

Can a cover letter make or break your chance of getting an interview? Certainly submitting a resume with no cover letter decreases your chances.

Your cover letter is your chance to personalize your first contact with a potential employer. It introduces you, what you know and how you can help the employer.

> Inject some of your personality – if you’re enthusiastic, vibrant, loud, or quiet and thoughtful, get a bit of your personality in there that would be relevant to the job posting or the company’s culture.

Tell them how you learned about the position and mention specific skills listed in the job ad.
- Tell the employer what you will do for them: be specific; what skills do you have that the employer is looking for?

Include something you know about the company that is your reason for applying. Research the company on their website. For example:
- Your website states that your company values collaboration and accountability, values I share and bring to each position I hold.
- My resume provides an outline of my background and experience that I hope reflects the type of candidate you are seeking.

> Tell them enough to show you have what they are looking for while leaving something for the interview – a cover letter is not the story of your life. Also don’t repeat everything on your resume or there won’t be any reason for them to look at it.

Showcase your strengths, what work you are doing currently, and how your experience will help you succeed in the new position.
- If your are writing a cover letter for a career change or a different role, then show them what transferable skills you have that will help you to succeed in that role.

> Show them that you are eager to learn, and offer a brief example of a time you were challenged at the job. Problem-solving skills are important in any job, so if you can share an example of a problem you solved, tell that story. If it helped save time or money or resulted in some other positive change, make sure you mention that, too.

Your cover letter is about making that initial connection with your potential employer. Make a good first impression with a good cover letter, and you’ll increase your chances of getting an interview, and hopefully, getting the job.

Read our [Top 10 Resume Tips](https://skillscentre.ca/news/view/10-resume-tips-to-help-you-succeed/) to complete your application.

Cover letter tips to wow the employer

**Karina Allis** has delivered trauma informed employment supports in group and individual settings for the past eight years here at the Skills Centre. 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.

“I am honoured and at times humbled by what people will share with me. Not always the big disclosures but the feelings, the sad, the hurt, the loss of self esteem, the time lost to being unhappy and just surviving,” Karina says.

“I am so happy and at times relieved that people have been able to really benefit from the counselling and then the practical employment skills in this program. When they gain hard-won confidence in accomplishments – short courses, bigger courses, a resume that says I have skills and have accomplishments. It’s a pretty cool partnership I have with clients. I do love my job! When I say to someone who gets a job that the employer is lucky to have found them--and they are stupefied that this is my perspective--and then they own it.”

Meet Your SOVA Facilitator: Karina Allis

Want to work in the service industry? Local restaurants, cafés, accommodations and golf courses are all hiring. Are you unemployed and not a full time student? Sign up for our **Service Industry Bootcamp** to get all the certifications you need to start your job in the service industry.

We are offering two, one week bootcamps for people ages 17-29.
Choose either May 24th – 27th or June 6th – 10th.

You’ll get certificates in Serving it Right, Foodsafe, Superhost, WHMIS, First Aid and more—all the credentials your new employer is looking for staff to have. **That’s $400 in training that eligible participants get for free, and you’ll get a $100 bonus for completing the bootcamp.** 

The bootcamp will also cover time management, goal setting, customer service skills along with help perfecting your resume and cover letter to land the job you want. **[Don’t wait—sign up today!](https://skillscentre.ca/contact/)**

Get set for summer at our Service Industry Bootcamp

If the longevity of an organization is a sign of its success, then 23 years spent on its board of directors is a sign of a good board member. Roberta Post has been on the Skills Centre board since 1999, and she’s retiring from the board this spring ready to hand the work over to someone new.

“The board members have always been interesting, each with different life experiences, and we don’t always know what those life experiences are, which can be good,” Roberta says of her time in the volunteer position.

> “It’s a well-run board, which doesn’t always happen in all organizations. I’ve been on other boards that weren’t as interesting, and never for as long as I’ve been on the Skills Centre board, which says a lot,” she says.

Roberta has been vice-president, president, and is the current past-president. When Lila Cresswell steps down as president in June, she’ll take on the mantle of past-president, and Roberta sees this as a good time to step down herself and let someone new join the board.

She says that she felt fully supported and appreciated in her various roles on the board. That the Skills Centre is still going strong after 25 years is significant and really shows its value in the community, she adds.

**Different perspectives build a good a board**

Roberta was asked to join the Skills Centre board of directors in its infancy. She worked at the hospital and brought a healthcare perspective to help the organization’s mandate of building skills and job opportunities in Trail and the surrounding communities. After she retired from her job, she and her husband opened a business, so she brought in a small business perspective as well.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great people—staff members, board members—really smart, good people.”

“I appreciated working with people with great values; otherwise they wouldn’t be working here or on the Board. Values are very important to me. The Skills Centre supports the community in any way it can. It’s had two excellent executive directors; they wouldn’t be in that role if they weren’t excellent people.”

The opportunities for the board members and the staff to interact at planning sessions are among the highlights she notes of her years contributing to the Skills Centre’s success.

> “It gave me a sense of involvement in the community that I wouldn’t have otherwise. It gave me an ability to speak and be heard and have my opinion valued, have my involvement valued.”

Her advice for people thinking about volunteering and what they can contribute as well as what they get out of the experience for themselves also hinges on values and being valued. It’s clear she has both fondness and respect for her time with the Skills Centre.

“It’s really important  that anyone coming on the board understands what the Skills Centre represents. New members need to be interested in the community.”

“I have been proud to be on the board with other caring, community-minded, empathetic people,” Roberta says as we wrap up our conversation, and she is confident that new board members will have a similar experience.

**Do you want to make a difference in your community?**

Are you interested in helping Trail and area communities solve employment, skills training and poverty issues? The Skills Centre is looking for two new board members this spring. If this sounds like you, give us a call.

[Read more about this volunteer position here.](https://skillscentre.ca/jobs/view/board-of-directors/)


Roberta Post marks 23 years on Skills Centre board of directors

**Skills Centre Board of Director’s Job Description**

The Board of Directors guarantees the accountability of the Skills Centre. It is a policy/governance Board responsible for financial and strategic oversight of the organization and delegates authority over operational issues to staff through the executive director.

The Board governs with an emphasis on outward vision, encourages diversity in viewpoints, strategic leadership, collective decisions, clear distinction of Board and chief executive roles, and is future-focused and proactive.

**The Board:**

- Operates with consistency and is accountable for competent, conscientious and effective accomplishment of its obligations.
- Cultivates a sense of group responsibility. The Board is responsible for excellence in governing, is the initiator of policy, and uses the expertise and strengths of individual members to enhance the ability of the Board as a whole to express its values.
- Expects of its members: regular attendance, preparation for meetings, respect for roles, and ensuring the continuity of governance capability.
- Provides inspiration, direction ad control to the organization through the careful establishment of Board written policies reflecting the Board’s values and perspectives.

**Contributions of the Board shall be:**

- Their collective expertise and knowledge in effective governance with the wider community.
- Participation in the meetings and decisions of the Board and its committees.
- The board meets in September, November, January, March and May. The Annual General Meeting is in June. 

**Core committees are:**

- Policy & Planning (the executive committee of the board)
- Development (Board recruitment, training and capacity development)
- Audit (oversees financial reporting and the annual audit)
- Bursary Committee (oversees and participates the award of Skills Centre bursaries)
- HR (performance and evaluation of the executive director)

The Board commits itself and its members to ethical and business-like conduct in carrying out its mandate. This includes proper use of authority and appropriate decorum when acting as Board members. Board members also commit to follow all Board policies and the Code of Conduct.

Skills Centre Board of Director’s Job Description

Do you want to make a difference in your community? Are you interested in helping Trail and area communities solve employment, skills training and poverty issues? The Skills Centre is looking for two new board members this spring. If this sounds like you, give us a call.

We strive to reflect the communities where we live and work. We want you to be able to see yourself in our organization, and that means we reflect the diversity of the people we serve. Our board of directors also needs to include this diversity, and we’re especially looking for new board members from these communities:
•	BIPOC
•	Indigenous
•	LGBTQ2S+
•	People living with disabilities

And we’re looking for people who can bring skills including:
•	Experience with not for profits or charities
•	Legal, financial and compliance
•	Fund development and fundraising

> Our board members all contribute to our success at the Skills Centre, and since we will be celebrating the Skills Centre’s 25th anniversary this year, you can be part of the next era by joining our board and making your contribution.

**More about this volunteer opportunity**

The Skills Centre Board of Directors is a policy/governance board that meets six times each year. The board is responsible for financial and strategic oversight of the organization and delegates authority over operational issues to staff through the executive director. The board has committees for Policy & Planning, Development, Audit, Bursaries and Human Resources.

Read more about this volunteer position [here](https://skillscentre.ca/news/view/skills-centre-board-of-directors-job-description/).

Our annual general meeting and election of directors takes place in June. If you are interested in joining our board of directors, please contact us at [mcarter@skillscentre.ca](mailto:mcarter@skillscentre.ca).


You can contribute as a board member

I walked into the kitchen at the Trail United Church to meet the participants of Community Kitchens. Five friendly, enthusiastic people greeted me. They were working together to prepare a healthy meal for their families. They were tossing advice back and forth on how to prepare this or how to fix that, handing each other ingredients they needed, sharing the dishwashing duties, and generally just being social.

They looked like they were having fun. It was a good day. I was there to take their pictures for the Skills Centre’s social media and other communications. I wanted to stay and help and, yes, test the chocolate peanut butter squares that hadn’t even gone into the oven yet. (I didn’t; that’s not why I was there.)

Community Kitchens is one of the Skills Centre’s poverty reduction programs. People living with low income join our facilitator each week to learn about nutrition and food budgeting. Together they make a healthy meal with inexpensive ingredients. This day they were making meatloaf, a vegetable side dish, and chocolate peanut butter squares. Alanna, the facilitator, was clearly pleased to share that they were doing all this for less than $50 in food costs for all of them.

> There was much more at play than economical meal planning though. They were sharing stories, socializing, becoming friends, building each other up.

They were happy to have me take their photos. They were equally happy to share how much they appreciate Alanna’s guidance and Community Kitchens. They shared their gratitude openly and unsolicited. It made me feel good to hear their genuine appreciation for the opportunities Community Kitchens is giving them.

It is a great example of strengthening our community together. Wouldn’t it be great if we could have more programs like Community Kitchens and more local people taking part?

Community Kitchens is part of our [Thriving for All poverty reduction initiative](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/poverty-reduction/) and is funded by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) and Teck. The Skills Centre is dedicated to strengthening the region’s workforce, promoting inclusion and eliminating poverty through initiatives such as Community Kitchens.

Community Kitchens participants take the cake

Are you 17 to 29 years old and want to train as a wildfire fighter? We’re offering a Boot Camp April 11-14 near Nelson. Take these four courses:
- S100/S185 Fireline Safety & Suppression/ Fire Entrapment Avoidance
- S212- Fireline Communications
- ICS100 – Introduction to the Incident Command System

You’ll also get employment readiness workshops and soft skills training in workshops such as resume writing, cover letters, interview prep, and soft skills including communication, team work, and time management. 

[Contact Bethel](https://skillscentre.ca/contact/) today to see about eligibility.


Wildfire Fighting Boot Camp this April

***Your resume is one of the most important pieces in your job search. Try these tips to make your resume stand out.***

Think of your resume as a list of what you did in the past and a blueprint for what you can do in the future.

Resumes are fact based. They are a record of your work experience, your training and certifications, your volunteer experiences, and your accomplishments. 

Focus on accomplishments rather than job duties to show what you can do to contribute with your skills. For example: *Revamped office filing system for more efficient access* shows how you can help the company succeed rather than just listing *filing* as one of the duties of your last job.

As another example, which one would impress a potential employer more, do you think? 
•	*I answered the phones.* Or
•	*I was the first point of contact, welcoming clients, responding to inquiries and directing people to the person they needed to see.*

Clearly, there is more than one way to showcase your experience and skills!

**Follow these tips to write your best resume:**
1. Use clear, plain language
2. Be honest & accurate
3. Make sure it sounds like you
4. Keep it clean & easy to read: use standard fonts in black and white, no fancy graphics & use a standard layout
5. Use bullet points and numbers to break up the information into easy to read sections
6. Match your skills to the job posting
7. Focus on accomplishments rather than job duties
8. Keep it to two pages maximum
9. Create a clean & clear professional email address for your job search, such as your name and the year or a simple number if needed @email.com 
10. Proofread: double check your spelling, numbers, dates & contact info

Got that resume looking great? Then [contact us](https://skillscentre.ca/contact/) with your questions. We’re here to help you in your job search.

10 Resume Tips to Help You Succeed

Community Kitchens is back in downtown Trail!

Community Kitchens provides people living with low income a supportive environment to learn about healthy, affordable food preparation, and creates a space for community and inclusion. A small group (up to six people including the facilitator) will meet regularly to prepare a nutritious meal together. They’ll prepare enough food for participants to take home for their families or others in their household. We will have COVID safety practices and policies in place to ensure a safe and healthy environment.

Alanna, our facilitator, will prepare for the group and guide the process: teaching about cooking and nutrition while ensuring everyone is engaged and feeling connected. She will ensure participants feel welcome and included in the group decision-making and task-sharing, and she’ll promote community inclusion and healthy lifestyle habits.

Alanna will develop menus for the weekly programs based on what is available at the food bank that week and what is on special in the local grocery stores.

We will work closely with organizations such as FAIR, Trail Association for Community Living, CDS, Sanctuary, the United Way and others to identify potential participants who might benefit from Community Kitchens.

Community Kitchens is part of our Thriving for All poverty reduction initiative and is funded by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) and Teck. The Skills Centre is dedicated to strengthening the region’s workforce, promoting inclusion and eliminating poverty through initiatives such as Community Kitchens.

If you or someone you know would benefit from Community Kitchens, [please contact us](https://skillscentre.ca/contact/).


Community Kitchens returns to downtown Trail

*Productivity is up. Absences are down. Staff are happier and healthier. Thank the four day work week.*

We’ve seen media attention recently about testing the four day work week. Generally, people report positive results. At the Skills Centre, we moved to a four day work week almost two years ago, and we wouldn’t go back.

The four day work week is part of a package of measures that we established in 2019. It standardized benefits across the organization and got rid of institutionalized inequalities.

**Here’s the summary:**
•	34 hour work week for all employees. (Previously, staff worked a 40 hour week.) 
•	Includes a paid 30 minute lunch break, but no morning or afternoon breaks 
•	There is no overtime accrual except in circumstances with prior approval
•	Some staff work Monday to Thursday, some Tuesday to Friday

**The key to the four day work week is flexibility**
The office is open from 8:30 – 5:00 on Monday, 8:00 – 5:00 Tuesday to Thursday, and 8:00 – 4:30 on Friday. We offer flexibility for staff to ensure that they have time to cover child care, elder care or care for dependents with disabilities.

Staff must be in the office or working from home for core office hours (which we set as 9:00 – 3:30) to maximize the time that they have for collaborative work with their colleagues. This means that we have some staff who are in the office between 8:30 and 4:00 on their work days, and they work from home either early in the day or later in the evening.

Several staff work from home one day or part of a day each week. If weather or road conditions are a concern, as they can easily be in a Canadian winter, staff are set up to work from home and encouraged to stay safe and not drive to the office.

There are accountability mechanisms built into each employee’s roles that are outcomes-based, which is how we track their productivity. We also have minimum staffing requirements for the office. One person is in charge of our calendar and manages staff coverage. 

**Salaries & expectations stay the same**
We did not reduce staff salaries – which was the equivalent of a 17% increase in their pay rates. We did not reduce staff work load either, and we increased accountabilities. 

**Tactics to make the four day week work include:**
•	Keeping meetings to a minimum & keeping meetings short
•	Helping staff manage their workload to get everything done in the reduced time
•	Staff are expected to plan personal appointments on their day off, although if the doctor or dentist, for example, is not open on their day off they can use sick time to cover the appointment

In weeks with a statutory holiday, staff can work either a three or four day work week. If they opt to work four days, they can ‘bank’ the holiday to contribute towards a two week winter closure. The closure is timed to coincide with Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, so staff only need to accrue five or six of the annual statutory holidays to cover the time for the winter closure; otherwise they use vacation days.

We do not allow staff to carry forward banked statutory holidays from one year to the next. Just as we can’t afford the liability of unused vacation, we cannot afford the liability of accrued unused lieu time either. 

***Tip:*** If a closure at that time is not feasible for your organization, you could explore a rotation with one group off one year, another the next.

**Time off**
We also offer staff two flex days in the year and a day off for their birthday. Staff rarely use their flex days now because of the four day work week. 

We also standardized the vacation package.
•	3 weeks for staff in first 3 years of employment
•	4 weeks in years 4 and 5
•	5 weeks at the completion of 5 years of service
•	Management start at 4 weeks and the executive director at 5 weeks

All vacation must be taken during the year and only one week of vacation is permitted as carry-over for the next fiscal year. In extraordinary circumstances (for example maternity or paternity leave), we will allow an additional week to be carried over, but because it is an organizational liability, it needs to be approved. 

**After all this, what are the results?**
•	20% increase in productivity
•	Reduction in staff sick time and a general increase in well-being 
•	Staff are very proud of their workplace – and it shows 
•	No Covid outbreaks in our workplace

**Staff Satisfaction Survey**
•	2021 – 89% overall staff satisfaction (after multiple organizational shifts and changes, Covid shutdowns and reopens)
•	Continued increase in positive responses (Strongly Agree + Agree) year over year
•	2021: 85% of statements above 80%
•	2018: 81% of statements above 80%
•	2017: 65% of statements above 80%

**Just do it**
Is now the time to test the four day work week? Absolutely. The pandemic has highlighted the need for flexibility and the value of helping your employees find a work-life balance. We have heard people say immediately that it can’t work for their company. We have also heard others say that it’s an idea worth exploring. 

If you’re challenged to find and retain employees and concerned about productivity and down-time, the solutions might be easy to find: things like a living wage, benefits, and, yes, a four day work week.

We’re happy to share more about the benefits we’ve seen with the four day work week. [Contact us](https://skillscentre.ca/contact/) if you want to discuss how you can make it work.

Want to learn more about the 4 day work week? [We blogged about it here as well.](https://skillscentre.ca/news/view/skills-centre-embraces-four-day-work-week/)

The Case for the 4 Day Work Week

Thriving for All is the official poverty reduction plan adopted by the City of Trail, City of Rossland, Village of Warfield, Village of Montrose, and Village of Fruitvale. The Skills Centre helped develop this plan with residents and representatives from the municipalities, including those with lived or living experience of poverty. With this information, we developed a series of strategies to reduce poverty and increase the opportunity to thrive, which fall into these five themes.

### Housing

1. Ensure the availability of data required to support affordable housing initiatives
2. Facilitate coordination amongst organizations operating subsidized housing for low income households
3. Develop mechanisms for low income households to access information on affordable housing options
4. Increase the number of subsidized rental housing options for low income households
5. Advocate for support by government to develop and operate affordable housing

### Social, Health & Community Services

1. Promote increased access to social and health services
2. Promote barrier free access to transportation for low income households
3. Promote barrier free access for lower income households to recreation, arts and culture activities
 
### Food Security

1. Promote the development of community gardens to support poverty reduction
2. Promote opportunities for low income households to earn livelihoods through the production and sale of food and food-related products
3. Promote opportunities for low income households to prepare nutritious food
4. Encourage planning and communication amongst food security players that contributes to the reduction of poverty

### Learning & Development

1. Improve access to learning and academic upgrading for low income individuals
2. Improve the availability of and access to childcare
3. Improve access to early childhood services and resources for low income families

### Vibrant & Inclusive Economy

1. Promote the Living Wage as a means of providing workers access to a good quality of life
2. Promote employment of lower skilled individuals by supporting the development of workplace essential skills
3. Support the development and diversification of the local economy


Thriving for All - Poverty reduction strategies

Finding the confidence to learn new skills and take the steps to getting a job is at the core of four new employment programs at the Skills Centre.

> “The programs all have a crucial element of building people’s confidence to take the steps they need to find the job they want,” says Jaime Malcolm, programs manager.

The four new programs address different labour market needs. The programs are: **Brave Beginnings for Newcomers**, **HEART** (Healing through Equine Assistance & Resiliency Training), **Spark Your Start-Up**, and **Tools for Trades**.

“[HEART](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/healing-and-wellness/) is about helping women heal to get to the stage where they can look at re-entering the workforce with the confidence and skills to succeed. [Brave Beginnings for Newcomers](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/skills-training/) helps recent immigrants build the skills and confidence to find work, and it’s amazing that our staff have the diversity to offer this service in five languages,” she adds.

[Tools for Trades](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/skills-training/) helps youth, Indigenous people, women and other members of under-represented groups take the training they need to get into the trades. Options include enrolling in the Trades Foundation Program at Selkirk College or taking short courses and completing job placements, all with the support of a facilitator at the Skills Centre and financial supports to make it happen.

[Spark Your Start-Up](https://skillscentre.ca/how-we-help/skills-training/) introduces youth to the process of creating a business concept and the steps to starting and running their own business.

> “The Skills Centre provides workplace training services and social development programming to our community members, including the most vulnerable and isolated among us. These four programs address some of the biggest skills gaps we see in our communities,” Malcolm says.

“People in the Kootenays will have the chance to launch themselves into new careers with more training opportunities at the Skills Centre,” said Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West and Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “The work being done at the Skills Centre will enhance our workforce, lead to good-paying jobs, and help our small businesses find qualified, skilled employees when they’re so in demand. This is great news for our local economies and communities, and I’m grateful that as a government, we’re able to support these initiatives.”

Funding for the programs comes through B.C.’s Economic Recovery Plan through the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training, the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and the Government of Canada through the Canada-British Columbia Workforce Development Agreement.

Confidence the key to new job training programs at the Skills Centre

**Government investments in child care and family supports offset other expense increases**

The gap is closing between the minimum wage and the living wage in the Greater Trail area. A new report from the Skills Centre and Living Wage for Families BC has found that the 2021 living wage for Trail and its surrounding communities is $18.15 per hour.

This is a slight decrease from the living wage calculation of two years ago when it was $18.83. Rather than an indication that the cost of living is going down, it signals that there are more financial supports available for low wage earners.

“The living wage indicates what it costs to get by in a community, so if there are more subsidies and credits available, then that living wage can decrease. That doesn’t mean the cost of living has decreased, it means that we’re taking better care of our low income earners,” explains Morag Carter, executive director of the Skills Centre.

“The reality is that many families in the Greater Trail area earn less than a living wage and struggle to make ends meet with the rising cost of living,” she says. “Minimum wage is the minimum an employer legally has to pay an employee. A living wage is the minimum pay to keep your employees above the poverty line.”

The living wage is calculated as the hourly amount that each of two working parents with two young children must earn to meet their basic expenses, including rent, child care, food and transportation, once government taxes, credits, deductions and subsidies are taken into account. Recent government investments in child care and other policy measures to support families have helped to prevent an increase in the living wage. 

Steve Morissette, mayor of the Village of Fruitvale, a living wage workplace, says that for employers, paying a living wage makes sense.

“There are many places looking for workers. This is an opportunity to promote your business as a living wage employer and attract people to come work for you,” he says.

“It made sense for Fruitvale to show our resolve that everyone should be afforded the dignity of a living wage. We made a commitment to providing a good quality of life for our employees and contractors, and to being a leader in bringing awareness of poverty issues in our area and finding solutions. I’m really excited that Fruitvale is leading the charge for municipalities both locally and provincially. Hopefully, it will inspire others,” Morissette adds.

“This year’s calculation shows the impact of public policy changes since 2018, notably significant child care investments, the new BC Child Opportunity Benefit and elimination of MSP premiums, as well as other small changes to government transfers and taxes,” says Anastasia French, Living Wage for Families BC Organiser.

“These changes have helped offset the increase in family expenses since 2018, improving affordability for modest- and middle-income families with young children, which demonstrates the power of good public policy to make life more affordable for families,” she says.

In 2021 Living Wage for Families BC certified over 100 new living wage employers across the province,  suggesting that employers have found paying a living wage as a solution to some of the pandemic-related hiring challenges they have experienced.

“The pandemic has revealed how much of our economy depends on undervalued and underpaid workers in service and care industries,” French says. “Public sector employers such as municipalities, school boards, health authorities and universities and private sector companies can support poverty reduction efforts and pandemic recovery across the province by increasing wages. This will also stimulate local economies because lower-income families tend to spend almost all of their income in their communities.”

The five living wage employers in Greater Trail are the Skills Centre, the Village of Fruitvale, Modern Purair, Community Futures Boundary and Grand Forks Credit Union.


New living wage shows progress for low income earners

### Snapshot shows local impact of job training, poverty reduction programs


Kelton is one of the 73% of youth who found regular employment after completing their training plan. Jenn is one of the 97% of mature workers who completed a short term occupational certificate. Damaris is one of the clients who accessed training services in Spanish.

All three were clients of the Skills Centre in the past year, and all three are representative of the impact the Skills Centre has in the community. The Skills Centre has released its first Community Impact Report showcasing the work it does in the Kootenay and Boundary region.

“We help a lot of people get training and find jobs. We have solid partnerships with a lot of local organizations. We do a lot in the community, and we realized that we haven’t been sharing some of these positive stories publicly,” says Emily Gora, Program Development Officer at the Skills Centre.

“This report is a snapshot of the work we do in our communities. It highlights our poverty reduction work with five local governments. It lists the sponsorships we have made to shine a light on equity, diversity and inclusion, such as the Jesse Thistle and Desmond Cole presentations with the Mir Centre for Peace and Selkirk College.”

“Our mission is to create opportunities for all people to be engaged in a caring community. Next year we’ll be celebrating our 25th anniversary in the community, so it’s time we tell our story,” Gora adds.

Read our 2021 Community Impact Report, then contact us with any questions.

![alt](https://cdn.benecms.com/skillscentre/Community%20Impact%20Report%20p1%20web.webp)

![](https://cdn.benecms.com/skillscentre/Community%20Impact%20Report%20p2%20web.webp)

![](https://cdn.benecms.com/skillscentre/Community%20Impact%20Report%20p3%20web.webp)

![](https://cdn.benecms.com/skillscentre/Community%20Impact%20Report%20p4%20web.jpg)


Skills Centre Community Impact Report

Did you know our logo represents diverse people connecting and supporting each other? We're here to help you.

Our program facilitators have your best interests in mind. They are caring, capable & trained to help you succeed. We know you have questions. Contact our office today to find out how we can help you.

Meet Your Facilitators

**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

**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

**Bethel Torres** has been part of the Skills Centre as admin support and more recently as our new project specialist. Using her professional expertise, especially with languages, and her experience moving to Canada and finding a rewarding job, she knows how to help clients who are new to the country.

“Brave Beginnings is really a unique opportunity for people to adjust to life in Canada and get help finding a job. I am from Mexico, and I have lived in Canada for more than 10 years. I remember how challenging it was to get a job. I would have been so happy to have help like this,” she says.

“It helps so much to be able to talk with someone in the language you are most comfortable speaking. I really encourage people to come in and speak to us and see how we can help them gain the skills they want.”

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

**Harshil Patel** works at the Skills Centre as a program facilitator and placement coordinator. He is fluent in Gujarati, Hindi and English.

“When I came to Canada, I found it very hard to find a job for the first six months that I was here. We know people sometimes have language barriers to learning a new skill or getting a new job. That’s why Bethel and I are excited to offer Brave Beginnings for Newcomers in all of these languages,” he says.

Learning new skills and applying for a job in a new country can be challenging. Helping people build their confidence to take these steps is one of the most important parts of working with clients, Harshil says.

“Brave Beginnings supports participants with individualized employment assistance services, skills training, and financial supports. I am passionate to support newcomers and help them to settle into their new life in Canada,” he says.

Meet Our Multi-lingual Facilitators: Bethel Torres & Harshil Patel

**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

CARF accreditation has been the internationally recognized benchmark of quality service providers for more than 50 years. The Skills Centre received its CARF accreditation this month following an intensive review of the non-profit.

“CARF accreditation helps organizations improve the quality of their services and meet internationally recognized standards. The public can look at CARF accreditation as assurance that we strive to offer the highest quality programs and services,” says Morag Carter, executive director of the Skills Centre.

“In many ways, getting the certification is about our processes and policies, things that the public and our clients don’t think about. For the public, the value of CARF is in what we offer our clients and partners. As one client told the certification committee, ‘The Skills Centre goes above and beyond to help clients build confidence in themselves.’”

Carter says that sort of testimonial along with the recommendations and endorsement of CARF are very rewarding for everyone at the Skills Centre.

“The organization has worked hard to create a professional yet personal and welcoming workplace that both the staff members and community members appreciate,” the CARF certification committee said in granting the Skills Centre its accreditation.

The Skills Centre is one of only two organizations in the region to achieve its CARF certification.

“Everyone at the Skills Centre participated in this process, our staff and board directors, and the achievement belongs to each one of them. I’m very proud of our team and the impact we’re able to make in the community,” Carter adds.

New Certification Big News for Skills Centre Community

Home-cooked meal delivery in Greater Trail comes with a side of community goodwill. Our poverty reduction program, Bringing Community to Your Door, served 1,700 meals in 2021, and the Trail Times and the Rossland News featured it in this front page story.

[https://www.rosslandnews.com/home/home-cooked-meal-delivery-in-greater-trail-comes-with-a-side-of-community-goodwill/](https://www.rosslandnews.com/home/home-cooked-meal-delivery-in-greater-trail-comes-with-a-side-of-community-goodwill/)

Bringing Community to Your Door

People working for the Village of Fruitvale can share a certain amount of pride knowing that their local government is taking steps to reduce poverty in their community. The Village of Fruitvale is now a Living Wage Employer.

“This just made sense. We made a commitment to providing a good quality of life for our employees and contractors, and to being a leader in bringing awareness of poverty issues in the area and finding solutions,” says Mayor Steve Morissette.

“I’m really excited that Fruitvale is leading the charge for municipalities locally. Hopefully it will encourage others, and in fact, I’m putting out that challenge right now for other local governments to become Living Wage Employer certified,” he says.

A living wage sets a higher standard than the minimum wage: it is what a family needs to earn to provide the basic needs based on the actual costs of living in a community. [Living Wage Canada](http://www.livingwagecanada.ca/) notes that it gets families out of severe financial stress, lifts them out of poverty and provides a basic level of economic security.

To be a certified Living Wage Employer, the [Village of Fruitvale](http://www.village.fruitvale.bc.ca/) must pay employees and contractors at minimum the living wage calculated for this region. The Skills Centre calculates the living wage here, and in the Lower Columbia it is $18.83 per hour.

“People who work full time should not be living in poverty, so a living wage is a great place to start the conversation about how we treat our employees and how we value our work. I love the idea of a challenge from the Village of Fruitvale to other local governments. This is one of the easy steps to addressing low incomes and poverty,” says Morag Carter, executive director of the Skills Centre.

Fruitvale is one of five local governments that have adopted an official poverty reduction plan and are working together on strategies to see their communities thrive. The others are the cities of Trail and Rossland and the villages of Montrose and Warfield.

Fruitvale now a Living Wage Employer

A four-day work week is an evolving trend around the world, but something the Greater Trail Community Skills Centre is proud to say it’s been doing for more than two years.

A recent study from Reykjavik, Iceland has been getting a lot of press for its findings on the upside of a four-day work week. Yet, Skills Centre executive director Morag Carter is acutely aware of the benefits as she and her staff have experienced them first hand since introducing the new work week in Greater Trail 28 months ago.

“We have a high level of productivity, and a high level of commitment from the staff, so from the perspective of an employer, I think it’s a no brainer.

“The way that we have managed to engage our staff, deliver on the programs, rebuild the Skills Centre … I believe the four-day work week has played a very significant role in the rebirth of the Skills Centre.”

The report on Iceland’s four-year experiment with shorter work weeks showed an improvement in quality of working life and in work-life balance during a lengthy trial period from 2015 to 2019.

There was no reduction in pay with the shorter work week of 35 to 36 hours, and employers often saw an increase in productivity.

Microsoft Japan’s experiment with a four-day work week also showed a 40 per cent rise in productivity in a 2019 study.

Another report from the University of Reading found similar improvements in productivity and employer loyalty among over 200 U.K. companies that had experimented with four-day work weeks.

The Skills Centre, which serves Rossland, Trail, Warfield, Montrose and Fruitvale, began its trial run on April 1, 2019, when employees would go from a five-day, 40-hour week to a four-day 34-hour week but with the same salary and workload.

“The board agreed to do a trial for 12 months just to see how it went, but we knew very quickly that it was going to work very well for us,” said Carter.

Currently, the community non-profit provides employment services and career planning and also runs a variety of programs ranging from employment consulting and poverty reduction to a community kitchen and health and wellness services.

But it was the loss of a massive WorkBC contract in 2019 that prompted further introspection.

“We had just lost a major contract and we were in the process of rebuilding the Skills Centre, and we were in a position where we could look quite carefully at all the pieces in place,” said Carter. “The four-day work week was part of a package of measures.”

The employer pivoted creating two shifts, which ran from Monday to Thursday and another from Tuesday to Friday. The centre permitted staff to work from home, go into the office early or work late, in order to accommodate their respective family’s needs.

“We all go through periods in our lives when we are responsible for kids, or we have elderly parents, or we have a partner who is sick at home. We wanted to make sure there was flexibility built in to the way that we offered work.”

Within three months, staff knew they were headed in the right direction.

Internal surveys showed that the overall approval rate was more than 80 per cent, productivity increased 20 per cent, sick leave was reduced drastically, and job satisfaction high.

“For us we think that it’s been an unqualified success, and we are very happy to talk about it because it’s a really good story for us.”

The board officially adopted the four-day week the following year, just as the pandemic hit and restrictions imposed, interrupting many Greater Trail businesses and services.

The transition to work from home, however, was relatively seamless for Skills Centre staff, said Carter. They had grown accustomed to the flexibility and extra day off, which proved vital for the 10-weeks the Skills Centre had to close due to COVID-19.

“Having the four-day work week was great, first of all for supporting staff mental health, because you have that break, so that was another really good outcome that we saw.”

The transition to a four-day week has improved employees’ well-being and the positive results permeate the communiti

Skills Centre embraces four-day work week

Find the latest news about programs for you, our work in the community & trends that help you as a worker or an employer.

Search our news stories and blog posts here, either by date or keyword.

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Women are setting records in employment, so why is employment equity not breaking records, too?

The benefits of hiring mature workers

Canada invests $2.39 million to make the Skills Centre more accessible and sustainable

Low unemployment rate continues in the Kootenays

Where are all those jobs we’re hearing about?

Women reach record high employment

October’s given us a lot to talk about!

Major increase in the living wage across BC

Recently retired? Looking for part time work?