Kristy Didier has been part of the service industry for much of her working life.
She said she wanted to switch jobs to do something different with her life, and decided to get educated on computer and office skills through programming at Newmarket’s Fair Chance Learning.
“I knew nothing about computers,” she said, but added that soon changed. “My needs were met every single day to be able to learn and to grow and now I use these skills every single day.”
The Main Street educational institution is getting a big boost from the provincial government, with Newmarket-Aurora MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy announcing $2.1 million in funding Aug. 16. The funding will allow 400 job seekers to get free skills training to meet the needs of local employers, getting industry-recognized certifications.
Some of the skills offered include QuickBooks for accounting and the Microsoft suite, with students gaining industry-recognized certification. Founder and CEO of Fair Chance Learning Martha Jez said they also ensure their students have social skills and tools needed for the business world.
“We believe every student and individual deserves a fair chance, and we’re focused on elevating learning experiences,” she said, adding that many of their students "need non-traditional education and learning opportunities.”
The funding comes from the provincial government’s skills development fund training stream, which offers organizations dollars for projects that help jobseekers get skills in needed sectors. The funding stream is open to industry associations, labour unions, municipalities and more.
Gallagher Murphy said training efforts are needed, with nearly 235,000 jobs going unfilled across the province. She said the job seekers upskilled by the funding will include newcomers, women, youth and Indigenous peoples.
“We know it does make a difference,” she said. “To build a stronger Ontario that works for everyone, we need to bring more workers into the labour force, and we need to create more training opportunities.”
Removing barriers to education is important, Jez said, which can come up for newcomers, mothers and people undeserved and underrepresented in content and experience.
“We’ve really thought about how we can position the experience to meet the needs of all learners,” she said
Didier said she has not yet found a new job but continues to keep her skills honed for the next opportunity. She hopes to get into an office administration position.
“I’ve learned a lot through this program, a lot about myself,” she said. “It’s given me confidence and it’s also given me stamina, too — to not give up. To know that these tools that I’ve learned are not going to go to waste.”