Career Trek s Fired Up Year

Transcription

1 Career Trek s Fired Up Year While you were getting used to the first cold snap of the season, a wave of 45 ardent supporters descended on the Manitoba Legislative Building for a warmhearted review of Career Trek s successes. In addition to board members and staff, representatives of the honorary board of directors, community partners, school partners, institutional partners, research partners, government organizations, Deputy Ministers, and Members of the Legislative Assembly were in attendance. The Honourable Kevin Chief, Minister of Children and Youth Opportunities brought greetings from the province saying that it was clear from the time that he entered politics that many members of caucus were aware of Career Trek and its good works. We may have a charitable not-for-profit designation, says Darrell Cole, Founder and CEO of Career Trek. But make no mistake, we are a for-profit organization. We work for social profit. The highlight of the evening was the induction of Bob Knight as an honorary board member. Bob has been involved with Career Trek for many years and was instrumental in establishing the Get Ready to Work! program (formerly the Phase 2 Project) and the M Program (formerly the M Project) in his department. Bob is the former Senior Executive Director of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade. When Bob found out about being appointed an honourary board member, it s rumored he didn t think he had helped that much, says Cole. But his actions made it possible for our programming to help hundreds of youth.

2 was a busy year for Career Trek. Our programs saw almost 1,000 students enroll in programming, 83 per cent of which completed their program. In addition, the organization realized many other achievements, including: An agreement with the Department of Education for access to student MET numbers to track Career Trek graduates. The launch of a middle-years afterschool program in partnerships with Seven Oaks School Division. Hosting the 1 st annual Let s Get to Work career development symposium. The establishment of the Steps in the Right Direction Endowment Fund. Upgrading the database and improving financial processes. Creation of an organizational sustainability plan. Winning the National Youth Employment Innovation Grand Prize. Delivering a presentation on Mentorship at Cannexus. Lighting Up Manitoba s Children Speaking to the participants at this year s Let s Get to Work symposium, The Honourable Teresa Oswald, Minister of Jobs and the Economy says the role that Career Trek and the assembled organizations and individuals play is absolutely crucial to Manitoba s future success. Winnipeg educators, career development specialists, business leaders, and civil servants come together every year at the symposium to discuss solutions to Manitoba s labour force issues. This year, participants were given a wide range of opportunities to explore ways to increase or improve participation in the workforce, including new hiring practices, removing barriers to employment, engaging employees, innovative

3 new education program models, the latest research, and powerful job search tools. Overall, it was a great event. I felt energized and ready to work, especially in the area of employee engagement, says one participant on an evaluation. The keynote address, by independent expert and author David Zinger, focuses on his prescription for an engaged and happy workforce. Zinger believes that a lack of engagement leads to organizations that fail to perform their best, employees that miss the benefits of engagement, and an economy that is not as healthy as it could be. The main message resulting from the symposium is that education, career, and economic success require investment to educate, engage, and retain skilled workers. The provincial government estimates that Manitoba will need an additional 75,000 skilled workers by 2020 if it hopes to sustain economic growth into the future. We as a government have made a promise that we are going to build our workforce 75,000 strong by 2020, says Oswald. But there s no possible way that we are going to achieve that without the kind of commitment that you are making. One issue that came up repeatedly was the need to address what some call the skills mismatch and ensure that Manitoba is graduating students and retraining workers for the job vacancies that are available. Providing programs and services that help to better manage the transition from school to work will help to meet the labour force needs of the future while diminishing the consequence of mismatches on students and workers. I ve got an eight year-old and I have no idea where this kid is going, says Oswald. What it is that you folks are doing in terms of engaging and offering opportunities for him to find his path into whatever is going to light him up I am really just here to say thank you for that engagement. For a summary of the keynote address, breakout materials, and the Brainstorm in a Box results visit Career Trek > Events.

4 It s Never to Late to Give Career Trek s first-ever annual campaign is set to close on December 31, 65 per cent of the way to reaching its goal of raising $5,000. For the first time in its 17-year history, Career Trek has begun an annual campaign to raise funds to help it complete its mission of helping kids make their dreams come true. To ensure we can continue to offer our life changing programs we have embarked on an exciting new journey to diversify our financial support, says Meghan Laube, Fund Development Officer of Career Trek. How did you make a decision about your career? Was it easy? Would you have benefited from the opportunities and guidance Career Trek provides? If so, please give today so we can help more children realize their dreams. Six Reasons to Give to Career Trek 1. Career Trek Increases The Chance Children Will Meet With Success Every year Career Trek conducts a survey with participants and their families. Over the years children and families have reported: Increased persistence Increased self-esteem Increased ability to see themselves as students 2. Career Trek is an Established and Accountable Organization When you donate to Career Trek you can be sure that your money will be put to good use supporting programming in an organization with a 17-year track record of helping kids uncover their passion for post-secondary education.

5 All donations will be used for board-approved programs and projects. 3. Career Trek Participants Rely on Your Donations Career Trek prides itself on designing programs to meet the needs of the community. Whether it is transportation, lunches, or culturally appropriate programming, Career Trek strives to provide an experience that includes the supports necessary for learning. Your donation of $25, $50, or $100 can help to ensure that M Program participants and their infants receive safe and effective child care during programming, or that Children Rising (Parkland) participants get a well balanced meal while on trips into Winnipeg, or that Wonder of Work (Winnipeg) participants get safe transportation to and from programming. 4. Donations Are Tax Deductible Career Trek is a charitable not-for-profit organization! When you donate $10 or more your gift will be acknowledged and you will receive an official tax receipt. 5. Donors Report Feeling Better Studies have shown that happy people give and that giving makes people happier. There are psychological, emotional, and social benefits to giving. We can all feel great knowing that, thanks to your donation, participants are on the road to creating a prosperous future for themselves. 6. Manitoba s Future Depends On a Skilled, Targeted and Engaged Workforce There are many problems facing the workforce of the future: a potential skills mismatch, high youth unemployment, workforce disengagement, and looming skilled worker shortages. While your donation cannot solve all workforce problems, it can provide children with the tools they need to navigate their career journey. Career Trek infuses sound career development philosophy into its programs to provide children and youth with the knowledge necessary to make informed choices and overcome obstacles. Help Manitoba children and youth begin their career journeys. Donate today! Donate to Career Trek.

6 And Another Thing Supporting Career Trek s dream is as simple as putting on a shirt. Local outfit Give T-Shirt Company is helping raise money to support Career Trek s innovative education and career development programming by producing a limited run of unique fundraising t-shirts. If you like the thought of wearing clothing that sends a message about who you are and what you stand for then look no further. Get your t-shirt now at Career Trek head office, McNally Robbinson Booksellers, Tara Davis Studio, or online at Etsy. What is Important to You In Your Job? Studies show that only 16 per cent of Canadians are engaged in their jobs. To find out what engages you in your job visit Work Importance Profiler and select Begin Assessment. Student Employment Opportunities If you are a student 16-years or older and you plan to return to school in September 2014 you can apply for part-time employment with the provincial government through STEP Services Manitoba. For more information visit STEP Services. UWinnipeg Focuses on Aboriginal Academic Success The University of Winnipeg is reaching out to Aboriginal youth and adults in the surrounding neighbourhood through an innovative Community Learning strategy that breaks down barriers to post-secondary education. For more information visit Indigenous.uwinnipeg.ca Career Trek to Show Case Programming Cannexus Career Trek is scheduled to present at Cannexus 2014, Canada s biggest career development conference.

7 I'm excited to be a part of Cannexus this year because it will give me a chance to highlight the great work that we are doing in Manitoba, says Shanker Singh, Get Ready to Work! Program Manager. Other Ways to Give: Car Donations Donate a Car Canada accepts vehicle donations for Career Trek Inc. To donate a car, truck, RV, boat, motorcycle or other vehicle to Career Trek Inc., go to Car Donations.