Finding a new job could be a matter of developing
new skills. At the YMCA Career Development & Learning Centre in Burlington,
job hunters can improve literacy and numeracy skills or improve their academic
skills that may eventually earn them a high school diploma.
The Career Development and Learning Centre offers literacy, upgrading
and tutoring programs to make clients more employable or prepare them for
college. According to Lily Lumsden, general manager of the centre a typical
client, age 25 to 35, might be looking for a better job, or looking to go to
college but doesn’t “quite have the
reading and math skills that they need .”
Through the centre, adults, age 19 and older, improve their
upgrading skills in order to prepare them to write a General Education Development
(GED). Participants work on an individualized learning program in small group
sessions. They will learn to write essays and work to improve reading
comprehensive in preparation for the tests.
“For each learner
that comes in, depending on what their goal is, we will develop a plan
specifically for them. We provide the content, the resources and the instructor
that will help guide them through the material,” explains Lumsden.
Students from Grade 1 to 12 can get help with their studies
with the Ys Move Tutoring Program. From high school students struggling with
math and science to elementary students who need help with reading, Ys Move can
accommodate their needs. The one-on-one sessions are offered for an affordable
fee and there are subsidies available to clients who can’t afford the service.
“It’s important to provide that type of service to anyone,
regardless of their economic circumstances,” the general manager says.
For more information about the programs and services at The
YMCA Career Development and Learning Centre go to the website
www.mydreamjob.ca .
