The North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo Association (NTFFRA) facility, as well as a number of workers from the community of Barriere and surrounding area, have been benefitting from the province’s Job Creation Partnership over the past few months within the community.
The Job Creation Partnership (JCP) component of the Employment Program of British Columbia is designed to support projects that provide community benefit while creating jobs that provide unemployed EI eligible clients with opportunities to gain meaningful work experience. While project activities should benefit both the client and the community, the primary focus must be on helping the client.
JCP projects maintain or enhance the client’s employability skills by providing a work experience opportunity. This experience, together with the networking which clients do while on a project, increases the client’s chances of successfully finding ongoing employment
Thanks to the assistance of Connie Falk, the JCP program with the NTFFRA, started in late August with four participants in the program under the guidance of job supervisor Rodger Nordquist.
Since that time Nordquist reports there has been some turnover in workers, with three finding employment, one returning to college, and two new participants coming on board just recently.
“Although we miss the extra workers on site, we are happy to say that the purpose of the JCP program (to teach participants skills so they can move on to steady employment) is working; as that is what three have already done,” reports a NTFFRA representative.
Since just before the annual Fall Fair and Rodeo, the participants have worked on a number of projects at the fair facility. They have built two handicap access ramps, completed a number of small construction tasks, and have also remodeled the inside and outside of four older buildings. During that time they have learned numerous carpentry skills in the process; including leveling skills, and how to use power tools such as the chop saw, drills, skill saw, and air hammer safely and effectively.
Currently the participants are working on finishing the interior of a 6,000 square foot newly constructed addition to the North Thompson Agriplex called the Annex. The Annex houses washrooms, showers, kitchen, offices, and a banquet hall. There are plenty of opportunities to learn and practice good carpentry skills on this project, and the participants are happy to be working inside now that colder weather has arrived.