GOALS, PREPARATION,SKILLS

As Ruth Foster, facilitator of GPS program (GOALS, PREPARATION, SKILLS) switched on the projector, I saw a bunch of students with curious eyes blinking at the board on the wall. The GPS program provides participants all the resources they require to grab and secure a job. Hutton House helps the participants of GPS with the following;

• Writing Resumes
• Developing & Improving Work Skills
• Exploring Employment Options
• Setting Goals
• Providing Support to Learn a New Job
• Advocating for Workplace Accommodations

To be a part of this program you must;

·         Have a disability related barrier to employment

·         Be over the age of 15

·         No longer be attending secondary school

·         Have or be willing to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN)

·         Live in London or Middlesex County

          

  Each workshop is a new experience to the students, applied to both life and employment. Today’s topic was about ANXIETY. They were shown a video describing reasons for anxiousness in humans. When Ruth raised the same question of reasons for anxiety as a discussion topic in the class, there was a stream of responses. “I am afraid of being criticized or looked down upon”, came a low, sweet voice from opposite side of the semi-circle table. There were some who felt being trapped in a crowd is a cause for uneasiness. Everyone agreed on procrastination as a major source of nervousness. None in the class is a silent pupil, each individual shoots out their response with confidence. 

            For my question, how do the facilitators prepare participants for actual interviews, a sudden response came from the corner desk of the room which is shared by GPS facilitators,” we scare them”. There was a flush of laughter from Malik Stephen and Ruth Foster, at one of the routinely witty statements by their colleague Justin Paisley. Having worked 8 years in the GPS program, Justin has observed changes every year with respect to the quality of the program as well as the participants who join.

            One of the motives of GPS is to make the participants earn minimum wage while they learn and work for 15 weeks at 30 hours per week. With 3 week class and 12 work placements, students get all the knowledge they need to become a great employee. “We provide them with mock interviews in which basic interview questions are asked to make them familiar with it when they attend the actual interview,” says Ruth with confidence. as if she trains warriors for war.

         

   I found the most interesting part of the class is budget planning in which the students would be given a minimum budget to prepare a onetime meal.  It is so exciting to see them debating about what groceries are to be bought and what should be added for dessert. Along with Ruth they go to the nearby grocery store, carefully scanning the racks for items they want. When they fill up their cart there is a smile of satisfaction on each face for having accomplished a task which seems easy but can be challenging.