CANMORE - Bow Valley College is set to offer an employment program for eight youths, ages 18-30, and employers in the Bow Corridor. Youth Skills Connection participants will benefit from the five-month program, which offers eight weeks of paid employability and 12 weeks of paid work experience with local employers.

The program involves eight weeks of in-class sessions where attendants learn about career planning, job search techniques, and work maintenance skills. Participants are then matched with a local employer for a 12-week work experience in a job matching their career aspirations. "Many young adults face a variety of challenges in securing meaningful employment. Youth Skills Connection provides participants with a solid foundation for exploring career options and improving workplace essential skills," says Tamara McCormick, Team Lead for the College's Skills Connection Program.

The first program running out of Cochrane has received positive feedback from employers and participants. McCormick also noted that employers participating in this project will benefit from wage subsidies, as well as learners who are work-ready and will be an asset to their company.

Skills Connection employers will receive a wage subsidy of $10.20 per hour for 37.5 hours per week, during the 3-month work experience. Employers will also have a program facilitator to help ensure participants are successful, and have the opportunity to hire participants when the work experience has been completed. Finally, employers will benefit from having engaged, motivated, and committed youth in the local community.

Youth Eligibility: You must be a Bow Corridor resident between the ages of 18-30, out of school, unemployed or underemployed, and able to attend the program full-time in Canmore.

Fees: This is a paid work experience program funded by the Government of Canada.

Employer eligibility:

• Ability to employ participant for 37.5 hours per week and pay $4, or more, per hour in addition to the wage subsidy being provided by the program.
• Willingness to provide feedback on participant's progress.

Time commitment:

• Monday to Friday, February 16 to July 3, 2015.
• Group-based employability skills training, in-class: February 16 to April 10,  9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Work experience, full-time with a local employer: April 13 to July 3, 2015.

Application deadline: Wednesday January 28th, 2015. For more information, and to download an application form, go to https://bowvalleycollege.ca/schools-and-centres/regional-stewardship/campuses/banff-and-canmore

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Bow Valley College - Calgary and region's only Comprehensive Community College - with more than 14,000 full- and part-time students, is a leader in business and health career training, adult upgrading, and English Language Learning. BVC's Test of Workplace Essential Skills (TOWES), workplace training for immigrant professionals and employment services provide a wide range of services for businesses and professionals.