The Globe and Mail has a story on BC’s new employment services structure featuring Pathways and Tradeworks. With future funding uncertain for Pathways Information Centre, this is an important issue for the 3,000 people that it serves annually. The new model will not be able to serve the needs of all these people, many of whom are not able to find employment due to various hindrances, such as homelessness, and physical and mental disabilities.
Check out the article to read more!
The Fab Shop youth program is a unique combination of training and work experience for at-risk youth. The program is for youth with no significant work experience, and no Employment Insurance eligibility; young people who may have dropped out of high school or for other reasons not been able to ‘attach to the workforce’. Rooted in the VANOC Olympic period, the program gives these young people lessons in machine tool operation and woodworking, safety, First Aid, hazardous materials handling, workplace skills, and life skills. The program then provides up to 20 weeks of work experience in a wood manufacturing operation to enable to learn new habits and refines their skills. In the end they have credentials, recent work experience, an employment reference, support in a job search, new confidence, and the ability to challenge the level one Carpentry apprenticeship test, if they have demonstrated the aptitude.
The program is transformational for many of the participants. It provides focus and support for them to reorient their lives.
Government supports the program in part, but the program relies heavily on private donations and corporate support. RONA Foundation is now a key sponsor and we thank them for stepping up. It costs @$15k for each student’s training and wage subsidy. If you, your business or family are in a position to help support the Fab Shop program, we’d welcome your help. Tradeworks is a registered charity and donations on-line are welcome. For more info: the fab shop
If you can direct business to the Fab Shop, that would be great too. Thanks and have a most rewarding holiday season.
12 Days of Christmas
Back by popular demand, Tradeworks Custom Products (TCP) presents a new ornament line “the 12 Days of Christmas,” now available for purchase at 13 RONA locations in Metro Vancouver.
“With the purchase of these ornaments you can empower women to learn a new trade and support their transition to a new career,” said Tradeworks Executive Director, Ross Gentleman. “TCP brings women together in a positive environment where they work with mentors and support each other to make positive changes to their lives.”
Tradeworks Custom Products (TCP) is a social enterprise operated by Tradeworks Training Society, which is located in Vancouver’s downtown eastside; a community with a high proportion of residents living in poverty and/or dealing with other barriers to employment. TCP trains women in a custom woodworking shop, empowering them to make sustainable changes in their individual lives.
Purchase of these ornaments will also help the environment. TCP uses sustainable BC wood, such as pine beetle wood for these ornaments, and recycles other manufacturer’s discards that would otherwise go to landfill.
The Twelve Days of Christmas ornaments are available for a limited time. They are available in sets of 12, or three, or singles. To show your support for TCP, visit RONA Home Building Centres throughout Metro Vancouver or find TCP online at www.tradeworks.bc.ca/tcp.
Happy Holidays!
Posted in Custom Products, Uncategorized | 
Tags: Christmas ornaments, novel Christmas gifts, social enterprise, Sustainable tree ornaments, sustainable wood products, Unique tree ornaments, Xmas decorations
Tradeworks was selected as the preferred charity by the local organizers of miniEnterprize Youth Entrepreneurship Conference (2011), Saturday November 26th at UBC. The event is organized by high school students in Greater Vancouver (with assistance from students at the UBC Sauder School of Business) and brings together high school students who have a strong interest in developing careers in business. The all-day program included various speakers and a case study competition. Over 200 students took part and it was a great success. More info at http://mini.enterprizecanada.org/
Tradeworks thanks Sidhant Sharma, Jinsoo Chung and the others on the organizing committee for their hard work and for choosing Tradeworks to be the beneficiary of the net proceeds of this event.
Posted in Events | Tags: social enterprise
On November 25th a non-profit summit at the Trade and Convention Centre heralded a new level of interest in community and collaboration on the part of the Government of BC. The Premier spoke before lunch and the Minister of Social Development, Stephanie Cadieux played a prominent role. Gordon Hogg, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Entrepreneurship, moderated.
I wide array of projects and ideas were presented to demonstrate creative ways people have risen to respond to community challenges and social problems. The term ‘social innovation’ was used heavily and encompassed social enterprises, multiparty collaborations, novel financial instruments and structures, online linkages, and more. More info at www.innovatebc.ca/
The BC Advisory Council for Social Entrepreneurship released a discussion paper and invited input at http://socialinnovationbc.ca/
And the Premier announced a online competition to be opened in January to solicit ideas province-wide on social innovation ideas and projects.
