Attendees visit the numerous information booths at the Second Career information session held recently at Durham College. Second Career is a provincial government program designed to retrain laid-off workers.
For those members of the workforce who have recently been laid off or are unemployed, a second chance is exactly what they need. And now, the Second Career initiative can give them that option.
Durham College held two information sessions on June 26 about the program, which was created by the provincial government and designed to help recently unemployed workers who commit to a long-term training plan make the transition to new careers in growing areas of the economy.
"The Second Career strategy will support individuals who have been affected by the many layoffs in this area and help them rebuild their careers," said Sue Hawkins, Durham College's Second Career advisor. "We are excited to be working with government and local agencies to champion this initiative and look forward to welcoming our first Second Career students this September."
If an individual has been laid off in the previous 12 months, is currently unemployed, or is working less than 20 hours per week, they may qualify for the Second Career funding towards tuition, living and transportation costs.
More than 100 interested people attended either the morning or evening sessions held at the college's Oshawa campus. The event consisted of a presentation featuring details of the Second Career program followed by a question-and-answer session. Guests were then able to visit a small expo of information stations about the college, including programs available through the Second Career initiative.
Durham College currently offers a number of certificate, graduate certificate and diploma programs that qualify for the Second Career program. Eligible applicants can choose from a wide variety of offerings including Professional Golf Management, Mechanical Engineering Technician, Office Administration and Emergency Management.
Employment Ontario, the provincial government's employment and training network, has contracted two local agencies to facilitate the application process for individuals in the Durham Region. Interested applicants are encouraged to first contact Northern Lights Vocational Services in Oshawa, where they can meet with a representative and discuss their options.
If they are eligible for retraining, they are generally referred to VPI, an employment facilitation firm, which has locations in Whitby, Oshawa and Pickering. With the help of a VPI counsellor, they will examine their educational options. If Durham College offers their chosen program, candidates would then get in touch with Hawkins.
For more information about the Second Career program, please contact Hawkins at 905.721.3219 or sue.hawkins@durhamcollege.ca.