Tourism grads 'Ready to Work'

STANLEY MISSION - - A new group of students graduated Thursday to enter the workforce with the purpose of filling jobs in the hospitality industry.

"Our belief is there is a place in this industry for everyone to work," said Lynne Kennedy, a tourism training consultant from the Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council.

The Ready to Work program provides hands-on and classroom training to address issues of a more representative workforce for the tourism industry. A majority of participants are from various aboriginal communities across Saskatchewan.

Thursday's graduating class in Stanley Mission just completed a 12-week program in either food and beverage or cooking and they are ready to work.

"We were just interviewed a couple of days ago by Athabasca Catering and they said my resume looks good," said graduate Patsy McLeod.

McLeod said she has worked in the hospitality industry before but just needed more experience.

Rob Campbell, who was teaching in the food and beverage side, has been teaching in this program for four years.

"The facilitators choose to become involved because for most of us it is an opportunity to use the skills we've developed through our careers to help other people," he said.

Both Campbell and chef-trainer Aaron Postlethwaite said the most fulfilling part of their jobs is watching their students gain self-esteem and confidence.

"When I first got here they wouldn't look me in the eye and wouldn't even talk to me and now they boss me around in the kitchen - that's what I mean by change," Postlethwaite said.

The cooking program teaches the students everything from soup to dessert, they learn food arrangement and safe food-handling techniques.

Students start by preparing buffet items for the community lunches and ends with them being able to fill individual food orders.

"It gets funkier as they go," Postlethwaite said.

"The participant and the community are just outstanding ... it's such a beautiful place and the people are so warm and welcoming," Campbell said.

The community is just one of many organizations that support the program.

Kennedy said the Ready to Work program wouldn't happen without Northern Development Agreement, a branch of Western Economic Diversification Canada, Service Canada, Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council, Tourism Sask, Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council, Can-Sask Career and Employment centre.

Students are mentored and coached for an additional 20 weeks after graduation.

ahill@paherald.sk.ca