Between five and 15 local residents are helped every day by Barrhead Employment Services on their journey to find a job or access services.
Barrhead Employment Services held an open house on Aug. 7 with a free lunch from BTS Lunch Box food truck for the first 100 visitors.
A wide array of services and supports for Barrhead and surrounding area residents as well as Swan Hills and Onoway communities are offered by the Barrhead Employment Services group.
“We like helping people for employment services, community resources, computer, internet and printer availability,” said Jody Vanderzouwen, employment specialist.
"We have a job board with current job postings in the area and are happy to assist with complicated form completion for government services.”
There was a good sized crowd gathered at the start of the open house and it was a perfect day for visitors to stop by and get a tour of the services that they might find helpful.
“We do events every month where we promote our business and showcase employers," said Jackie Parks, employment specialist.
“We help people looking for work with resumes and cover letters as well as we help people apply for unemployment, income support, CPP or AISH.”
Vanderzouwen detailed how assisting people with getting their online Alberta ID is also something they help with.
Filling out the online forms can be done at the Barrhead Employment Services office with on-site support.
If a person is unemployed or marginally employed, looking for employment and meeting the criteria, assistance can be provided in preparing a customized job search strategy.
Individuals unsure of what kind of career they want to pursue can gain expertise from the employment specialists in analyzing specific interest and talents to determine possibilities.
Specialists are knowledgeable about what jobs are available and can recommend local employers with current vacancies.
The employment specialists have been contacted by people out of Edmonton looking for services, but this office is available for rural job seekers and residents needing supports.
The office can offer job-ready employment-related expenses like work boots or safety gear if a person has a job offer, and meets the criteria, but needs to provide special gear to start work.
If a person has a job offer and needs to get a course certification prior to starting work if the criteria is met the office can also assist with financing to cover those costs.
The Barrhead Employment Services office can be contacted by businesses when a job becomes vacant to determine if they may have a client that could match the job requirements.
Some employers post their jobs directly with Barrhead Employment Services because of the quality referrals they have received for past postings.
Vanderzouwen explained that the job board is full of available jobs right now. Jobs are available in food services, mechanics, drivers, construction, farm jobs and health are jobs.
Parks said there are a number of seasonal jobs that have beefed up the number of jobs available and new businesses are opening soon.
Free training programs are another support offered where Barrhead Employment Services can help people learn about and register for those programs. These are educational programs that provide certification in a field for free.
The contracts specify that people need to be 18 years or older to become a client and have their special needs met by the experts on hand.
For people who are under 18 looking for support the specialist can help with resumes and give them access to the job board to see open jobs and use the equipment onsite.
You can reach the office by calling 780-674-8788 or drop by the office on 5117 51 St.
