Open Sky Co-Op is actively looking for applications for its BYOB (Be Your Own Boss) Program.
The four week program is geared towards people who experience difficulty finding employment due to disability and/or mental health challenges.
Executive Director Margaret Tusz-King is excited to get the program going in the new year.
Margaret Tusz-King: We are accepting applications right now. Depending on how COVID-19 goes, we’re hoping to start on the 11th of January. We will probably have two cohorts, we’ll have one that’s at Open Sky in our training room. Then we’ll have another place off site, perhaps one of the local churches, and we will connect the two groups by internet through Zoom or something like that. That way, we can have small groups in the room so we’re not so worried about COVID-19. Rebecca [Kant] and I will be able to each be in different rooms, but also be connected through how we offer the program. So you don’t have to worry about COVID-19 and safety.
The program is put on in the spirit of accessibility, so the Open Sky team is addressing multiple potential barriers that may keep people from attending.
The program is free thanks to fundraising efforts and donors, and if transportation is an issue then Open Sky is happy to arrange for a taxi.
Better yet, Tusz-King says that participants will be paid $10 per day just for attending.
T-K: The other thing is that when people arrive… we’re asking people to arrive at noon, and we will have lunch for people. We don’t know the circumstances that people are coming from, and many people do live with food insecurity. So we want everybody to start with an even playing field. So everybody gets lunch. The program runs Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, so it’s only four afternoons per week. We’ve always skipped Wednesday, because that’s Food Bank day, and we don’t want to interfere with people’s other services. Also, if you’ve been out of the education system, if you’ve not gotten out much, that’s a very full week to be out for 16 hours a week.
Tusz-King is determined to get the word out, and welcomes anyone to call Open Sky with any questions or concerns at (506) 536-4565.
There is room for 16 people, who can apply by contacting their local employment office or Open Sky.
Applications are due by email (info@openskyco-op.ca) on December 15th.
The employment options for those with disabilities or mental illness is often limited, and Tusz-King insists that there is another path that does not involve fast food or janitorial work if that is not their preference.
She says this program is intended for those who may have lost hope, or feel they have nowhere else to turn.
T-K: We would love for people just to be in touch if they’re interested. The people we imagine coming to this, Meg, are people who might have given up. We’re not looking for “Oh, gosh, what happened to that young person I knew in high school who had a mental health issue, right?” People get on with their lives, there’s no system in society that’s looking for young adults, who are not actively looking for work, or for the families that don’t know that there are services out there. Most of the people who come to our programs are very comfortable staying at home playing video games Quite frankly, who wouldn’t, right? They’re predictable, they’re fun. It’s really hard to get people out when they get very comfortable in that way. So I would like to speak to the families that may know of a young adult that feels like they don’t have opportunities, that may not be the perfect fit for any job that’s out there. We are going to be providing basic mental health skills in our program, interpersonal skills, and self management skills. “How do I get myself out of bed in the morning into something on time? How do I organize my life? How do I think about what my strengths are and what my limitations are, so that I can have a realistic plan for something that will get me out and doing things that I value in my life?” Those are the people we’re looking for. The people who may feel like there’s nothing out there, to people who may have taken the program that have said, “You have to take that minimum wage job pushing a broom that you don’t like, because that’s all that’s available.” We don’t believe that’s all that should be available for people. We think we can create better new things for people by collaborating with them, and helping them realize their own goals. That’s what we want to do, we want to also give people hope. There’s so many people… we’re just not looking for them in our community. They fall off our radar. Those are the people we want to see here.
The Be Your Own Boss Program has several success stories, one of which being Powerhouse Cleaners Co-Op Ltd., a Sackville-based cleaning service.
CHMA will check in with Powerhouse to discuss how the Be Your Own Boss program jump started their business.
Participants of the program will have a mentor following the training, who can help them with incorporating, connections, taxes, and anything else they may need to start their own business.
There is also $5000 available to help get the new businesses off the ground.
Tusz-King strongly encourages those with family members or friends who are struggling with employment to approach them with information about the Be Your Own Boss program.
More information can be found on Open Sky’s Facebook page, or by calling (506)-536-4565.