  contact Jenny Holder Bridges Employment Program Manager Bridges for Women #320, 1175 Cook Street Victoria, BC V8V 4A1 jenny@bridgesforwomen.ca Tel. (250) 385-7410 Fax. (250) 385-7459 Interested in Applying? Do not fill in our online application, instead please call our office to set up an interview today. |
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 our vision Every woman affected by violence or abuse will have the economic security to sustain herself and her family, in safety, health and freedom. bridges employability program The Bridges Employment Program's fundamental goal is to help women break the cycle of abuse and trauma through education and employment training. Our Victoria campus helps women identify their interests and skills to develop long-term career goals. One of the vital strengths of our Program is that participants learn and support each other in a classroom setting, while building personal and community supports. This is a flexible and accessible program for women with many demands on their energy. For example, if a woman has family responsibilities and health care issues, our continuous intake process helps her to find the information and support she requires for “her unique situation”. We offer personal development and employment skills workshops, which include guest lecturers and field trips. Our Bridging Curriculum has six main categories: Addressing Histories of Abuse This part of the curriculum focuses on recognizing, understanding and overcoming the impacts of abuse on employment. Participants work on self-esteem, values and self-advocacy, communication, assertiveness, conflict resolution skills, and learning to set and keep boundaries. Individual Study Each student develops individual short-term goals and action steps that support their immediate and long-term work towards personal and economic independence. Students have the opportunity to focus their energies on these plans, and achieve concrete, measurable successes that support their pre-employment process at Bridges. Counselling & Coaching Our students are required to receive 10 hours of professional group and individual counselling as an integral part of their personal development. This work will increase a students safety and connection to community resources, teach skills on how to break out of the cycle of trauma and addictions, will honour old ways of coping and teach women how to reframe the effects of trauma in order to reconstruct a long standing identity of courage and intelligence. We presently offer an 8 week group that covers various counselling areas. Career Exploration Students learn to assess their skills, strengths, previous experiences, preferences, learning styles and passions. This includes the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and development of resume building blocks, job search skills and cover letters. The program builds upon their creative visioning projects to develop a long-term, sustainable career vision that promotes successful, permanent labour force attachment. Workplace Skills Attending Bridges provides students with an opportunity to practice essential workplace skills. Expectations of daily punctual attendance, goal setting and other workplace norms are maintained in a supportive learning environment that develops students’ abilities to function successfully in the workplace. As well, teamwork, interpersonal skills, building good oral communication skills, presentation skills and small team project work are developed throughout the program. Academic Many participants take advantage of Bridges’ partnership with Camosun College to earn academic credit for English upgrading and Introductory Computer courses. Bridges curriculum includes business and creative writing and practice with basic computer skills, including individual instruction. Each participant approaches computer learning differently, depending on skill level and interests.Participants who have never used a computer are welcome, as are those with more advanced skills. |
 "The level at which women connect to the concepts we learn in class and to each other, at times seems like a miracle after what they have gone through. I see clearly how important the group connection is for our women; it is the essence of what we do, and our strongest tool for healing, growth and education." - Jenny Holder BEP Prgm Mngr. |
Last modified: Thursday, 19 August 2010, 11:25 AM