INside Double Edition It's been a busy month around the College, so we have produced a larger edition of the /Nside to bring you all the news you need. Do you have a written submission or a story you'd like us to write about for the INside? We're always interested in your ideas, so let us know. The INside is published the first Tuesday of every month; deadline for submissions is 10 working days before publication. E-mail denofreot@douglas.bc.ca; call 604-527-5325 or send WordPerfect or MS Word files (on disk, no paper copies please) to Tracey Denofreo, INside editor, CMO, Room 4700, New Westminster Campus. Lower Mainland businesses say “oui” to French-Canadian students They're eager and ready to work. Twenty-five French-Canadian exchange students are looking for jobs this summer through the Young Canada Works: Languages at Work program When Jessica Hiebert came knocking last summer, local businesses opened their doors. She’s hoping for the same reaction this year. Hiebert’s job as Douglas College’s Project Officer for Young Canada Works: Languages at Work program is to help students gain work experience in their second official language. This year, she has at least 25 eager French- Canadian exchange students who want to be put to work. It’s a good deal for employers. “The government covers 60 percent of minimum wage fora full-time employee, so it costs the employer just under $1,000 for two months,” she says. “But the benefits aren't purely financial. There’s a cultural exchange. The employer gets to share culture and experiences with someone from a very different part of Canada. They also get an employee who can speak a second language.” The students are 19 years or older, and all have previous work and English-language experience. They arrive at the end of June and find themselves immersed in English from the get-go. Witter moderates Mental Health Forum learn about the cultural and religious diversity of the Lower Mainland, and it’s a good opportunity for them to practice their English. We visit Stanley Park, the Vancouver Art Gallery, lower Seymour demonstration forest, Grouse Mountain and local beaches, with optional tours to Whistler and Victoria.” So far, the response from employers has been great. Hiebert has gathered an impressive list of clients who hire her students each summer, but she’s always on the lookout for more. No other language is allowed in the program. If youd like more information on how to hire a Young Canada Works exchange student this “Tt’s a total immersion,” confirms Hiebert. “They get intensive English- summer, contact Jessica language instruction for Heibert at five weeks, with classes in hiebertj@douglas.bc.ca or the morning and field trips 604-527-5175. in the afternoon. They Training Group launches career-selection program The search for a new job these days must start by answering one major question: with over 35,000 choices, exactly what career do I want? To get the answer, job-searchers in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and the Tri-Cities can now turn to the Career Builder Plus Program from Douglas College’s Training Group. Students take modules that include skills- and self- assessment sections, and complete research using a resource library, the Internet, and personal coaches. Career Builder Plus builds on the expertise from similar programs previously operated by the Training Group — with funding support for the latest edition provided by Human Resource and Skills Development Canada Staff of the new Career Builder Plus program (HRSDC). Douglas College President Susan Witter (left) moderated a public forum May 3, “Mental Health Services for New Westminster and British Columbia" at the New Westminster Campus. Susan Brice, Minister of State for Mental Health and Addiction (right) announced the winners of the 2004 poster, essay and video challenge on schizophrenia. Presentations covered the Fraser Health Authority's strategic plan for mental health and addictions; current mental health and addictions services available in New Westminster; and current support and future needs in New Westminster from a mental health consumer's viewpoint. Faculty of Health Sciences celebrates Nursing Week gather at the program's launch. They are (left to right) Shannon Laing, Julian Gardiner, Tannya Dalzell, Enmanue! Shamatutu, Dawn Mathe and David Bellamy. “A job is an identity for many people. We want to invest in people's skills and help them develop their skills so they can return to the labour market,” said HRSDC representative Lorne Markin, speaking at the program The Faculty of Health Sciences celebrated Nursing Week, May 10-16, with a variety of displays, student projects and other activities that encouraged people to think and talk about nursing. One of the more popular displays was a board featuring photographs of Health Sciences employees from childhood on up. Visitors were encouraged to try and figure out who was who. Pictured in front of this board are (I-r) Sherry Soball, Cathy Munroe, Rita Buurman, Anne Oleksiuk, Jeanne Lot, Marilyn Lewthwaite and Susan Greathouse. een launch in Maple Ridge on May 13. “(The program) expands people’s awareness of the opportunities available. It’s a valuable decision-making tool.” Clients use the decision-making modules at their own pace. “People have busy lives so we've designed the program with flexible schedules,” says Program Manager Julian Gardiner. “They can basically complete the modules based on their own time lines.” Career Builder Plus is offered at 300-22470 Dewdney Trunk Road in Maple Ridge. For more information please call 604-467-6593.