Local Women : PHOTO BY ANGEL DESJARLAIS Activists Take Aim at Cuts to Childcare in BC Nicole Burton, OP News Editor The recent announcement of cuts to child care in BC is anti-woman and pro-privatiza- tion, claims a local women’s rights activist. On January 7, 2007, Minister of State for Child Care, Linda Reid, announced that the BC government would decrease its Child Care Operating Funding by approximately $40 per per child per month, and would cap the num- ber of new centers able to access the funding program as of July 2007. Child care Resource and Referral Programs will also see funding slashed to the pre-Early Learning and Child care Agreement levels in April 2007. “Cuts to child care centers will hit working class women hard,” asserts Suzanne Baustad, a local women’s rights activist. “In a country like Canada, it’s working women who provide the majority of unpaid and unrecognized care for our children. With even deeper cuts to child care, we are left scrambling to make do.” Bausted added, “With child care centers losing even more funding and struggling to continue operating, the cost of these cuts will fall onto mothers and child care workers. who are predominantly women. Claiming that we can pay for cuts to child care using the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB) is a sham. These cuts hit working, single mothers the hardest.” Bausted and other Vancouver women agree that without a universal, national, not- for-profit child care system in Canada, “com- munities will continue to be vulnerable.” Immigrants Find | Jobs Through Award Winning Program Douglas program focuses on adding Canadian work experience fo resumes Douglas College Media Release Chandra ie PHOTO BY ANGEL DESJARLAI The Practice Firm, an award-winning program at Douglas College, helps immigrants devel- op business, communication and job search skills to overcome the challenges of working in a new country. “Tt is a unique program that simulates the day-to-day operation of a Canadian company by combining business operations with workplace culture,” said Cheryl Hagan, Program Manager. “With a strong focus on communication, our clients develop both the hard and soft skills required for a successful introduction into the Canadian workforce.” In 2006, The Practice Firm won Program of the Year award from the Employment Network Education and Training (ENET) Society for program innovation as well as their achievements in assisting immigrants in obtaining employment in Canada in their field of training or expertise. 7 The Practice Firm serves immigrants who have education or experience in business, are entitled to work in Canada, are unemployed or underemployed and meet the eligibility guidelines set by Service Canada. The program provides up to 12 weeks of work experience in a simulated full-cycle business operations center which is mentored by a local company. Clients gain experience in accounting, customer service, marketing, purchasing and web design. Assisted by one-to-one coaching, they also develop tools for employment success such as resume writing and career portfolio development. Immigrants leave the program with local work references and the confidence to enter the Canadian labour force. The Practice Firm has an ongoing registration and is offered at the Douglas College Surrey Training Centre. It is funded by Service Canada (Surrey). To find out more call 604.588.7772 or email practicefirm@douglas.bc.ca ~~ 4 THE OTHER PRESS JANUARY 25 2007 Event You Don’t Want to Miss This Week: oth On Tuesday, January 30™, activists will stage a protest picket at the US Consulate to demand freedom for five political prisoners currently held in U.S. jails: Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labafiino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and René Gonzalez. To people all over th world, they are known as “the Cuban Five.” “The Cuban Five” are five Cuban men who are in US prison, serving four life sentences and 75 years collectively, after being convicted in a U.S. federal court in Miami on June 8, 2001. Their court case, the longest in US history and highly controversial has.received a curious silence from US media. By the end of the trial, the “Five” were accused by the US government of committing espionage conspiracy against the United States and other related charges. Over 250 commit- tees have been established in the United States and around the world in response, demandin immediate freedom for the prisoners. For more information about the case or the work of Vancouver’s chapter of the Free th Cuban Five Committee, visit www.freethefive.org