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Employment Support Program's Debuts Workforce Participation Program for Ironwork

Starting over in Canada as a newcomer has many challenges—finding a new place to live, adapting to the language and culture, and of course, finding employment.

To help newcomers learn a variety of skills, and prepare for different careers, the Employment Team offers Workforce Participation Programs (WPPs). During the last week of April, the Employment Team debuted its WPP for Ironwork, in collaboration with A&H Steel.

Ironwork is one of Alberta’s Red Seal Trades—a physically demanding and technically challenging process of building structures using rebar (iron rods) to support construction. As a core construction trade, Alberta desperately needs Ironworkers to build homes, businesses, and industrial facilities. For the last several years, fewer people have registered to become Ironwork Apprentices, leading to a shortage of workers.

This is where AHC and A&H worked together: connecting newcomers looking for a career, and an industry seeking out new approaches to finding workers. For five days, the Ironwork WPP students participated in a mix of classroom training, simulation exercises with rebar and tools, interviews, and a field trip to an A&H job site to watch real Ironworkers in action. At the end of this process, some of the WPP students were selected for a paid, two-week job opportunity, with an aim to full-time apprenticeship and work in the field.

“It’s an honour to be there,” said one of the students who was selected for the job opportunity. “I’m looking forward to working in this field.”

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Land Acknowledgment

As an organization working towards improving peoples’ well being, we acknowledge our presence on Treaty 6 territory and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4, a traditional meeting grounds, gathering place, and travelling route for the Cree, Saulteaux, Blackfoot, Métis, Dene, Ojibway, Anishinaabe, Nakota Sioux, and Inuit, as our responsibility to extend support for healing to our Indigenous Community members during this difficult times. 
We acknowledge all the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries and whose histories, languages, and cultures continue to influence our vibrant community.

As an organization, we commit ourselves to continue to acknowledge, learn, understand, and create opportunities to educate our staff, volunteers, and community members about the lived experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Métis, walking the path of reconciliation.

Action for Healthy Communities Society of Alberta (AHC's) Diversity and Inclusion Statement

AHC is a proud proponent of diversity in the workforce, and we support an inclusive workplace that values the diversity of ideas.

AHC fosters diversity and inclusion at all levels of our organization. It is among the cornerstones of our core values of inclusion, collaboration, participation, personal development, innovation and excellence. We understand that equity deserving individuals and communities possess huge potential for growth and development but facing myriad of challenges which can be addressed through their capacity building by hiring and retaining individuals with an array of competencies, talents, experiences, and ideas to propel the innovation that drives our success. 
A diverse workforce and inclusive culture help us strengthen performance and inspire creative solutions. We believe the attention given to diversity and inclusion makes us more responsive, agile, trustworthy and innovative.

AHC's diversity and inclusion policies aim to foster an inclusive space that encourages more meaningful engagement among all program participants, employees, volunteers and other stakeholders to strengthen our performance.
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