Partially funded by the Government of Canada’s Opportunities Fund for People with Disabilities, the Cultivating Abilities program provides group training activities and on-the job work experience in food and agriculture for people with disabilities.
The program is open to those who want to find and keep work and who:
- are over the age of 15;
- self-identify as having a disability;
- are out of school;
- are legally able to work in Canada;
- find it hard to find work or keep work;
- are not receiving Employment Insurance benefits;
- want to find and keep work.
Participants may receive training in:
- essential employment skills
- FoodSafe Level One
- First Aid and WHMIS;
- basic food preparation and safe food handling skills
- agriculture basics.
- landscaping basics
Programs run for 16 weeks and participants are paid $14.60/hour while training and during their 10-week work placement.
Here’s what one of our program participants had to say about their experience: “In all honesty, I’ll never ever forget my time in the program. I made skills that have helped me in life and in my job and helped me build the confidence to get back into the workforce after feeling like I was doomed to be handing in applications and resumes for years to come. The program also left with me some great techniques for managing my anxiety, gave me some friends that I still keep in touch with to this day and made me realize that I really do love gardening. Thank you Foodshare for this amazing program.”
FUTURE SESSIONS
For information about the upcoming intake, please contact CA@nanaimofoodshare.ca.
