The Irishtown Specialty Lions Club is a proud member of Lions International, the largest service organization in the world! When caring people join together, roll up their sleeves and take action to make their community better, it’s a beautiful thing—and an incredible feeling for everyone involved. That’s Lions. Being a Lion is about leading by example, building relationships, and improving the world through kindness. It’s 1.4 million caring men and women serving together so they can make a lasting impact and change more lives. Lions Serve! 

 

The Irishtown Lions Club has chosen to serve our community by lifting 15-30-year-olds who are not in school or work from apathy and hopelessness into good, full-time jobs with local employers who need their talents, or into other programs leading to this objective.

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We have incorporated the Greater Moncton Skills Centre of Excellence, Inc. (Not for Profit Business Number 770191609NP0001). The Skills for Success Program will partner, but not compete with community organizations also helping young people. We are building a unique new micro-credential training experience embedded in a skilled trades and technology discovery program. Training will be available at no cost to out-of-work, out-of-school, and out-of-hope indigenous, francophone, anglophone, and new-Canadian youths. Trainees will earn Skills Passports and/or Medals, based on skills local employers have identified as critical, rather than official certifications other organizations are more qualified to provide. We are about re-igniting hope.

 

The young people we are targeting are now on the sidelines of the workforce and life. Between EI/SERB, social assistance, rehab, detox, juvenile justice, stressed and dysfunctional families, medication, and mental health services, they are a deterrent to social cohesion and economic development and prosperity for our region.

 

They represent a potential labour pool of 10,000 or more for employers in Greater Moncton and Southeast New Brunswick. With hope and self-esteem, basic employment skills (safety, first-aid, WHMIS), enhanced success and life skills, and a sense of pride, purpose, and direction, many can be productive employees and engaged, contributing citizens.

 

Lions Quest has helped youth across Canada and around the world develop social and emotional skills for over 30 years. Time-tested elements of Lions Quest will be included in our program, with other innovative, leading-edge new approaches.

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The goal is to gradually scale up to 200 or more trainees each year who will transition from the Skills for Success Program:

• to full-time employment with local employer partners and sponsors who are committed to their ongoing learning and progress;

• back into high school then on to college, apprenticeship, or university programs; or 

• directly into community college or apprenticeship programs.

 

The Greater Moncton Skills Centre of Excellence will also serve as a focal point for Skills Canada New Brunswick's operations to promote the skilled trades to students at all education levels and adults throughout the province. SCNB does this through in-school and in-community presentations, industry liaison, and skills competitions at the regional, and provincial levels. Successful competitors represent our province at annual national competitions. Winners at the nationals represent Canada at the biennial World Skills Competitions.

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When the Greater Moncton Skills Centre is established, it will be Skills Canada's Team Canada National Training Centre. Every two years competitors and their coaches from across Canada will come to Moncton to hone skills for the World Skills Competitions. This intensive training period will also attract tools and equipment suppliers, family members, and the media.

 

Given the Team Canada National Training Centre designation, national and international tools, equipment, technology suppliers, industry associations, unions, local employers, etc., want their "latest and best" on display. The Skills Centre will be a boon to Skills Canada and Team Canada every two years. However, it will be available year-round for Lions training for excluded youth, and for Skills Canada New Brunswick to bring students from all corners of the province for exposure to world-class skilled trades and technology exhibits and tradesmen mentors.

 

The Skills Centre will also be a resource for workforce, economic, and social development partners in New Brunswick and the Atlantic Region. For example, Portage Atlantic (also a Lions project) has expressed interest in referring their drug rehabilitation program completers to the Skills Centre to develop skills for success and become job-ready. In addition, Competences Quebec and other provinces want to bring some of their competitors to the Skills Centre to train.

 

When the Skills Centre is launched, the 11-person Irishtown Lions Club board and leadership team now stewarding this project will expand into one of the largest clubs in the region. The Irishtown Specialty Lions Club and Skills Canada NB have access to excellent journeyman trainers to whom our trainees will look up, and cadres of volunteers to mentor trainees. Committed volunteers will proudly raise funds to sponsor as many 15-30-year-olds as possible through our training from exclusion to bright futures and good careers with local employers.

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For more information contact:

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             Phil Jarvis, Director                             Courtney Donovan, Vice President

             Irishtown Specialty Lions Club           Irishtown Specialty Lions Club

             phil@philjarvis.ca                                 cjdonovan@gmail.com

             506 961-8585                                        506 476-1264

 

Stay tuned for updates.

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