Over 150 guests attended the Open House events on June 26th and 27th to celebrate the relaunch of WorkBC centres in North Delta and Vancouver North East.
Both events opened with blessings and songs from Indigenous representatives: Knowledge Keeper Alec Dan from the Musqueam Nation provided the welcome at the Delta employment centre while Elder Sayslim from Statleeeum Nation provided the welcome at the Broadway and Commercial Drive location in Vancouver.
MOSAIC’s Board Vice Chair George Somerwill and Board Chair Dr. Christian Duff acknowledged MOSAIC’s partners at both centres, saying that the organizations will work together to assist the diverse communities with employment assistance. Although MOSAIC holds the contract to operate the centres, and works with newcomers accessing services at the Work BC sites, partners deliver services to specific constituents.
In Delta, the partners are ACCESS (Indigenous Persons), AGORA Employment Essentials (Persons with multiple barriers), BC Centre for Ability and Delta Community Living Society (Persons with a disability), Boys and Girls Club of South Coast BC (Youth and youth-at-risk), and YWCA (Survivors of violence and/or abuse).
In Vancouver Northeast, partners are ACCESS, BC Centre for Ability (Persons with a disability), Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House (Youth and youth-at-risk), Kiwassa Neighbourhood House (Persons with multiple barriers), Vancouver East Side Educational Enrichment Society and YWCA Metro Vancouver (Survivors of violence and/or abuse).
While the Delta WorkBC Centre featured former clients who shared their employment success stories, the Vancouver Northeast Centre featured an HR Coordinator who not only found his job with Vanwhole Produce through the centre, but also spoke of how the Centre has continued to support the company with good candidates for recruitment.
MP Jenny Kwan also attended the Vancouver North East event.
