Success Stories

When Taylor, 26 years, came to Y.E.S. Manitoba, he was addicted to drugs and lived on the streets. He worked intermittently for temporary services. Also, he was an Apprentice Electrician unable to find work. He needed assistance to find work; a way off the streets and help to focus on applying for positions, available in his field. Y.E.S. helped him write and update his resumes; find companies in the Electrical field that were looking for help; build a plan to get off the streets and into counselling. We took job related messages for him when he did not have a phone. Now he is a self-supporting Electrician’s Assistant working towards his Journeyman Electrical Ticket. When he came to share his success, Taylor told his employment coach: “Thank-you for all the help you gave me, with a smile, when I felt no one else cared.“

Shiela, 19 years old, came to Y.E.S., wanting a job so she could become more self sufficient. She wanted her independence so she could move into her own apartment and save for college. One setback was that she had never worked before. Her confidence was low and she wasn’t sure what she’d be happy doing. She discussed her concerns with her employment coach who suggested working through the various workshops at Y.E.S.. She was able to refine her resume and cover letter, practice interview skills and prepare herself to enter the workforce. The confidence she developed working through the program was just what she needed to make her job search successful.

At first it wasn’t easy for Kyle, 23 years old, to find a job. As a teenager he had problems with the law. He began selling drugs at a young age and witnessed the death of a friend. The death of his friend affected him immensely, causing him to re-think his way of life. His criminal background and anger problems found him missing work and getting fired. He was again developing his “I don’t care attitude”. His employment coach assisted him to enrol in anger management classes and helped him to locate employers in the labour field. Kyle not only “graduated” from his anger management classes, but obtained his driver’s licence, thanks to his employer who gave him the time off to take the tests. Now Kyle volunteers, acting as a mentor to young men leaving a correctional institution. Y.E.S. is proud of Kyle for overcoming all his obstacles!