HEAT in the County

Innovative program provides jobseekers with essential skills

Over the past eight months, jobseekers in the service and hospitality sector in the County have had an opportunity to take part in a custom-designed training program to enhance their skills and better prepare them to find and retain employment. Helping Employers Acquire Talent (HEAT) is a program funded by the provincial Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and offered through Career Edge in Picton, with support from the municipality. HEAT was created by a partnership that included a number of the hospitality sector’s largest employers, the Chamber of Commerce, the Prince Edward Learning Centre, Career Edge and the County. Together, they devised a project that helps adult jobseekers build technical skills as well as personal skills to better prepare them for employment. “It is essential to have a highly skilled workforce in the hospitality and tourism industry,” says HEAT facilitator Barb Miller of Career Edge. “HEAT is pre-employment training of two weeks of in-class workshops, followed by job-coach support, and will actually help getting real jobs in the community.”

There is no charge for the HEAT program. Participants are given the training to obtain their Smart Serve qualification, Food Handler certification, Service Excellence qualification, Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS) certification, as well as workplace violence and harassment training. In addition there are presentations from guest speakers and by local employers on what qualities they are looking for in their ideal candidate. There is also an emphasis on the so-called “soft skills”—adaptability, communications, thinking and working with others. One essential component is that the participants learn about the history and culture of the County and what makes it a special place. There is also a day-long tour, where participants visit various County workplaces. “Those have been awesome,” says Miller. “They show what a day at a wine-tasting bar may look like, or what a position in the kitchen looks like. In fact, we’ve actually experienced employers choosing participants from that tour, you know, trying to recruit.” The support from HEAT continues after the classroom training ends. There are job-coaches available who can go on the job with an individual “That’s a conversation between the participant and the employer,” says Miller. “We can have a job-coach for, say, clearing tables or doing busing, as well as for the how-to and not-to for manners, attire and proper etiquette.”

(L-R): HEAT participant Michelle Brownell and HEAT facilitator Barb Miller at the Career Edge office in the Armoury Building in Picton.

The HEAT program is designed to meet the needs of both employers and prospective employees. Employers will have a pool of trained and motivated individuals to choose from, with the possibility of ongoing coaching and training support. Those people taking the program have an opportunity to get various types of certification training at no cost, the opportunity to meet potential employers and the ability to take part in career planning and skills development beyond the scope of the original course. Miller sees this program as a positive thing for employers looking to attract and maintain workers. “We’ve done surveys looking at what employers are saying is lacking and why they can’t keep staff. They just don’t have the time to do all the training. They come into the peak season and they need people that are already fluent in the industry, as far as what to expect, how to work with people, with the soft skills and the customer service. So it’s a huge benefit for employers to capture those individuals who have completed the program.”

One recent HEAT participant is Michelle Brownell, who is a newcomer to the County. She previously operated her own cake business in Kingston. “I wanted to boost my resume a bit. I’ve been in the hospitality industry, but there were some things I was lacking to be able to get certain jobs,” she says when asked why she took the program. “I actually learned quite a bit. I got my Smart Serve. Amazingly there’s a lot of things to look for when you are serving alcohol. I learned a lot about the County. I met a few business owners, and it was good to be able to meet new people in the County and kind of get out there. I definitely feel more prepared, even just going in for an interview.” One important factor for Brownell was the opportunity to establish a network of connections. This is a common theme among the program’s participants. The two-week sessions and the relatively small number of participants gives everyone time to build strong working relationships with each other. Brownell was also impressed by the quality of the trainers, as well as by the insight and information provided by the guest speakers. “They were professional and they really cared about getting to know you and helping you further along to where you need to be,” she says. “It was fantastic. It was something you wanted to come back to every day. It was enjoyable. I got to go and learn something new.”