VAFCS Employment, Life Skills and Training (ELST) program

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The Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society offers a comprehensive Employment, Life Skills and Training (ELST) program, open to anyone who self-identify/self-declare as First Nation, Metis or Inuit.

This program provides all services at no cost to participants.  It offers employment-related workshops, including certification training such as Food Safe, Basic First Aid, or Mental Health First Aid; digital skills training; cultural and drum making workshops; financial workshops; and other employment related workshops. All sessions are delivered in person and ELST program participants are expected to attend and participate in a minimum of 50 hours during each cohort, as follows:

• Orientation/Registration session (1 hour) and a registration intake (1 hour)
• three of the Life Skills Trainings (15 hours)
• three Digital Skills Trainings (15 hours)
• one of the certificate training courses (7 hours)
• a drum-making workshop (3 hours)
• a financial session (2 hours)
• a cultural practice activity (2 hours)
• an employment related workshop (2 hours)
• Celebration ceremony (2 hours)

The sessions generally run Monday to Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (except for certificate training courses that run until 5 p.m.).   The program may provide support such as a computer during training, bus tickets and a gift card upon graduation.  A participant may attend a single or a few of the training sessions, however only with the prior approval of the Employment Coordinator.

Seats for any trainings are limited and anyone interested are asked to email employment@vafcs.org to join.