This course ensures that construction worksites are as safe as possible, beginning with basic safety training for all employees.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

CSTS is the only worker-specific safety program of its kind in British Columbia and is acknowledged industry-wide as an excellent learning tool for individuals who are either new to the construction industry or have not had formal safety training.

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM ENTAIL?

CSTS is a self-paced, online course broken down into 15 modules. Students will explore various aspects of a construction jobsite with an emphasis on being aware of common hazards and how to avoid them. Each module includes a study session, review and test.

Modules:

• Your Worksite and the Law
• Personal Physical Care and Conduct
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Workplace Hazards
• Field Level Hazard Assessment
• WHMIS
• Worksite Conditions
• Environmental Factors
• Fall Protection
• Emergency Response
• Ladders and Scaffolding
• Mobile Equipment
• Machinery, Tools and Equipment
• Excavating and Trenching
• Defensive Driving

Upon successful completion, a certificate will be issued. Certification is valid across Canada and does not expire.

From construction to manufacturing, many trades and industry service jobs require this training to ensure the health and safety of their workers. The Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is a Canada-wide system designed to give employers and workers information on hazardous materials in the workplace.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

This course is suitable for workers in organizations of all sizes, in industries and occupations where hazardous products are found. Any and all workers who may be exposed to hazardous materials in their jobs must receive training regarding the hazards of these materials and the WHMIS system. Specific WHMIS education and training requirements are regulated by each occupational health and safety jurisdiction.

WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM ENTAIL?

Course topics include:

• Overview of WHMIS
• Overview of hazard groups and classes
• Physical hazards
• Health hazards
• Labels including required label elements
• Safety data sheets (SDSs)

Upon completion of the e-course and successful completion of the accompanying multiple choice exam, learners will be able to print a Certificate of Completion.

Confined Space
This course helps to educate participants about the risks associated with working in confined spaces, what to expect and how to react in the case of emergency. Confined spaces in the workplace pose a significant risk of injury and death. Confined space incidents can happen suddenly, and often without any warning that something is wrong. Employers must take the necessary steps to ensure worker safety around confined spaces.

Access certification programs in the service industry to help you obtain a meaningful role in tourism and hospitality

Serving it Right
Serving It Right (SIR) is British Columbia’s responsible beverage service program that educates servers, managers, and licensees about their legal responsibilities when serving alcohol, and provides techniques to prevent problems associated with liquor service.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

This program is designed for people working in tourism and hospitality, as well as individuals whose special occasion licence requires them to have Serving It Right certification.

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM ENTAIL?

SIR was designed to ensure that the service and sale of liquor is done according to law and in a way that keeps customers, guests and others safe from alcohol-related harms. The course provides effective techniques to prevent problems related to the service of liquor and covers topics such as:

• Signs of intoxication
• Legal liability
• Reducing alcohol over-consumption
• Reducing impaired driving
• Reducing the risk of violence
• Preventing the sale of alcohol to a minor
• Duty of care on and off premises, and
• The necessity to create and enforce responsible beverage service policies
  

Once you have successfully completed the exam you will receive your SIR certificate number immediately and have the option of printing your certificate. You can view and print your certificate at any time.

This course covers important food safety and worker safety information including foodborne illness, receiving and storing food, preparing food, serving food, cleaning and sanitizing.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

FOODSAFE Level 1 is a food handling, sanitation, and work safety course designed for front line food service workers such as cooks, servers, bussers, dishwashers, and deli workers.

WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM ENTAIL?

The course covers important food safety and worker safety information including:

• foodborne illness
• receiving and storing food
• preparing food, serving food
• cleaning and sanitizing

You can take anywhere from one to 20 days to complete the online course and write the final exam. Upon successful completion of this course, your certificate will be valid for 5 years.

Gain new employability skills and receive support from mentors and fellow job seekers

Employment Connections

The purpose of Employment Connections is to assist with job hunting, allowing participants to receive job search support and advice in an informal, community setting.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

Employment Connections was designed to provide community support and valuable input to active job seekers, making the job hunting process less daunting and helping individuals to build confidence in their approach.

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM ENTAIL?

The program consists of weekly meetings where members are invited to:

• share their resumes and cover letters for feedback
• conduct mock interviews
• recommend job leads
• share general encouragement and advice
• network and discuss new technology, resources, and skills that will aid in the job search

Employment Connections also encourages consistency and accountability through weekly meetings, giving members a helpful nudge to be more proactive and committed to their job search.

Customer Service
Our interactive Customer Service workshop teaches students the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to improve customer satisfaction and achieve better results in any customer-facing role, as well as with their colleagues and employers.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

This workshop will help individuals interested in entering the workforce within a customer service role to develop and fine-tune the interpersonal skills required to provide impeccable service across a range of industries.

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM ENTAIL?

The Customer Service course content includes:

• greeting the customer with warmth and attentiveness
• effectively determining customer needs or challenges
• active listening and responding with value
• using positive language and eliminating jargon
• concluding customer interactions
• de-escalation and conflict resolution skills
• the importance of body language and tone of voice

Social networking has become a powerful tool in finding and obtaining a job suited to our unique skills and interests. This course will teach job seekers how to use various social networks to make connections and demonstrate their expertise to potential employers.

LinkedIn

This course provides an introduction to social media using LinkedIn, an online network for job seekers and providers.

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

The LinkedIn course was created for job seekers to learn how to effectively utilize this platform in their job search.

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM ENTAIL?

This session focuses on the purpose of LinkedIn, social networking in a professional environment, how you can use LinkedIn to promote your strengths to potential employers, and how to use this social network to find your next job.

Twitter and Facebook

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

The Twitter and Facebook course was created for job seekers to learn how to effectively utilize these social networking tools in their job search.

WHAT DOES THE PROGRAM ENTAIL?

This course provides an introduction to social media using Twitter and Facebook. This session focuses on social networking, best practises, and how these platforms can be used in your job search. 

The circle is used as a tool to guide career exploration while considering an individual’s gifts, aptitudes, skills, interests, personal style, spirit, values, learning approach, work/life roles, and workplace connections.

This course provides an introduction to resume writing that will teach you how to promote your qualifications and skills to potential employers. The Writing a Resume course will review several ways of organizing a good resume, depending on your experience, the type of work you want to pursue, and the overall style you would like to use to convey your information to potential employers.

Gain valuable knowledge and life skills that will support you in your job search 

Rent Smart

The Rent Smart course helps participants gain skills and tools to support common understanding and manage expectations between landlords and tenants to reduce confusion and conflict. Successful tenancies are key to housing stability, prevention of homelessness, and strong communities. The Rent Smart model has three main objectives:

1. To provide tenants with the knowledge, skills and confidence to find and maintain good housing.
2. To deliver a high quality educational experience that is relevant and practical.
3. Utilize a Train the Trainer approach to expand partner organizations capacity to deliver tenant education

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

RentSmart Basics is a 3-hour introductory course designed to meet the unique needs of specific populations such as youth, newcomers, seniors and people transitioning from homelessness. The Basics course can be used as a precursor to the RentSmart Certificate (12-hour course).

WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM ENTAIL?

Professional development course for tenant management and support workers, property managers and landlords. 

What you learn:

• Housing Needs: What your housing wants and needs are, and how to find a home that meets your needs.
• Getting application ready: We help you to become housing ‘application-ready’.
• Your rights and responsibilities: You’ll learn your legal rights and responsibilities, and your landlord’s – and how the law protects both tenants and landlords.

• Budgeting your finances: How to manage your money in order to afford housing and pay your rent on time.
• Communication: Effective communication skills to help your tenancy be conflict-free
• Household maintenance: Learn common maintenance skills to help you look after your home.

Upon completion, participants earn a Rent Smart Certificate, which BC Housing recognizes as a positive reference and informs housing providers that the graduate has taken the time to learn how to be a good tenant.

Money Basics

This workshop explores money management techniques and skills. Assess how you manage money now and learn how to create and follow a budget, work with credit, and save with intention! Learn how to plan financially in your career, and  about money in the marketplace.

Driver’s Training

If you have never written the ICBC Drivers Exam, this workshop is for you! Spend three half-days working with our instructor and learning what you will need to pass the ICBC Written Exam.

Discover the path that’s best suited to your unique strengths and interests

TOWES: Test of Workplace Essential Skills

TOWES is an online learning hub and a nationally recognized leader in the field of literacy and essential skills assessment. The TOWES methodology focuses on 3 main areas of essential skill and career development: reading, using documents, and numeracy. Using authentic Canadian work and life content, this course helps to assess and improve critical skills for success in working, learning and life.

TOWES’ products and services are grouped into four core areas: 

• Assessment – tools to accurately measure literacy and essential skills
• Learning tools – materials and resources to help meet workplace and educational training needs 
• Professional development and administrator training – customizable training for employers, career counsellors, instructors or assessment administrators
• Consulting and analysis – support for recruitment, promotion, and succession planning efforts

Using TOWES, employers can identify and develop workers’ skills to safely prepare them for a wide range of jobs. Educators can pinpoint areas of strength and weakness to develop focused and targeted intervention strategies, and job seekers can make better-informed career and education decisions by identifying and developing their skills.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a self-help assessment test which offers participants insights about how they work and learn. It is a framework for relationship-building, developing positivism, and achieving excellence.

The MBTI test categories personality types into 16 possible combinations of:

• Introverted vs Extroverted
• Sensing vs Intuition
• Thinking vs Feeling
• Perceiving vs Judging

True ColorsⓇ
The True ColorsⓇ course helps participants better understand themselves and others based on a dominant personality temperament, which will under one of four colors: orange, blue, gold and green. This workshop provides insights into different motivations, actions, and communication approaches.

True Colors helps to identify:

• intrinsic values
• self-esteem
• sources of dignity and worthiness
• causes of stress
• listening styles
• non-verbal responses
• language patterns
• social skills
• learning styles
• environmental motivators
• cultural appeal
• negative mental states,
• relationship orientation
• ethical behaviors

Both the Myers-BriggsType Indicator and True Colors assessments will help participants gain insight into the particular combination of qualities and aptitudes that make them unique, while True Colors offers more perspective on personal tendencies that might contribute to an individual’s interpersonal interactions.