Archive for May, 2010

From our May DALA newsletter

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

 

DALA

New officers were appointed for the DALA Board of Directors on Wednesday April 28, 2010. The new officers are Peter Janson as Chair, Nina Barnaby as Vice Chair and Marjorie Hales as Secretary / Tresurer.

LEARNING GROVE CHILDCARE CENTRE

  • The preschoolers enjoyed their trip to the Lifeplex in April. Thanks to all the volunteers for their help.
  • It’s time to sign up for the School Age Unit if you want after school child care for the fall of 2010.
  • Summer Fair: Why do we have a summer fair? It is one of the two fundraisers we do and depend on every year. The Learning Grove operates solely on parent fees and fundraisers, so this event is very important to the continued operation of the centre. We would like to divide the summer fair planning into different committees. Please consider helping by joining a committee. 

DIGBY CAREER RESOURCE CENTRE

JOB SEARCH CLUB

 A new Job Search Club will be taking place from April 26 to June 4 in Digby, Weymouth and Clare. Liz Young will be the facilitator for the clubs. Liz will also be conducting job search clubs in the Bridgetown and Annapolis areas from June 14 to July 9. These programs are sponsored by the Department of Community Services. Topics covered in the program will include resume and cover letter writing, job maintenance and interview skills.                        

NEW CAREER PATHWAYS WORKSHOP

 This new workshop covers the essential skills employers are looking for. Essential skills are listed as skill requirements for job postings on the Service Canada website. The nine essential skills discussed are reading, document use, numeracy, writing, continuous learning, oral communication, working with others, thinking/problem solving and computer use. This workshop is presented by Darlene Johns. To register for a workshop, phone 245-7442.

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Eric Hewey is a grade 11 student from Digby Regional High School who started working with Brian Joudrey, our Network Administrator, as part of the Options and Opportunities program. Eric is interested in pursuing a career in computer technology and the 100 hours he spends working with Brian will help him gain valuable experience and aid in his career decision. One of the projects Eric and Brian worked on was setting up new computers at the Weymouth Job Search Centre. Danny Hatt, a student in his 2nd year of Information Technology at NSCC Annapolis Valley Campus, has also been working with Brian for his spring work term. His project has been to work on the DALA website.

NSCDA CONFERENCE

 The Nova Scotia Career Development Association (NSCDA) conference is being held in Sydney the last week of May. The Coordinator and 3 counselors of the CRC will be attending. The pre-conference with Dr. Dave Redekopp starts on Tuesday May 25 and will be highlighting some of the key economic, social, health, happiness, well-being and other benefits gained when citizens engage in proactive career development activities. The conference ends on Thursday May 27. The 3 days are filled with employability workshops that are beneficial to staff. The time also allows staff to discuss best practices among other service providers.

 TIOWTargeted Initiative for Older Workers–the selection of group 2 will soon begin. The program will be advertised in the Clare Shopper mid May, as well as at the CRC. To arrange an appointment to check for eligibility, contact Jeanette or Jennifer @ (902) 245-7540 or (902) 245-7442. This group will complete 15 weeks of classroom/computer instruction followed by 10 weeks of on the job training.

DIGBY COMMUNITY EDUCATION CENTRE

 GRADUATION

There are 29 students on the potential graduate list. The date of the graduation has been confirmed; it will be on Thursday, June 24that 7:00 pm, at the Digby Regional High School theatre.  There will be 10 students graduating from the Level 4 Program (NSCC), 17 from the Public School Program (TCRSB) and 2 GED (DALA) graduates. 

We also have several returning graduates who attend the PSP (TCRSB) program to upgrade credit courses so that they may be eligible to take post secondary studies. For the past few years we have acknowledged these students by presenting certificates of achievement at the graduation ceremonies.

There are 6 part time students from the Conway Workshop Association who continue to attend the DCEC. Joy Amirault works with the group to improve their literacy skills.

VOLUNTEER AWARD

One of our DCEC students, Terry Farnsworth, received a provincial volunteer award.  This is the second year in a row that a recipient of this award has been a student of the DCEC.  Our students are often very active

 SPECIAL EVENTS

30 Hour Famine: A small group of students, and TCRSB Instructors Maxine MacLean and Julie Keddy participated in the 30 hour Famine and raised over $500.00 for the cause.  The event was sponsored by Pizza Delight, Ricardo’s, Sobeys and NSCC. 

Recent DCEC class trips:

Admiral Digby Museum     Cornwallis Water Treatment                    Digby Water Treatment     Scallop Bowl – School Bowling Event

 Earth Day:  The students cleaned up the school property for Earth Day.  They also participated in the Lights Out Event by turning out the lights in the classrooms, offices and hallways at the DCEC. 

 Geo-CachingMaxine MacLean’s Global Studies and Global Geography classes attended a workshop to learn how to use a handheld GPS with Russell Deveau on April 27.

Job Search Club

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

Good day everyone,

Spring has sprung and everyone is gearing up for another summer filled of tourist and visitors for the Digby and surrounding areas. If you are seeking employment and helpful hints on how to land the job, DALA is delivering a  Job Search Club in Digby, Weymouth and Clare areas.

We will cover material on Resume and Cover Letters, Job Search Technics, Interview Skills,Job Maintenance, and coping with unemployment issues. DCS is funding this program and will wrap up on June 4, 2010.

For more information please contact Liz Young at 245-2050.

DALA seeking new Executive Director

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

Digby Area Learning Association

Location – Digby, Nova Scotia

Executive Director

Established in 1991 and located in the rural community of Digby, the Digby Area Learning Association is a not-for-profit literacy and career based organization that focuses on adult learners and learning opportunities that encourage and support healthy, sustainable communities.

The Executive Director will report to an established Board of Directors and work closely with funding agencies, stakeholders, community partners, and staff in the successful delivery of adult literacy programs and services.  The incumbent is responsible for management duties associated with the programs and services that are under the administrative umbrella of the organization.  The incumbent shall possess:

  • strong leadership and team building skills
  • extensive administrative and supervisory experience within an educational setting
  • a strong understanding of adult literacy issues
  • a collaborative approach to management and staff development
  • strong communication skills
  • strong computer skills that promotes programs and services of the organization through the delivery of presentations and networking opportunities
  • extensive experience in complex financial responsibilities

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess a degree in education, business administration (with experience in development and implementation of funding proposals), or the equivalent combination of training, skills and work experience. Experience in adult learning environments, combined with experience in the administration of public programs and services is an asset in the not-for-profit sector. This position requires someone with the ability to work well with others, to motivate, lead and mentor staff with the proven ability to manage staff issues including performance management skills. The incumbent will work independently with people from a variety of educational levels within the system.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please email your resume in confidence to:

Peter Janson

Digby Area Learning Association Board of Directors

245-7443

jobs@dala.digby.ns.ca

Deadline for this position is June 25th, 2010