Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 27/02) - One problem always plagued Nick Mann whenever he worked at jobs in the service industry: he just couldn't put up with confrontation.

When a customer would get angry, "I'd just run away and try to avoid the situation," he said.

Last Friday, the 24-year-old graduated from a program that taught him ways to deal with confrontation.

The pre-employment training program he attended was a six-week project sponsored by Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC). The aim of the program was to empower and encourage adults with disabilities in the work place, and to guide them toward employment success.

This is the first time the program has been run. A second instalment will begin in late March, and organizers say interest from the community is growing. About 13 per cent of the Yellowknife population is disabled; no accurate numbers exist on how many of those are employed.

Local consulting firm Genesis Projects was awarded the contract for the program, which is worth $47,293 per session.

Mann's appearance seems to match his character.

Soft-faced and wearing a backwards navy ball cap, he speaks about his chronic depression in a quiet voice. He moved to Yellowknife from Fort Vermilion, Alta., eight months ago to find a job and visit his parents.

When he found out about the training program he signed up because he thought it might be a good way to get into the workforce.

Mann and seven other adults with disabilities spent the six weeks covering 12 lessons on everything from self-esteem to resume-writing to time and personal life management skills.

Maureen O'Hagan taught the course.

"Historically people with disabilities have been discriminated against, and they have many obstacles to overcome in the workforce," she said. "This is part of a drive by the government to diversify our workforce as it is a reflection of Canadian society in general."

O'Hagan guided the students through a number of different exercises, both in and outside of the classroom. To help with their self-esteem, she asked each student to write down 100 life accomplishments. To make sure they weren't cocooned in an insular environment, she took the students bowling, had them serve meals for others and took them to the gym.

She was also teaching them to be their own best advertisers, and to work hard to get a job. By the end of the six weeks, one did have a job, and three other employers -- including Tim Hortons, Saan and Wal-Mart -- were considering making employment offers.

Because of their past, people with disabilities make ideal employees, O'Hagan said.

"People with disabilities have had a lifetime of struggling with challenges, so they are good problem-solvers," she said.

For Mann, at least, the training paid off. He will soon head back to Fort Vermilion, where he has already lined up a job at a gas station and accommodations with his boss.

As for confrontation, he says, "now I can deal with it better."