by Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 09/98) - If you have a learning disability, breathe a sigh of relief. It's the Vocational Trades Centre to the rescue.

A pre-employment training project for people with learning differences and disabilities, the centre is geared to providing the training needed to get into trades related employment.

And the three people running the show have their work cut out for them. "Everyone will have their own special program. When we find the students then we have to decide what kind of program to put them in, according to the individual," says Rosalind Minault, 46.

One of two program co-ordinators, Minault says even the time frame will vary for each participant. "They'll be in the program anywhere from 30 to 180 days. It's hard to say. We spoke to one woman who will need about six months and another guy who'll take about six weeks."

Minault's colleague, Shelley Strong, says there will be some overlap in the curriculum that will be delivered to a maximum of 10 students to start.

"We start with life skills and they'll be the same for a lot of people. After we realize in what way they need to be taught, we can begin exposing people to different possibilities. We'll expose them to different trades in the community after we identify their area of interest and then we can begin training," says Strong, 30.

Both program co-ordinators hold teaching degrees and have trade-related backgrounds.

The two are responsible for program and curriculum development and implementation. "It fills the gap between high school and trades-related employment for people who have trouble learning," says Strong.

The new program will also partly make up for the loss of Project Change, a similar, but academically-oriented, Yellowknife-based program for disabled Northerners that lost its government funding last year.

Hiring qualified personnel to fill in where they come up short also falls under the centre's job description.

"Once we progress past the basic stages, then we'll be bringing in tradespeople to teach at the centre," says Karen Marshall, the administrative co-ordinator of the trades school.

Marshall helped secure funding for the program from the Human Resource Development Corporation and an Ontario-based donor called the Harry E. Foster Foundation She says the training provided by the centre will hopefully lead to bigger and better steps. "They may go on to an apprenticeship if they meet the eligibility requirements."

Classes begin Jan. 12 at the Vocational Trades Centre, located in the old Project Change building. Interested participants are encouraged to apply.