Success Stories

Success Stories from TIES 2 Work

Facing Fears And Moving Forward By Darlene Davidson - Through the Key to Well-Being, I learned I was afraid of moving forward in my life. I was forced to take a hard look at myself and realized that I didn’t know myself at all. The Key to Well-Being taught me to examine who I really was. One day our class was invited to the Learning Exchange for the TIES2Work Open House. I was excited that I could learn new work skills in order to achieve a job that I would love and allow me to be my true self. I am in my third week of Ties2Work and I am enjoying the challenges of learning new skills, working as a group and overcoming the fears that I had allowed myself to avoid in the past.

Shikeba's Story - “I have always wanted to work with children but being able to do this was not easy,” says Shikeba, a recent graduate of the TIES 2 Work program. Delivering newspapers helped with money but not with her personal goals. At the suggestion of a friend she met with Claire at the Learning Exchange to talk about TIES 2 Work. That was in July and since then much has changed for Shikeba, who moved to Canada with her family five years ago. She was matched to work at the YMCA-YWCA with children, completed the Learning Exchange’s 12-week essentials skills program with TIES 2 Work, started working in January with after school children from 1:00 p.m. - 6 p.m. and got her driver’s license. Recently Shikeba started working more hours, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., some of which now involves working with younger children in the childcare centre.

Click here to read a profile on Shikeba in "Around the Block", a community newsletter distributed by the Saint John Human Development Council.

Melissa's Story - I am a 30 year old, single parent of two children. After I graduated from High School, I attended the Saint John Learning Exchange to prepare for employment. I then realized that there was much more to the Learning Exchange. It wasn't just for people that didn't have education; there was a little something for everybody. A few months ago I came back to the Learning Exchange because it was very hard to find a job that offered good pay and benefits. When I heard that they could help me find the type of work I was looking for, I signed up. I've struggled for years trying to make ends meet every month. I managed to survive, on a very tight budget, with the money I brought in every month. I had no car which meant I packed my children up and took the bus everywhere, that’s if I could catch it on time. Once I started the program, I realized that it was the beginning of a new start. This brought changes, and new challenges to overcome. My children didn't like the idea of me going back to school or work so the change was not easy for them. I knew that this wasn't going to be a smooth ride. Well, I’ve been working now for 5 months, I love it! Great people to work for. I am writing this for everyone to know that the TIES 2 Work Program, offered through the Learning Exchange, is not just for people that don't have a GED; it’s for people who want to gain the Essential Skills so they can succeed on the job and in life.

Katherine's Story - Until I began the TIES 2 Work program, I found I was getting into a rut. I had tried jobs at two different call centers, but never got past the training. I have test anxiety syndrome and found it difficult to pass the final tests. Without a passing mark on these tests, you will not be hired. It was not that I did not know the work, just that I was so stressed about passing the tests that I would ultimately fail by making stupid errors.

I was beginning to find it too difficult to go out into the workforce again, only to lose another job. It was much easier to just sit at home and watch TV.

Once I started the TIES 2 Work program, I began to get myself back into the routine of getting up and going out each day. I started getting my self-confidence back and began to look forward to using my mind and having stimulating conversations.

I would gladly recommend this program to anyone who just needs that little push to get them up and out again.
Special thanks to Chris and everyone else in the TIES 2 Work program who helped me to take charge of my life again.

Success Stories from BEST

Never Too Old To Learn
by Joan Doucette

I am a 55 year-old grandmother. I left school in Grade 7 to have my first child and never went back to school.

In January 2011, the Power-up program led me to Breaking Free where I was taught how to set goals and make them a reality. This brought me to the B.E.S.T. (Basic Education and Skills Training) program at The Saint John Learning Exchange to prepare for the GED. I am getting so much better at writing and math, and am learning more about Canada and the sciences.

I plan to write the GED this fall when I am 56 years old. I feel that you should learn something new every day. You are never too old to learn!

" Since I started attending the BEST program, I have found a change in me. I am more ready to learn each and every day. I come in each morning to see the smiling face of my facilitator which puts me in a good mood to learn. I just wish the teachers I have dealt with over the years in school would have been as pleasant as she is. She knows what I need and makes it available to me. Plus if there is a problem with the academics, she will do the best of her ability to help me. Not only are the facilitators here very pleasant and kind, my peers are as well. My facilitator loves to see us meet new challenges every day. She helped me gain my self-confidence back by praising me when I do a good job on something that I think I did wrong. "

" My experience at the Learning Exchange has been good. I like getting up and coming to class everyday. The classroom is a very comfortable environment and it is quiet, so you can concentrate on your work. The work is easy for the most part but it gets difficult, the facilitators help you through the difficult stuff though. I like working at my own pace, but sometimes I wouldn't mind doing some of it as a group. My facilitator is very kind and understanding and she will help you with any of your work to the best of her ability. The environment at the Learning Exchange is awesome; everyone here is very kind and makes it a pleasant experience. "

" Since I started my first day here at the Learning Exchange, I have felt welcome and accepted for who I am. While I am currently enrolled in the BEST Program, I have had the same experiences in the other programs here at the Learning Exchange. The facilitators are very nice, respectful and considerate of everyone, they are non-judgmental. The Learning Exchange is a work at your own pace environment, with the help and guidance of the facilitators. It is also very laid back and relaxed, there is not all the pressures that a high school provides, you do things at your own personal time and pace. Although, there is no pressure the facilitators still want to see you succeed and move further into your future. They do everything to the best of their abilities to meet your individual needs. The Learning Exchange really is the place to come freely, if you want to improve your skills. Whether it be to: finish your GED, get a job, or just refresh your memory for work purposes. "

Success Stories from the CALP program

" I've been a student at the Saint John Learning Exchange for going on two years now. It's a great place to learn the people are so nice and welcoming. I find that you don't have to worry about being judged and that your teachers are more than just that. Well, my teacher is anyway she has been there not just as a teacher but as a friend. If I am having any trouble she is always open and finds time to listen. Which is nice to know that these people care about you as an individual.

The best thing for me about the Learning Exchange is that you aren't rushed to do anything and you work at your own pace and everyone around you is at their own pace so you feel comfortable. In my personal opinion if it wasn't for the Learning Exchange I would probably not get my GED. I have seen my own improvement since I have been here when I walked into the Learning Exchange I did not have levels in any of my subjects. Now I would have to say that I have gone up a few levels in all subjects.

In closing I would just like to say if you want a good environment to work in and not be pressured into all this work in a little period of time then this is the place for you and they welcome you in, no matter who you are and how good you were in school none of that matters cause when you are here you do what you think is best for you and the teachers are just here to support you and help you in any way that they can. This will always be a place I will miss when I am no longer here and will carry with me always because it has changed my life in a lot of ways. "

CALP Night Class Success Stories

There were no challenges that stopped me from coming before. It just took me along time to get back into going back to school.

At first I was a little shy, but later on in the months I felt good about myself, just the thought of me getting my GED makes me feel good. The staff at the Learning Exchange are very nice and helpful. When you are having trouble they are there to help you in any subject. When I first started my math, reading and spelling skills were not good but I have improved a lot.

After I get my GED I would like to take either of these courses: hair dressing or computer technician. "

" I decided to come to the Learning Exchange because I had dropped out of school at the age of seventeen. I am now twenty-five and have been working in a call center for the last five years. I have decided that I would love to go back to University and further my education. There were a few things that were holding me back from getting into a class sooner. Some things were; living on my own and having to work full-time, having no family in the city to fall back on while I went back to class, and I also had my self convinced that I would not understand after being out of school for so long.

When I first started attending this program I was very nervous. The staff and facilitators were very good at making you feel comfortable in the class and with the work. When the program started I had no self-confidence. After being in class for two months I feel so much better about my level of education. Everything comes back to you with a little refreshing. I would have to say with the help of the facilitator and the program I feel that in a few months time I am close to being ready to attempt the test I have been so scared to do.

After I finish the program I would like to get into school to get some further education under my belt and I am also thinking about moving out west to see what options I have out there. Thank-you Learning Exchange. "

" I decided to come to the Learning Exchange because I wanted to better myself, and my education. Attending this school is great. It’s fun and the staff and students are super friendly! I’m much more confident since starting class at the Learning Exchange, and I feel like I’m much closer to my goal. I intend to complete my GED and then continue with my education with upgrading. Hopefully it goes well; it has at the Learning Exchange. "

"If you were to meet the person I was three years ago it would boggle your mind on how much I have changed my views Over the last couple of years, my views on the way that I earn my money, and apply myself towards my education have changed dramatically. My future is bright and I now realize my potential.

Before I never really applied myself or even cared about my education. When I was enrolled in high school, I rarely ever went to class. While there I would usually sleep during class. I was also being kind of dumb with my life by using a lot of different kinds of illegal narcotics. Since I have been attending the Saint John Learning Exchange, I attend class on a regular full-time basis. I come to school with a sharp and sober mind. I now know how important an education is; it is the key to your future.

Since I have enrolled here at the Saint John Learning Exchange, I have learned a lot about myself. I have also learned a lot in preparation for my GED in June 2008. I enjoy coming to class here because the classes are smaller, the people in the class are nice, and the facilitators are very supportive. They help you when needed, and most importantly they treat you with respect. I never really thought about post-secondary education before, but since I have been attending the Saint John Learning Exchange, I have thought a lot about taking Criminal Justice in University, or taking a Culinary course at the New Brunswick Community College.

In the past roughly three years ago I only really knew one way to earn money: that was through trafficking of illegal narcotics. I now know how to earn money in other ways. By getting a legitimate job, I don’t have to worry about getting stabbed again, or robbed, or getting raided by the police. I know now that having a criminal record and no education is no way to live life. It also feels a lot better to hold money you have earned this way. The biggest thing I learned was to budget my money better, because instead of earning money every couple of hours, you only get paid once every two weeks.

In conclusion, I have learned that an education is the “key” to a better future. Furthermore earning money honestly and respectfully is a great feeling. I am proud to say that the changes I have made in my life were for the better. I am proud of who I am now, and the goals that I have set for my future, compared to what they would have been three years ago."