I had been working as an IT employee at a mine in Northern BC.  Rotational work; two weeks on, two weeks off, staying in a camp facility.  It was great, although the weather and isolation were fairly extreme.  But I had a bigger problem, and I was about to learn that denial can only last so long in strained circumstances.  This camp was a dry camp -- no alcohol, no drugs -- and I had a serious drinking problem.  I kept it under control due to being "clean" two weeks at a time while at work and letting loose on my time off.  Little did I know that as soon as flights were grounded and the mine closed, there would be no control, and everything would fall apart.

I was unemployed when I came to WorkBC Centre Whalley for assistance. I had gotten a degree outside of Canada, but it was not enough to help me get a job. I worked at low-pay admin jobs until I became pregnant with my second child and went on maternity leave. I became a stay-at-home Mom for 4 years due to not having a direction of a career. My degree was not recognized by companies in Canada. I applied everywhere without any success or even an offer for an interview.

It was winter when my job ended. It was a low hiring season for warehouse and construction, which were my core skills. Losing my job coincided with my family's arrival from the Philippines, where I spent time with them to help them adjust to life in Canada. On top of this, one of my children has a developmental/ mental health disability, and he was a handful. He needed a lot of our attention. So, job searching was even more challenging for me.

WorkBC has funded my training in Esthetics, assisted me with my health needs and supported me with finding work as well as working clothes and shoes. My Vocational Counsellor was super attentive, caring and supportive. I’ll be forever grateful for all the help I received from WorkBC Centre Whalley to achieve my employment outcome goals.

On March 16, 2023 I attended a Job Fair in Surrey. Although I was there to find a job, I became interested in the manufacturing program offered by the Northwest Skills Institute. I intended to take this course, but the leader of the organization recommended the Print Entry Level Training Program instead, based on my past experience running large format Digital Printers. However, it wasn’t until the middle of May that I was told that the PELTP now had enough students to begin the program. The start date was to be May 29, 2023.

I was helpless when I started my job search in September. My resume was not as per the Canadian job market. Laura from WorkBC Centre Guildford helped me with it. Once I started getting interview calls, WorkBC Centre Whalley helped me prepare for the interviews by conducting mock interviews. Staff at WorkBC Centre Whalley helped me appear for my interviews smoothly when my laptop was not working properly. I felt it was so helpful and it meant a lot to me.

When I moved to Canada, I was unemployed and while I was looking for a job, I realized it was not easy to find a job in Canada without reference, local experience and Canadian education. My resume was not getting shortlisted, I was unable to clear interviews. I appeared for more than 30 interviews and when I used to reach the second round, I was not getting hired due to lack of Canadian work experience and Canadian education. Also, as a newcomer I had no reference to share which was another reason.

I came to Canada in 2017. I was sponsored by my mother who came here years back as a Caregiver. As a new immigrant, I was excited to work to help my family.  I tried different survival jobs. The last job I had was at Cascade Casino as a banquet server.  Due to the pandemic, my employer reduced my work hours from full time to part time.  It was hard as I was expected to contribute to my family’s expenses. I decided to look for other opportunities that could help me find a permanent job.

I came to Canada in 2016 with my family including 2 children, aged 4 and 6 respectively. I was full of hope and enthusiasm. I came from Iraq. I worked different jobs. The job where I was for the longest time was as a security guard but I got laid off in 2020. As a security guard, I was receiving minimum income but was thankful for the experience and opportunity given to me by the organization. Shortly after that, I came to WorkBC Centre Whalley seeking Job Search support. I was ready to change my career because I knew there were many opportunities out there but I wasn’t qualified. My background in Physical Education back home was not leading me anywhere.

I am not sure where to begin. Everything still seems surreal to me. The last time I recall was when I was struggling to make ends meet. In addition to being a single mother with a six-year-old son, I have also experienced domestic violence and do not have any relatives or friends whom I can turn to for assistance. Furthermore, I was also a new immigrant who was unfamiliar with the resources available to us here... Upon graduation from Cambria College's Social Services & Community Support Worker Program, I became employed. My sincere thanks go to WorkBC Centre Whalley amazing team for their help and, most notably, for believing in me. This experience will remain with me for the rest of my life.