One hundred per cent focus, and 100 per cent employment. That’s the result of SIRCH’s Basics of Carpentry pilot program
All graduates of the 12-week course are employed, nearly all using the skills they picked up under the guidance of instructor Doug Norris.
Dan Jenkins got a job in carpentry before the program finished.
“Coming out here, getting involved in the community, it seems carpentry is really in demand,” Jenkins said at a May 19 graduation celebration.
He said the program was a chance to “polish up” his skills, securing him full-time work this spring.
He wants to build his own home one day, with the carpentry skills helping him know how to navigate the process.
Diane Woodcock, SIRCH Community Services’ training coordinator, said she was excited by how the participants embraced the skills.
“The group we appealed to has been just outstanding.”
She added it shows there’s a need for more training like this.
“The problem in Haliburton is that getting this training is very difficult, you have to go very far away. We’ve touched on something that suggests how, as a community, can we satisfy the need for this kind of training?” she said.
Norris said he’s found teaching the program rewarding too.
“Just as a group, just as a community of people I’m really going to miss them. I’d work on a job site with any of them anytime,” he said.
“I can look at a number of them, and remember what skills I saw 12 weeks ago, and remember what I’ve seen in the past few days and it’s really gratifying.”
The group’s final project was a finished bunkie, which is now up for auction on shopclosebuy.ca
