(Disponible en anglais seulement)
January to March 2023
Our Winter 2023 Connection and Community webinar series is now available. We have designed this series with job seekers, new entrepreneurs, and employers and their teams in mind. Please join us online in our GoToTraining webinar forum for this series of interactive sessions. Everyone is welcome to attend!
To register, please sign up for the individual sessions listed below.
If you have questions or need any assistance, please email us at classroom1@makeachangecanada.com.
GUEST: Know the Risks of Frauds and Grants
With Doug Tardif, Industry Consultant
Tuesday, January 31 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Learn how to differentiate between the racketeers and legitimate organizations. Doug Tardif has considerable international hands-on experience exposing fraudsters. Through his consulting in Canada and in the Caribbean, Doug has used his expertise to uncover schemes meant to extract money from the unsuspecting public. In this webinar Doug will share his knowledge with you on how to recognize these illegitimate online companies, and will provide tips to help verify their claims before you part with your money. Don’t miss this informative session. It could save you a lot of money!
WOW - Webinars On Work: Top Interviewing Techniques for Employers
With Tara Thom Burnett, Employment Specialist, Louise Doyle, Business Advisor, and Holly Penner, Workforce Opportunities Specialist
Tuesday, February 7 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Do you struggle with conducting a job competition and interviewing potential new employees? Does the whole process leave you more perplexed about which candidate to hire? The key purpose of conducting candidate interviews is to identify the top candidate, who is not only the most qualified for the job but will also be a great fit with your organizational culture. Knowing which questions to ask potential candidates can greatly improve your chances of success. In this new WOW session, Tara, Louise, and Holly will review the interviewing techniques most recommended by human resource specialists, the three types of interview questions and how to use them, as well as methods for implementing diversity and inclusion practices that will extend your overall talent market reach. You will also discover some unconventional interviewing methods that work surprisingly well in revealing your top candidates! Sign up today!
WOW - Webinars On Work: The Top 10 Life Hacks for Building Success in Your Career
With Tara Thom Burnett, Employment Specialist, and Louise Doyle, Business Advisor
Tuesday, February 14 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Are you ready to reach the next level of your success at work and in your career? With some discipline, commitment, and consistency—and by applying a few simple “life hacks,” you will be able to achieve greater levels of success at work and improve your overall career prospects. Join Tara and Louise in this webinar as they introduce some simple yet impactful ways you can level-up your career. Learn how effective it can be to make even small changes to your daily routine, to work smarter not harder, to start showing off your superpower, and how using the “Seinfeld Strategy” can all change the trajectory of your career. Take the first step and sign up for this new WOW session today!
Information Forum: An Overview of Programs and Services for Individuals and Employers from Make A Change Canada
With Make A Change Canada Team Members
Thursday, February 23 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Now in our 18th year, Make A Change Canada is the pioneer in providing online and remote training and employment services to individuals and employers throughout Canada. Through our online programs, we provide career development support to individuals facing barriers to employment, including those who self-identify as living with a disability, Indigenous persons, people of colour, single and stay-at-home parents, and more. We are here with the support necessary to enter or re-enter the labour market through our employment, self-employment, and IT skills training programs. For employers looking to build inclusive teams, we also provide valuable training and support to you and your team to help build the success you need in these endeavours. As a national charitable and accredited organization, our goal is to help more individuals find the support they need to find or maintain meaningful employment, or advance in their careers. Whether you are a potential new client, a community partner, a business leader, or are just curious about who we are, please know that everyone is welcome to attend this session! Sign up to reserve your seat today!
WOW - Webinars On Work: Rock Your Résumé and Cover Letter
With Tara Thom Burnett, Employment Specialist, and Melissa Hejja, Employment Specialist
Tuesday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Do you need to revamp your résumé and cover letter but don’t know where to start? Are you curious to know what HR professionals look for while scanning among the hundreds of resumes they receive? Join Tara and Melissa in the session to learn how to be more successful in your career search by having the right documentation in place. You will learn how to read a job description effectively, tailor your resume to the needs of the employer, and write a compelling cover letter that captures your experience and the true sense of your personality. This session can really revive your job search! Sign up today!
WOW - Webinars On Work: Building a Great Team
With Melissa Hejja, Employment Specialist, Holly Penner, Workforce Opportunities Specialist, and JA Jonusas, Business Advisor
Tuesday, March 7 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Seasoned employers know that it isn’t who is on your team, but how the employees on your team work together that is important. You will need to create a work environment that fosters trust and inclusion, and ensures your employees feel valued if you want to encourage collaborative behaviours between them and improve overall team performance. Join Melissa, Holly, and JA in this new WOW session where they discuss tools for greater integration, employee onboarding, and embracing a diverse workforce. Bring your questions along for our team, and we’ll help ensure you’ll get some great take-aways and will be well on your way to building a strong team for your organization’s employee base. Whether you are a business leader or an employee looking to improve your job skills, this new WOW session is for you. Sign up today!
WOW - Webinars On Work: A Guide to Developing Your Business Strategies
With Louise Doyle, Business Advisor, and JA Jonusas, Business Advisor
Tuesday, March 14 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Once you have established your business planning essentials, sales, and services, it’s time to start developing your business marketing strategies. This webinar will present the entire marketing lifecycle. Whether your business is a service- or a product-based business, there are aspects of this important session that are directly applicable to you. Our business advisors, Louise and JA, will cover how to define your marketing objectives and the four Ps of marketing: price, product, place, and promotion. Program participants and anyone currently running a business are welcome to attend. Even if you’re just interested in the fascinating world of entrepreneurship, you’ll want to add this session to your schedule. Sign up now!
WOW - Webinars On Work: The Big Career Pivot
With Holly Penner, Workforce Opportunities Specialist, Melissa Hejja, Employment Specialist, and JA Jonusas, Business Advisor
Tuesday, March 21 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
According to Robert Half's biannual Job Optimism Survey, 50 percent of the 1,100 professionals included in the survey stated that they are currently looking for a new job or have plans to look for a new role in 2023. Changing careers and starting something completely new, or even looking for a different role with your current employer, can feel intimidating. However, if you can approach this systematically, you will reap many rewards. Join Holly, Melissa, and JA in the session as they outline the key questions you will need to ask yourself if you, too, are considering a career change. You will learn what research you will need to complete, how to examine your expectations, how to deal with “imposter syndrome,” how to amplify your personal brand online, where to find mentors, and more. Sign up for this exciting new WOW session today!
Workplace Training Event: Bridging the Divide - How to Support Workers with Disabilities in Your Workplace
With Brenda Kelleher-Flight, Ph.D., Business Consultant at GDP Consulting
Thursday, March 23 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
By recognizing the potential limitations that flow from specific impairments, employers and co-workers can identify the types of accommodations people with disabilities/exceptionalities require. This ensures that they can participate in an informed manner in the workplace. When managers and employees are equipped to help people with disabilities determine the options that meet their individual needs, they ensure that workers can effectively fulfill the expectations of their role. Other potential benefits include a reduction in lost work time, increased productivity, and faster assimilation of workers with disabilities into the team. Join us for this workplace training event where Brenda will address examples of activity limitations and accommodations essential for persons with chronic mobility limitations, physical and mental health conditions, cognitive impairments, learning disabilities, sensory disorders, and neurodiversity. Sign up now to reserve your spot!
Come out and enjoy listening and learning from our staff and guest presenters!
Marissa Jonn is a Banking Advisor with RBC On Campus in the beautiful Okanagan Valley. Her career has grown her passion for helping young individuals feel confident in themselves to prepare for the world of work, and confident to grow their financial health and find strength in their financial understanding. Outside of work Marissa is a professional wedding and portrait photographer which has taken her to all parts of British Columbia to capture the important milestones in others’ lives.
Jeevan Bhullar is a Banking Advisor in Abbortsford, British Columbia. His passion to become financially literate and provide others the opportunity to learn about finances has accelerated his career. Jeevan is recognized within RBC, his community at large, and outside of RBC for his work planning events with external firms bringing youth an interactive experience by putting their minds at ease in dealing with finances. He does this by making a complex topic more approachable, understandable, and retainable. Outside of work, Jeevan is an avid reader, and is honing his cooking skills.
Please sign up to join this session and improve your financial literacy.
WOW - Webinars on Work: Monetizing Creativity—How to Feed Your Creative Spirit Within
With Holly Penner, Workforce Opportunities Specialist - Make A Change Canada
Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Creativity lives within each of us whether we are aware of it or not. In fact, there are many other ways to use creativity from your personal life and put it to work within your career to paint a more fulfilling future. This doesn’t mean we are all natural-born landscape painters or music composers. Even if you have some very basic art, writing, or photography skills, work can be your place to let your inner vision grow and creativity thrive! In this session Holly will unpack the myths and show you several techniques you can use to monetize your creativity, whatever it may be! Holly will also provide some solid examples of jobs, roles, and entrepreneurial endeavours that will allow you to use your creative talents to their fullest. Whether you are already a skilled artist, a creative thinker, or just dabbling in a hobby or pastime, this session has been designed for you.
WOW - Webinars on Work: Confidence on Camera
With Anne-Marie Edgar, CEO, and Mary Alton, Program Manager - Make A Change Canada
Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Showing confidence on camera, whether you are giving a presentation at work or competing for a new job, is a valuable skill to have. Add to this, that in today’s world, mastery of your online presence is becoming a necessary skill to possess for a wide variety of roles. Do you really know how you’re coming across to others on camera and how can you put your best self forward in the quickly changing virtual workspace? Join Anne-Marie and Mary in this session as they discuss many of the time-tested lessons we’ve learned over the years at Make A Change Canada. As an organization that has been “virtual” for over 17 years, we will share some fundamental tips and tricks with you to create a lasting and positive impression. Say goodbye to being camera shy—it’s time to let your confidence shine through! Sign up today for this fun and interactive session.
SPECIAL INDUSTRY EVENT: Making use of New Trends in Digital Media—Employment Opportunities for Youth and Better Brand Recognition for Your Business
With our Special Guest Panelists: James Rice, Vice-President of IBT College, Kerry Reed, Owner of Bauhaus Digital Media, and Anne-Marie Edgar, CEO of Make A Change Canada
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Are you a young adult wanting to make a solid entry into the workforce? Are you a business leader struggling to build an active social media following? Both nonprofit and small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) today are experiencing obstacles in building their brands they never could have imagined facing. Audiences are quiet and eerily disengaged. No matter what creative posts we come up with, all too often they fade into the distance leaving us feeling lost and a little anxious as a result. To the rescue are our incredibly talented new grads from throughout Canada who instinctively know what it takes to build a solid brand and attract a wider audience using innovative methods and tools they have already mastered. Join us in this special industry event where we will put James, Kerry, and Anne-Marie on the hot seat, ask the tough questions, and get to the heart of this issue. Be sure to stay to the end of this session to discover some potential new opportunities for gaining valuable work experience through Make A Change Canada, and a first-hand teaser on what may be coming up next with new training options.
FEATURED EMPLOYER PANEL: Workplace Trends for 2023 and Beyond
With Special Guest, Vincent Bucciachio, CEO/Founder of SociallyInfused Media, and JA Jonusas, Information Technology Instructor
Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
There’s no denying that workplace trends have changed dramatically since 2020 when Covid-19 first swept into our lives. Today over 40% of employment has moved to remote or hybrid work arrangements, and we can expect even more changes to come. At this rate, who can actually keep up? In this “Ask the Employer” session we will be asking Vince, our special guest panelist, and JA an instructor from our educational services team, five key questions focussed on the changes already happening today, to further changes job seekers from high school to post-secondary will need to prepare for in the near future. Hot on our topic list are technology trends, upskilling opportunities, innovation, diversity, and inclusion. Sign up for this special panel session today!
WORKPLACE TRAINING EVENT: Bridging the Divide—How Persons With Disabilities Can Support Their Own Acceptance in the Workplace
With Brenda Kelleher-Flight, Ph.D., Business Consultant at GDP Consulting
Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Fitting into a workplace as a worker or colleague requires two things. First, the employer needs to understand and accept that we are all different. We bring different strengths and needs based on our abilities and disabilities. Second, it is essential for the worker with a disability to feel confident about their strengths, the competencies expected of them, and their needs that require accommodation. This workshop focuses on the second element and identifies five things that persons with disabilities can do to support their acceptance in the workplace. This includes:
1. Identification of their values;
2. How to articulate their strengths and needs;
3. How to identify for colleagues and employers how they can best meet their needs;
4. The importance of refraining from using their exceptionality as an excuse, while focusing on continuous learning; and
5. How to compensate for their disability by using strategies such as partnering, time management, and assistive devices to demonstrate their commitment to success.
This is a rare opportunity to participate in our special workplace training event and grow your knowledge with our distinguished guest, Dr. Brenda Kelleher-Flight.
DISCOVER! Information Forum: Make A Change Canada and You—Accessible Career Programming for the Digital Economy
With Make A Change Canada Educational Team Members
Thursday, June 29, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific (2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Now more than ever workers will need to prepare for jobs in the new “digital economy.” Make A Change Canada is actively meeting job seekers where they are through our online and accessible programming to help them find and maintain meaningful employment or advance in their careers. As the pioneer in providing online and remote digital skills training and job search assistance to individuals facing barriers to employment throughout Canada, we have served over 4,000 individuals to date including youth, people who self-identify as living with a disability, Indigenous persons, newcomers, single and stay-at-home parents, and more. We are also a hub for employers seeking training and support in building their inclusive teams. Whether you are a new program applicant, a current program participant, a business leader, or are just curious about who we are, we welcome you to attend this session. Current participants and graduates are encouraged to attend. Sign up to reserve your seat today!