{"id":1991,"date":"2025-05-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rqp.goj.mybluehost.me\/?p=1991"},"modified":"2025-11-26T08:40:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T12:40:04","slug":"opening-doors-the-power-of-a-first-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prescottgroup.ca\/2025\/employment\/opening-doors-the-power-of-a-first-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening Doors: The power of a first job"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Landing your first job is more than a milestone, it\u2019s a launchpad.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Landing your first job is more than a milestone\u2014it\u2019s a launchpad. Research shows that having a paid job during high school is one of the strongest indicators of future employment. That\u2019s exactly why Prescott\u2019s Saturday Job Program<\/strong> was created: to help youth with disabilities gain meaningful early work experience and take confident steps into adulthood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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And it\u2019s working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, 15 young people graduated<\/strong> from the program, each of them building confidence, earning a paycheque, and discovering their own potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of those graduates is Alfie McCarthy<\/strong>, who\u2019s proud of the work he\u2019s done at North End Baking Co.<\/strong> and Pinkie\u2019s Thrift<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’m good at working” shared Alfie, “I\u2019m going to get a job and leave home when I graduate. I have big plans” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a dish-washing job on the horizon, Alfie is already making his next move\u2014proof that the program isn\u2019t just about part-time shifts, but lifelong opportunity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
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\u201cI learned how to work safely and do a good job at the Saturday program […] Now I feel ready to work more in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Mira, Graduate<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Participants build a wide range of skills <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Led by instructors Isaiah Doucet<\/strong> and Bria MacDonald<\/strong>, the eight-week program blends practical training with real-world experience. Participants build skills in personal presentation, resume writing, customer service, money handling, and workplace communication. They practise role-playing caf\u00e9 and retail scenarios, sort and stock inventory, and learn to navigate the ups and downs of real customer service\u2014always with a supportive job coach nearby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive\u2014especially when the program transitioned from classroom-style learning to real paid shifts<\/strong>. Since April, students have been working at Prescott\u2019s social enterprises each Saturday, earning wages, showing up on time, learning new tasks, and contributing meaningfully to their teams. \u201cSome needed extra help at first, others jumped right in\u2014but they all grew,\u201d says Isaiah. \u201cAnd now, they\u2019re not just learning work skills. They are<\/em> workers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Funding extended program’s impact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Support from Getting Everyone Online Nova Scotia (GEO NS)<\/strong> helped extend the program\u2019s reach by providing free Chromebooks and headsets, allowing participants to build digital literacy, apply for jobs, and stay connected to their peers and communities. It\u2019s one more example of how strategic partnerships can enhance inclusion and create real opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the program wraps up for this cohort, conversations have already started about summer employment<\/strong>. Many students want to stay on. And their supervisors want them to stay, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve become valued members of the team,\u201d says Bria. \u201cand they\u2019re proving what\u2019s possible when young people are trusted, supported, and given a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Saturday Job Program is changing lives\u2014one weekend at a time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Impact story: <\/strong> This article is featured in the Prescott 2024-2025 Annual Report.<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Saturday Job Program helps youth with disabilities gain meaningful early work experience, led by instructors the eight-week program blends practical training with real-world experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6465,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"wp-custom-template-news-posts","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[45,116],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employment","category-programs"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOpening Doors: The power of a first job - Prescott Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/prescottgroup.ca\/2025\/employment\/opening-doors-the-power-of-a-first-job\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Opening Doors: The power of a first job - 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