Marie is originally from Calgary and recently moved to the Westlock area to be closer to her son and grandchildren. Marie was referred to the Virtual Connections Program in October 2021. When notified of her acceptance in November 2021, she was ecstatic and hopeful. She needed employment assistance like resume development, networking and employment skills that she was able to acquire from the Virtual Connections program.
She had barriers that included transportation and mental and physical health issues. The employment coach provided various workshops including boundaries, networking skills, transferable skills and job club. The employment coach shared job openings via email with Marie, and Marie was active in her own job search as well. Marie attended all workshops and was very active in her participation, leading to success.
In February 2022, Marie was offered a position as an anhydrous ammonia driver starting April 1, 2022. Our next steps were to find transportation and insurance for her to get back and forth from work. The employment coach sent her a list of insurance companies to obtain quotes. Although she had many bumps and let downs while finding a vehicle and dealing with insurance companies, she was able to pull it all together to start her job on April 1 without a hitch.
She is happy and grateful to be working in her field, and doing well at it. Marie stated, “Thank you for all your help, I really appreciate it.”
