Partner Spotlight on Northwest Training & WorkBC

In December 2019, the ThriveNorth program successfully completed its five-year mandate. Managed by Futurpreneur Canada, the program helped young entrepreneurs in Northern B.C. launch and grow their businesses by connecting them with resources, financing and mentorship.

Northwest Training Ltd (NWT) has been serving the community of Terrace and communities in the Northwest for over 25 years. Lynn Hughes and Lorna Sandhals are the owners/executive directors. NWT has its roots in Northwest Counselling Centre (1987) in which Lynn is the founding member. The centre has 16 employees working from our Terrace Centre and we have a satellite office in Hazelton operated by Upper Skeena Development Corp. Northwest Training continues to be a major private training service provider in the Northwest region.

Through the provincially and federally funded Employment Program of BC, Northwest Training is the WorkBC Employment Services Centre for Terrace and provides career counselling, employment preparation and specialized case management services. In addition to the host of unemployed workers on Employment Insurance and Social Assistance, offers services for people with disabilities and women fleeing abuse. Northwest Training delivers a variety of life skills workshops and work skills training for people who are unemployed from Terrace to Good Hope Lake , to Moricetown to Gingolx.

Our goal is to provide a safe comfortable client-focused environment for individuals who wish to explore their skills and deficits and facilitate them in creating new pathways for employment options. We believe in helping people take control over their own lives.

At Northwest Training we encourage our clients to explore self-employment if they are eligible. We contract the services of a long established company, Community Futures 16/37, to assess, prepare and support entrepreneurs to explore their dreams and plans for owning their own business. The first step is to see a case manager at Northwest Training for a referral to Community Futures 16/37.

Small businesses are an essential component of a strong local economy. We believe that small businesses not only create well-paying jobs, but also deliver vital goods and services, generate sales tax revenue, and contribute to the unique character and livability of neighborhoods.

At Northwest Training we foster the belief that a skilled, educated workforce is an essential component of a strong and growing local economy. Our WorkBC case managers support workforce development by connecting economic development efforts with workforce development, working with the business community to identify talent needs, and convening stakeholders to align disparate activities toward a common goal.

At Northwest Training, in servicing WorkBC Terrace, we believe that effective relationships with the business community are essential. We can bring together service providers and business groups to help identify gaps, encourage collaboration and be a centralized information source. We host and attend meetings of a group called the Northwest Employment Advisory committee.  These meetings allow for employers, WorkBC service providers and other training and employment service providers in the Northwest to get together to share information such as labour market changes and ideas for staff recruitment. In addition, our service through Northwest Training/WorkBC has been the catalyst for bringing business together with the potential workforce through career forums.

To learn more about Northwest Training, click here. To learn more about WorkBC Terrace, click here.