Say hello to New West's WorkBC team

Tucked away next to the Union Jack Pub along Seventh St. in Uptown New Westminster is a set of doors leading to a world of opportunity, if you're looking to get back into the workforce. 

Take the elevator up, and you'll find the only WorkBC Centre in New Westminster: as I peek from one of the corners I see a line of computers, tables, and doors to what I later find out are learning spaces.

These are just some of the resources meant to help locals get back into the working world. 

I'm greeted by Nimmi Bangert, who serves as the centre's community liaison. As we walk through the space, it's a hub of activity, with people zipping in and out of meetings, and getting advice about their next move in their job search. There's even a closet full of clothes (more on that later), posters in a variety of languages, and a fax machine. "Yep, we have one of those!" Bangert says with a chuckle.

WorkBC is not a placement agency; it assists people in developing their job-hunting toolkit, whether it's brushing up on writing a resume, creating a cover letter, or even just getting advice about where to start. There is a WorkBC job board available if someone is looking for another way to search for something online. 

WorkBC also connects employers and workers through its Wage Subsidy Program, which Bangert explains is one of the busiest and most popular options they help facilitate: employees' wages are partially covered by the program so that employers are able to hire people. As an example, in the context of New West, the New West Chamber of Commerce has a partnership with Fraser Works Co-op called Connections, which connects permanent residents and Canadian citizens to jobs in our city. 

"You've been working at the same place for more than 20 years, and then you get laid off ... well, let's start somewhere," says Bangert, who acknowledges how scary it can be to give job searching a go. 

"The objective is to provide you service close to where you live, so you don't have to travel across a community ... you don't have to go to a centre that will take you an hour to get to," she explains.

In New Westminster, there are four not-for-profit agencies that work together to run WorkBC, including Mosaic and Fraserside Community Services. Bangert notes that while there are multiple agencies involved, there's an advantage to that since their approach is multi-faceted: they can work with specific demographics—like youth—or can offer services in a variety of languages.  

So, what was the deal with that closet full of clothes we'd walked past?

Turns out they also offer options for men who need clothing for a job interview—or even for work. While there are options for women—take Dress for Success—it can be a challenge for men to find a suit, tie, maybe even a spiffy pair of shoes for that all-important interview. 

It's called Working Man's Closet, and it's run by the Fraser Works Co-op initiative out of the WorkBC office. Once a week—usually Wednesdays—a volunteer will go through the options with the person needing the outfit.

"Options for men, it's very limited," says Alberto Arechavala, who is WorkBC New West’s centre coordinator. "[Users] don't have to be our clients just to come for the service ... and we've had the service for at least five years now." 

Arechavala adds they do accept donations, and that they sometimes come from really neat places. "A few times, they'll come from the movie sets with brand new things. Someone [once] came in with [something from] Liam Neeson," Arechavala says with a grin. 

One of the other aspects Bangert says they enjoy is connecting with the community, noting that they'll hold events in various parts of the city. "We have an outreach facilitator who goes to the library, the welcome centre, and faith places ... we also do Queensborough [Community Centre]. The main thing is to connect with people where they are," explains Bangert. 

What makes them the happiest is when people connect with a new employer. It's common for the centre to stay in touch with newly employed folks for about 52 weeks after they've managed to find work. For folks like Bangert and Arechevala, there's no greater joy than seeing someone rejoin the workforce. 

For anyone looking for help, Bangert says it takes one simple step — give them a call or come on down for a visit. 

"You don't need to know what you want to do, you can even just say, 'I'm laid off and I'm looking. I need to get back into the labour force.' And then we'll start you through the process and try and help you navigate what the best service is for you," adds Bangert. 

"We're not the service for everybody, but you won't know unless you reach out to us."