DOUGLAS COLLEGE
Program supporting employment-ready training for disabled youth receives $75,000 donation

Douglas College has received at $75,000 donation ($25,000 per year for three years) from CIBC in support of the Pathways to Employment Program. Due to launch later this month, the Pathways to Employment program, operated by the Douglas College Training Group, will provide customized, employment-ready training to youth with disabilities in rural areas outside Vancouver, where transition services are scarce. In its initial phase, the program will serve students from the Mission School District who require additional support to find jobs or get further education after high school. 

"Together, with this support from CIBC, we are making a significant difference in the lives of others by addressing the needs of disadvantaged young people by teaching them both life skills and skills required for them to either continue their education or obtain employment," said Leanne Poon, Executive Director of the Douglas College Foundation.

"This project will serve youth who are living with barriers by providing employment and educational opportunities that they would have otherwise not had access to," said Mythra Lagueux, Community and Contract Services Programmer at the Douglas College Training Group. "We are so pleased to have the support of CIBC to expand opportunities to further communities." 

"CIBC is committed to the advancement of persons with disabilities, diversity and student opportunity, and through supporting Douglas College's Pathways to Employment Program, we are pleased and confident that youth in this region will receive the assistance they need to steer them on a path toward success," said Phil Lehn, VP and Region Head, BC & Yukon, CIBC. 

Along with raising awareness of the need for transition services for youth in rural communities, the Pathways to Employment program will also work with employers to educate them about the benefits of hiring youth with disabilities.