Things were difficult for Andrea.   As a woman living with PTSD who was also the mother of a four-year-old son, she needed a job with the flexibility that allowed her to care for her family and also meet their financial needs.

Andrea had a lot of solid work experience included working in coffee shops, data entry, retail sales, and tree planting, but after a five-year hiatus, she felt that she lacked the training she needed to get back into the workforce. Looking to explore her options, she came to our Gibsons WorkBC center for guidance.

Her employment advisor saw right away that Andrea had strong writing and administrative abilities and she was also very keen to upgrade her skills with the goal of becoming an Administrative Assistant. Her employment advisor suggested that she enroll in Open Door Group’s upcoming Jobs in Demand: Hospitality and Office Support class, where she would receive free training in Microsoft Office and would also be able to add SuperHost and First Aid certification to her resume.

Andrea started her training in November 2017 and began looking for work as an Administrative Assistant in January 2018, shortly after completing the program. With the help of the Jobs in Demand staff, she secured an interview with The Local Weekly, a community newspaper on the Sunshine Coast, in mid- February. Andrea aced the interview and accepted a part-time position in administrative support with duties that include booking advertisements, managing email and performing a variety of other administrative duties.

“I feel very lucky to have worked with such great people at Open Door Group, Work BC & Jobs in Demand, who have advocated on my behalf, trained me in office support, and enabled me to get a job I love.”

Despite multiple barriers to employment (including living in a remote area), Andrea is now working in a job that she loves with the flexibility she needs to spend time with her family and support them financially.