As the name suggests, Destination Avenir is about looking to the future. An appropriate name for an internship and employment program where many of its clients are often faced with a difficult past.

Launched in January 2016 and funded by Community Foundations of Canada, Destination Avenir targets young adults ages 16 to 30 with significant employment barriers due to unstable education, lack of work experience and personal life struggles. However, according to Kasia Tomasinska, lead coordinator for the program “we also welcome young adults looking to explore their career options and gain appropriate experience in new work environments.”
As she explains, the majority of the 35 young adults enrolled in the program have a lack of knowledge and experience when it comes to job or career planning.

“Many have never worked due to their life circumstances, have lacked the resources, role-models, guidance and confidence necessary to help discover their path in life,” says Kasia. “(They) are not familiar with what different work environments look and feel like, what kind of people work in different domains, what it takes to find success and opportunity in different areas of expertise and what kinds of skills, education, personality and training are necessary and suitable for different professions.”

Which is why the program is divided into three stages: pre-employment workshops, a 3-month long work internship and when they have successfully completed the first two, the job search. Some clients are also given the opportunity to find a paid internship before they take this next step into the job market, which is done in close collaboration with the Ometz Employment Internship Program—an initiative organized by Employment Services.

Lori Rubinger, Director Strategic Initiatives at Ometz, explains that clients attend sessions on workplace etiquette, develop their interviewing skills and have the opportunity to explore their career interests with Kasia. The goal is to ensure they are well-prepared for each step of the program.

“Kasia wants to set people up for success, so measuring their readiness is key,” says Lori. “She can help them decide if the internship is a good fit for them.”

Robert (*not his real name) first heard about the program through his Youth Team Case Manager at Ometz. After attending the pre-employment workshops and as he says, learning more about his “aptitudes and interests,” Kasia helped arrange for an interview with Midway Industries, a Montreal developer, manufacturer and importer of fashion accessories. Less than a week later, Robert began his internship in their IT department.

“The internship was a positive contribution to my personal expertise,” says Robert. “I believe the most important experience I took with me was the application of an existing technical skill-set to a demanding work environment. From hobby to profession.”

Something else he learned from his time in the program: to use his networks and not be afraid to ask for help.

“My advice to any young adult struggling to find employment would be to contact Ometz or a similar agency. Even if you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to do, they can help. I didn’t have the experience nor the connections to do this sort of thing on my own.”