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Keremeos cannot afford loss of employment centre

Keremeos is losing WorkZone services, something of which people seem to be unaware.

To the Editor:

Keremeos is losing a very important service of which people seem to be unaware.

On March 31, the WorkZone offices in Keremeos will close. It is an employment and resource centre which offers a free service that includes  employment and career counselling, job search and support, access to funding sources for training and upgrading, work shops, job fairs and networking opportunities and many more services. At this time the office is open five days a week and is an excellent source for the unemployed. It is operated by the provincial government which has recently signed a contract with the YMCA to operate the work centres.

It is unkown what hours the centre will keep, if any. It will be run on an appointment only basis and there will be no drop in services available here.

 

Anyone who wants more service will have to go to Princeton or Penticton. This is ridiculous since there is no daily public transport from Keremeos and this will throw another problem in front of the person who is trying to upgrade himself.

This is bizarre action by the provincial government since Premier Clark has stated that the government has plans to fly people on welfare from the Lower Mainland to Northern B.C. where she believes jobs are more plentiful.

 

This means that  poor families will have to relocate if they wish to live together as a family unit.

What will be the cost (apparent and covert) to the government and the unemployed with the closure of the WorkZones?

If you wish to voice your concern, write to Premier Clark at:

The Honourable Christy Clark,

Premier of British Columbia, Box 9041

Station PROV GOVT,

Victoria, B.C., or email her at:

premier@gov.bc.ca

Freda Easy, Keremeos