Feb 22, 2012

How can education move you from despair & exclusion to accessing employment & career happiness?

In this Feb. 22 edition of Career Buzz, we explore three stories of the zigzagging paths to employment and career happiness among people who’ve experienced mental health challenges, leading up to George Brown College’s Mental Health Conference, “From Exclusion to Inclusion: Accessing Employment Through Education,” on March 1.

Theresa Schrader is the Community Poverty Relief Associate at Ve’ahavta. She runs a program for individuals who have been homeless and marginalized, giving them an opportunity to seek education as a sustainable way out of poverty. Theresa uses years of lived experience with homelessness, addiction, and mental illness to help others make positive change in their lives.

David Reville, a psychiatric survivor and consultant on mental health policy, teaches at Ryerson University in the Disability Studies program. He’s been a community activist, a plumbing contractor, a Toronto City Councillor, a Member of Provincial Parliament, and Special Advisor to the Premier. David shares his own mental health story of an interrupted education and a long period of poverty and despair related to difficulties in getting and keeping jobs.

Jo Petite is a social worker and faculty member in the Redirection through Education program at George Brown College. She teaches and develops curriculum in the area of workplace/career support and development. Her focus is on equity and access in employment.

Sparks from Feb. 8, when Career Buzz went Cycling Toward Happiness Listen to the whole interview Jared Kolb talked about the strengths he draws on to be successful in his job as Director of Membership and Outreach with the Toronto Cyclists Union. He described his role as community building, and to be good at it he said, “I’m a good listener and good at interacting with people, and I use these strengths as a basis for growing the organization.” I liked the way Jared was able to align the intention of his job with his own strengths.

CareerCycles Tip: When talking about your job or career, borrow Jared’s way of talking to align your strengths with organizational goals. If someone at work or at a gathering asks what you do, you might say, “I’m good at _____ and ____, and I use these strengths as a basis for .

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