The Saint John Learning Exchange provided Nickole Theriault with a chance to turn things around for herself.

When Theriault entered Grade 9 at St. Malachy’s Memorial High School, she struggled with bullying, pressure she felt in the classroom and focusing in larger settings.

“I was unable to successfully complete Grade 9,” she said.

The experiences she had left her discouraged and disconnected from her aspirations of becoming a veterinarian.

“For a while, things felt stagnant and uncertain in my younger years,” she said.

But at 16 she enrolled at the SJLE, and it felt like a turning point for her.

“Life became exciting and chock-full of possibilities and I honestly felt like I had the opportunity to reach for the stars,” she said. “I truly believe I would not be the person that I am today without the Learning Exchange and everybody that works behind the scenes and everybody that doesn’t always get recognized and the incredible staff who support me and all of the students who come in and show up every day.”

Now, thanks to $4.4 million in funding from the federal government, the Learning Exchange will be able to provide the same support to many more young people in Saint John.

A program called READY (Repairing Education and Employment Achievement Debts to Youth) was launched at an event Oct. 16.

The three-year program will support 200 young people aged 15 to 29 currently not working, not in school or other training programs. It will connect those youth directly with employers, educators, unions and health professionals.

Saint John Learning Exchange president and CEO Christina Fowler. Image: Bryan Tait | Acadia Broadcasting

Learning Exchange president and CEO Christina Fowler said READY was shaped by seven years of learning and listening to the learners, her team and the community.

“We pushed ourselves to rethink the way we work,” Fowler said. “By building on what’s worked, we’re now able to scale our youth programming with purpose.”

READY will provide targeted approaches, including skills development for job retention, mental health and case management support, direct job matching with employers and hands-on project-based learning.

“But this work goes far beyond finding a job,” Fowler said. “It’s about building futures, helping young people see that that it’s not just about employment, but it’s about meaningful careers with a sense of purpose and the ability to build a life for themselves and their families.”

Fowler said everyday, staff have the privilege of being surrounded by hope because they see the results.

“Small steps lead to larger steps, larger steps lead to achieved goals,” she said.

“When a learner walks through our doors for the very first time with their hood up, leg shaking, unsure of what to expect, and they slowly begin to believe in themselves because we believe in them. That’s when the magic happens.

“One of my favorite moments is seeing that exact same youth a few months later with their hood down, standing tall, confident, ready to take on the world.”

According to Statistics Canada data, New Brunswick is projected to have more than 133,000 job openings in the next decade, and youth are expected to fill more than half of those positions.

At the same time, New Brunswick is facing youth unemployment rates of more than 17 per cent.