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John Jackson, President & CEO
LINKS Institute Career College in Manitoba Expanding Operations West to Moosomin, Saskatchewan
— John Jackson, RPN
REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA, December 3, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Southeast Saskatchewan will be home to a brand-new private school in the coming months, as a Manitoba based operation expands West. LINKS Institute, a career college which delivers Community & Social Service Worker programs, is in the final phases of an application to operate in Saskatchewan and is actively recruiting qualified instructors. “Our current students, stakeholders and community members are so excited to see us make this step”, says John Jackson, President & CEO of LINKS Institute. “Our innovative programs prepare students to support folks living with mental health and substance use concerns, and have been extremely popular in Manitoba. We have no doubt that this demand will be the same in Saskatchewan”.
LINKS Institute Branch to Start in Moosomin
LINKS Institute is planning the launch of its Saskatchewan operations in Moosomin, which is located in Southeast Saskatchewan. A 45-minute drive from Virden, MB, Jackson explains that this location is an ideal first step for the small, grass-roots organization: “As a newer organization, expansion for us has to be lower-risk, and based on community relationships. Moosomin is a perfect fit in terms of its proximity to Manitoba. When we looked at the dispersal of private schools in Saskatchewan which offer Community & Social Service Worker programs, we also noticed a gap in the Southeast. By opening our first Saskatchewan branch in Moosomin, we can meet both the needs of LINKS Institute to expand, and the apparent need for further education options in this region”.
Mental Wellness & Harm Reduction Worker Diploma an Innovative Program
The initial offering of LINKS Institute in Moosomin is anticipated to be the Mental Wellness & Harm Reduction Worker Diploma program. With 12 courses and a practicum experience, the program is intended to prepare students to work in para-professional roles in mental health, substance use disorder, and other non-profit settings. “In my previous experience as a hirer in the non-profit sector, we really struggled to find applicants who had both experience and education in social services at the support worker level. I wanted to change that”, says Jackson. “We developed this innovative program by considering the needs of employers, and most importantly, the needs of people accessing community and social services. This helped us determine what types of skills workers in this field, really need”. The Mental Wellness & Harm Reduction Worker Diploma program has been exceptionally well in Manitoba, with approximately 20 graduates working in variety of fields such as child welfare, addiction treatment settings and other related fields.
LINKS Institute has a Mission
Problematic substance use, mental health and other social service concerns have been exacerbated across Canada amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. LINKS Institute views its mission as providing low-barrier, accessible education to people who are interested in making a difference in these fields: “So thinking of those people who are passionate and care about serving the needs of others, I believe it is important that they have shorter length educational programs that can enable people to get to work quickly”, says Jackson. LINKS Institutes’ programs are intended to be completed in as little as 6-8 months. “In this way, our school can help contribute to workforce development in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and beyond by equipping para-professionals with the skills they need to provide high quality, client-centered care”, says Jackson.
Qualified Instructors Needed
Integral to the expansion into Moosomin, LINKS Institute is seeking qualified instructors, with both education and experience in Community & Social Work, to be members of the inaugural team. While Jackson anticipates finding instructors with the right combination of skills might be challenging, he is optimistic: “Again, the optimal thing about Moosomin is its proximity to Manitoba. Additionally, rural Prairie folk aren’t afraid of a drive or moving around if there is an opportunity that interests them”. Instructors will be required to teach in-person in Moosomin, with the possibility that LINKS might be approved to offer their programming online in Saskatchewan after an appropriate time of in-person operations. LINKS Institute is seeking to engage with qualified instructors as part of the provincial private school application process in Saskatchewan.
LINKS Institute invites potential instructors to contact the organization to learn more about the opportunities that are planned for Moosomin.
John Jackson
LINKS Institute
+1 204-573-2768
email us here
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