The Burnaby Board of Trade is a proud partner of the Reboot Plus Program, which connects youth with businesses to explore potential career paths and opportunities.
Betisa Mohammadi is a participating professional of the Reboot Plus program, offering informational interviews to youth. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors. “Currently, I work as a Program Manager at Mount Pleasant Family Centre Society. At the Family Centre, we provide child-centred programs that nurture healthy growth and development for all families. We primarily support families with very young children (birth to age 6) through Family Drop-In programs, parent education workshops, and support groups. I enjoy every moment of my job, especially working with families and their children.”
Support the Process
When Tim Blake, the Outreach Coordinator at Douglas College contacted me about this wonderful program, I knew I would be more than happy to get involved to provide support for youth to navigate their future. These students are the future of our country. They are the ones who will raise our future generations and will be role models for other students. It’s crucial that we share our knowledge and provide the support we can to help them make the best decision they can toward their successful future.
Help Youth Discover Their Path
Everyone has a unique and exciting world inside of them. It was great to listen to each student’s experience and see how resilient they are. The challenges that these youth have overcome is admirable. They approached the interview with engagement and passion. When I asked them why they were interested in this career path, their answers showed strong motivation to help and support others. I am excited to see this future generation excited about the social services and their desire to support vulnerable people in their communities.
Share What You’ve Learned
My most memorable question, from a student, was “Tell me about some of the common skills you can use as a counsellor and a manager in your current leadership position.” I explained that almost all my counseling skills help me to be a better leader in my position. Effective communication skills is one of the essential skills you need as a counsellor and a manager. You need to be able to make a good rapport with your clients and your team. People around you should be able to trust you, and the relationship should always be based on respect and non-judgment. People should know a communication path is open, no matter what. Additionally, a great skill is the ability to turn problems into learning opportunities. It helps shift focus away from the problem and toward possible solutions and options. As a counsellor or leader, you should support clients or your team to reach their potential. Strategic thinking, creativity and flexibility are all skills that can help you a lot in both positions.
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Students, in the Reboot Plus program, are trained to connect to professionals for informational interviews to explore what businesses and careers are really like. This opportunity to ask their own questions, rather than read through online information, helps students gain a deeper insight into various career paths.
Offered in partnership through Douglas College Training Group and PEERs Employment & Education Resources with the Burnaby Board of Trade, this innovative program aims to re-engage at-risk youth in education and career development by providing them training and exposure to both post-secondary education and to the world of work.
The program is funded as a labor market research initiative by the Future Skills Centre. The findings will inform government, labor and educational institutes on broader adoption of novel approaches to training and skills development.
If you’re a business professional who is able to give 30-60 minutes of your time to this program, we would love to connect with you. Please connect with the Burnaby Board of Trade for any questions or to volunteer to participate!
Cory Redekop
E: cory@bbot.ca
P: (604) 412-0100