Tell us about your organization and what makes you stand out as an employer?

OBLT is a charitable not-for-profit society with a dedicated and wonderful volunteer Board of Directors as well as an amazing, creative and dedicated team of employees and volunteers.

We currently provide the following services:

StrongStart BC: We provide a StrongStart program in Qualicum Beach and Parksville as well as an outreach StrongStart program called the ‘Words on Wheels Bus’ (aka WOW Bus).

• • Our Parksville and Qualicum StrongStarts are called Munchkinlands.
  • Storbook Village (located on the grounds of Qualicum Commons) is program that provides an opportunity for us to partner with our local family services and provide fun and imaginative play opportunities for children and their caregivers. Storybook Village is an outdoor child sized village with little buildings to explore and a circuit roadway for bikes/trikes. This program focuses on physical literacy and outdoor fun.
  • StrongStarts are funded by the government of BC.

Arrowview Kids Club Child Care: We have a child care centre located on the grounds of Arrowview Elementary where we provide Group Child Care programs and a School Age Care program.

Technology Learning Centre/ TLC2Go: We provide tech tutoring and tech support programs for seniors. This service is provided via online, in our tech tutoring lab and via outreach.

Saturday Breakfast Club: Saturday Breakfast Club provides an opportunity for families and their children to connect and to enjoy a nutritious meal together. These sessions are held on Saturday mornings. This free program brings together the joy of food, play, stories and song and explores food literacy as well.

Books for Babes:

• • Books for Babes was born in February 2002 and have been delivered to over 3,000 families in Oceanside when they have a newborn. Island Health, Regional District of Nanaimo, Oceanside BLT and community volunteers join together to present a special gift for new parents: a bag lovingly hand-made, with a book or two and community resources inside.  These bags are delivered by Public Health Nurses on their home visit to parents and new babies.
  • Why do we do this? Researchers tell us that a critical time for learning is between birth and 3 years of age. Early quality experiences help to determine how a baby’s brain develops.

What makes OBLT stand out as an employer is our dedication to working with our staff to create a healthy work life balance. We recognize the individual strengths of our employees and work hard to ensure that our employees are valued and honoured for those strengths.  With the many facets of our programs, we are in a unique position as an organization to provide employees with multiple opportunities to develop and create new programs as well as opportunities to enhance our current programs with their unique talents, skills and experience with the ultimate goal of increasing the quality of services we provide to the community.

How many employees do you have?

Fourteen (14)

What do you look for in a new employee?

Patient, fun, kind, flexible, energetic and on a life-long path of learning. We also look for employees who are driven to make a difference in the lives of our community members.

What advice would you give someone who wants to work for your organization?

Please read our website to gain a solid understanding of all the services we provide.  We place a high value on team work and look for the individual strengths each person brings to the team so a willingness to be flexible and a willingness to let your light shine is important.

Do you anticipate hiring in the next 6 months? If so, for what types of positions?

We are currently hiring for our StrongStart program as well as our Arrowview Kids Club program.  Both positions require an ECE diploma (or certificate) or equivalent.  We are also hiring for our ‘Saturday Breakfast Club’ program

What is the best way for someone to apply if they are interested in working for your organization?

• For our position at Arrowview Kids Club Child Care, contact Elizabeth Nardi, AKC Child Care Manager: enardi@sd69.bc.ca
• For our StrongStart position, contact Karen Dziedzic, StrongStart Lead Facilitator: kdziedzic@sd69.bc.ca
• For our Saturday Breakfast Club position, contact Scott Beam, OBLT Manager: sbeam@sd69.bc.ca

 

Tell us about your business/organization and what makes you stand out as an employer?

M&N has been in Parksville since 2000 serving the entire Vancouver Island as well as the rest of B.C.   Approximately 90% of our products are made in Canada and primarily made in B.C. We offer a white-glove delivery service and carry Sofas, Recliners, Cabinet Beds, Sofa-Beds, Bedroom Furniture, Adjustable Beds, Mattresses and more. We are a family run business with multiple awards for customer service from the BBB, Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce, the Business Examiner as well as many industry awards.

How many employees do you have?

We currently have a team of 8 working together.

What do you look for in a new employee?

We’re looking for employees that are punctual, flexible, reliable, and are team players and someone who is motivated to provide excellent customer service.

What advice would you give someone who wants to work for your organization?

If someone is interested to work for our organization they should demonstrate they are motivated to improve their skills, to understand the business, and most importantly, are motivated to understand our customers.

Do you anticipate hiring in the next 6 months? If so for what types of positions?

We do anticipate to hire a management role or training for management position that has some experience in management.  This decision will depend on timing.  Also, there are franchise opportunities available for the right employee.

What is the best way for someone to apply if they are interested in working for your organization?

Please come by our location at 291 E Island Highway. Bring your current resume and let’s chat.

NOW’S THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR OUR 2023 HIRING FAIR!

If you are looking for work, plan to attend the WorkBC Hiring Fair hosted by the Career Centre on Thursday March 16th from 12pm-4pm at Ecole Ballenas Secondary School in Parksville. With upwards of 50 employers on-site, this is a unique opportunity and a terrific way for job seekers to connect face-to-face with businesses who are looking to hire!

Here are some tips and suggestions on how to start planning for the job fair and your job search in general – we want you to be successful!

Step 1: Attend a “How to Prepare for a Hiring Fair” workshop

Learn networking strategies to ensure your success when you meet face-to-face with employers. Understand what you need to prepare before, during and after the Hiring Fair. Watch for these workshops coming up in early March.

Step 2: Dress for Success

This is no different than attending a job interview at an employer’s place of business, so you need to dress neatly and appropriately. If you need interview attire, set up an appointment to see an employment consultant here at the Career Centre – we can help.

Step 3: Research Registered Employers

You can get a step ahead of the competition by checking the list of businesses participating in the fair and researching your favourites! You can learn a lot about a company by looking online, including a glimpse of their work culture and values. After completing your research, prepare a list of questions to ask employers when you are at the Hiring Fair.

Step 4: Bring Several Copies of Your Resume

Take a folder with you containing a list of the employers you want to meet, as well as several copies of your resume, cover letters (addressed to specific employers) and letters of reference (if you have them). Be prepared to hand out additional resumes to employers not on your list. If you need assistance with creating/updating your resume, be sure to attend our Resumes and Cover Letters workshop prior to the Hiring Fair (workshops run February 6 and 22).

Step 5: Be Prepared for an Impromptu Interview

You may have two to five minutes to market yourself to a potential employer and gather information, so make the most of your time. Prior to attending, develop a one-minute “presentation statement” to highlight your qualifications. For more information on marketing yourself, consider attending our Branding “YOU”  workshop (February 7 and 21) and/or Acing the Interview (February 7 and 27).

Step 6: Network! Network! Network!

Practice the perfect greeting including eye contact, as this will make a good first impression. A Hiring Fair is a great opportunity to connect with employers and other job seekers that can support moving your career forward. Push yourself to connect with as many people as you can at the Hiring Fair.

Step 7: Collect Contact Information

Write down the name of the person and company you are interested in and their contact information, or make sure to ask for a business card from them. This will support you with Step 8.

Step 8: Send a Thank-you Note

Stay ahead of your competition by sending a thank-you note or email to your employers of choice the next day. If you do this via email, make sure it is in proper business language; no jargon, abbreviations or spelling mistakes.

The Career Centre’s Hiring Fair is a free event for job seekers to connect with local employers. For information on upcoming workshops or to register, call 250.248.3205.

We look forward to seeing you on March 16^th at Ecole Ballenas Secondary School from 12-4pm!