Ottawa puts $4.4M into Saint John education and employment program for youth

I was aging out of the school system, so my husband’s social worker suggested I go to the Learning Exchange because they could help me get my GED. I went more than once to see what would work for me and that never seemed to matter. In 2019, I went back to WorkLinks because I got tired of living on the system. I took all nine workshops of the Soft Skills training. They also helped me find an internship with the United Way. 

During this half, the Learning Exchange established a training-to-employment partnership with the Heat & Frost Insulators Union Local 131.  

In the beginning of 2025, I had just moved back to New Brunswick after living on my own in Fort McMurray. When I moved back home with my mom, she suggested I check out the Learning Exchange. I had never heard of it before. I wasn’t going through the best of times when I met with Leah, the Program Coordinator. I had nothing to do all day and knew that I wanted to finish high school, but I didn’t know how to do that. The thought of doing the CAEC felt really overwhelming.