Learner Stories

I did the Power Up program in 2015. I was just starting out on a journey to know what abilities I had.  It wasn’t easy but it was worth it.  Power Up definitely helped with my confidence and I met several people who would be part of my life in the days to come, helping me become the best person I can be. 

I heard about the Learning Exchange from my case worker at the Teen Resource Centre. She suggested I check it out and see if the programs might be helpful for me. I wanted to finish high school, so I met with someone at the Learning Exchange and they told me about the G.O.A.L.S. program. It was interesting to me because it was different from the schools I had gone to before. 

My sister was going to the Learning Exchange to work in her GED and was always talking about how great everyone was there and how friendly it was. I reached out to them because I wanted to try to complete my GED as well.

About a year ago, I was referred to the Power Up program by Social Development. My favorite part was the expectation that we were responsible to be there. I treated it like a job. I got up in the morning, got my coffee ready and went. One of the topics that really stuck with me was on joy. I had not considered the idea that you could be happy for the sake of being happy. I wanted to find my happiness. Since then, I have taken WEN’s Self-Esteem course. This came at the perfect time in my life because I had just left an abusive relationship. The support of everyone there kept me going. I got my power back. I am currently taking the Stress Management course. I’ve become even more involved in the Learning Exchange. I graduated from WESLinks before Christmas and am now enrolled in WorkLinks. My son and I are planning to host a cultural workshop and talking circle so the learners can discover more about First Nations. I’m excited to give back. When you walk into the building, you feel like you are coming home. Everyone there is working together to help you. You put your mind to it, you commit, and you will get what you want out of the programs.

I didn’t finish high school but worked for three years until 2016. I was laid off unexpectedly, but decided to look at it positively. I thought, ‘This is my chance. I have to do something.’ 

I first became aware of the Learning Exchange through the UYES! (Urban Youth Employment/Education Services) program. Everyone there was so supportive and understanding. The atmosphere was welcoming and I didn’t feel the daily pressure I felt in traditional high school.

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. 

When I came to the Learning Exchange, I knew I was looking for something different. I had experienced the traditional path – creating a resume, then reworking it, sending it around and was getting no response. I had come from a high-paying job in Nova Scotia and had a lot of experience but the feedback I was getting was that I was overqualified – or seemed to be. Someone had recommended the Learning Exchange and I made the call.