First in Canada program “lifts” off in Pembina Trails

Like many teenagers, Joanna Pham plans to look for her first job this summer. The grade 10 student, along with her classmates at Shaftesbury High School, are being given an opportunity to have a leg up on other job seekers this spring by taking part in a pilot ethics and integrity course called LIFT. Being the first in Canada, Pembina Trails School Division has partnered with the Better Business Bureau Foundation of Manitoba to offer this innovative program, which aims to help youth in the workforce.

"We are thrilled to have Pembina Trails School Division involved with our LIFT program," shared Manitoba Better Business Bureau Foundation President Len Andrusiak.

"Manitoba BBB Foundation is the first in Canada to offer this program that educates youth. LIFT focuses on the importance of ethical decision-making and building personal character brand. At the end of the program, a certificate is provided to the students when they sign-off on a commitment of conduct. This program is very interactive, allowing students to share opinions and ideas."

Joanna Pham hopes the added certification will boost her resume and catch the eye of prospective employers. "If employers see this, they will be impressed that I studied business ethics and can make good decisions. This will give me a head start and the best part is I did it during class time," said Pham.

Only a few sessions in and grade 10 student Carson Fijal is already impressed. "This just makes sense. It is useful to pinpoint how we makes these decisions. I think it is good to go with your gut and also pull from what you learned on ethics," shared Fijal.

The certification, led by Pembina Trails Technology Education consultant Jane Bachart, gives students the opportunity to go through real-life scenarios with their peers. The goal is to have them exploring situations through a new perspective.

"Getting students career/job ready involves talking about the tough questions like, when no one is looking at you at work is it ok to go on your phone?" shares Ms. Bachart. " Pembina Trails is the only school division that offers this right now and with certification from the Better Business Bureau, that is quite impressive for employers to see."

Within a few short classes, Ms. Bachart has already seen a shift in mindset, especially when it comes to what our students are sharing and posting online. The course highlights the importance of a good digital footprint and the possibility that everything online can potentially be viewed by future employers.

"I hope that they remember that their personal brand is digital. It is represented by their likes and retweets and comments on how others think. I want them to think twice about the approach and the people involved in their decision making and that making ethical decisions about how they want to be perceived in the world is who they want to be whether someone is looking or not."

The plan is to make LIFT available at other schools in Pembina Trails in the future.

This pilot project has been sponsored by the Cambrian Credit Union.