When you phone up or go into your local CEC, the first thing to do is say you want training. Training is the magic word that will get you into the process. At some point someone is going to want to know how you fit into their priorities and how training will help you find and keep a job.

One thing that you can find out is what jobs are likely to be available in your area. EIC does research on the job market and it's part of their job to make it available to you. You can call your local office and say something like, "I'm thinking of going into training and I want to stay in this area. I want to know what the long-term and short-term job prospects are for our area."

Even though there are general guidelines followed by CECs allover the country, local offices are in charge of their own budgets and can decide what their priorities are and what kind of training they will put their money into. Training programs available vary from office to office. Also who is eligible for training may vary. You just have to start asking questions and keep asking them until someone leads you through the maze. (See Sarah's story on page 29.)

Some of the employment services offered at CEC

Labor market and career information
Some CECs have well-organized libraries with binders full of information on the labour market (what jobs are likely to be in demand), careers (what a person does in a job, what education you need for it and how much it pays), and information about their programs (lists of project-based training, of approved private schools, etc.). Some CECs have this stuff but it's not very well organized and in some offices it's not there at all.

If you like to read things before you talk to people, check out the resource library in your CEC. If it's not there or it's too disorganized to understand, phone in and ask a question. If you live in a city with more than one office, you might check around. In Vancouver, for example, there is a big difference from office to office in the amount of resource material available and in how well it is organized.

Project-based training
These training programs are very useful to women who have a lot going against them when it comes to finding a job. EIC pays for the course and continues your UI or pays you a training allowance while you take the course. There are also allowances for child care and transportation in some cases.

Generally speaking, these courses provide counselling, confidence building, education and skill upgrading and on-the-job experience. In some CEC offices there is a book of project-based training you can look through. In other offices you have to ask about it.