Len Ferne is working full time at what everyone

hates. Unemployment.

.

Fifteen years ago Ferne had his first part-time

job hoeing sugar beets in Lethbridge, Alberta.
Since then he has worked as a window cleaner,

driven abakery truck, and worked as a janitor,

among other jobs.

Today at age 29 he
manages a staff of 25 at the
North Shore’s Canada Man-
power Centre, 1221 Lonsdale

Ave. But he’s not the only |

one to claim humble begin-
nings.

- The North Shore's first
job-finding bureau of sorts,

dropped to 7.5

In October 1976 the
unemployment rate in the
province was 8.3 per cent; it
per cent in
November; but in December
it reached 8.8 per cent, and
according to a Manpower
spokesman, it = remains
around that level today.

viable in introducing emp-
loyers to how our facilities
can work for them,’’ he adds.

In his meetings Ferne uses
a slide show to describe the
various departments of the
centre. They include an
inventory of registered

clients where information is.

filed according to occupat-

ional category, the worker’s

past experience, education,
technical training and other
specialities. When the emp-
loyer has .an opening the
centre’s staff search these
files to match the qualifica-
tions the employer seeks.

‘Other.

LEN FERNE...leafs through
files of positions filed by
N.V.’s Manpower Centre.
Unemployed consist of 45%

= Mca ARNE Nows

ah.

Custo

Or...

services involve females and 55% males. IG. : .
which opened in 1942, was Ferne knows those statis- providing temporary help to Lam photo) we make,anything
called ‘‘Selective Service & ti ll. Since his North tie businesses over seasona mee | .
Uneniployment . Insurance Shane apnoinznent in May peaks: or during holidays. “One of the misconcep- Available in birch - pine - alm - ash
Commission.’’ It was located Students usually provide the.

at the site now occupied by
. the washroom of Burrard Dry
Dock Co. Ltd. on Esplanade.

1976 he has been preparing

tn up aAnnauwow'’c
uw

AVAUGAL WvyYeaA 0

image. With “the aid of an
advertising campaign he has

noalich
pwsavns

work force every summer, for
example.

tions people have of us is that
do
example some “think we go
into intensive psychological

we everything. For

) . ‘been meeting with local One of the. centre’s major counselling...and there are.
The modern ‘Lonsdale employers soliciting vacan-. programs is industrial train-. those who are severely
office today serves as the ing, where Manpower helps

an ee cE an ww 1h
HULVo centre tor most Ur Linc

5,000 - unemployed, job-
seeking North Shore resi-

-dents, who represent about 4.
‘per cent of the. local work

force, according to the latest
Manpower statistics. .

‘On an average we , have

about 200 clients coming in
everyday,” Ferne says.
Those looking . for employ-
ment: are referred to as
‘clients’,.since we help them
find jobs,’’ he explains.

“I know very well the
frustration of being unem-
ployed,’’ says the blond
-mustachioed manager who
holds a degree in psychol-
ogy. ‘‘It’s unfortunate we
can’t find jobs for every-
one.’’ He isn’t the only one
complaining. .

storewide
clearance

cies for prospective. employ-
ees.

.

Over the. past several

‘months Ferne has spent the

bulk of his job-soliciting

crusade with close te 500-

North Shore independent

. businesses and companies.

He also has met with 30
businesses each in Squamish
and Sechelt. Both areas have
what are called ‘‘itinerant
service points’’ administered
by the main North Van office.
They also held locate jobs.

Says Manpower pxess off-
icer Jack Kent: ‘‘The com-
munity (North Shore) is
developing a better sense of
Manpower’s presence. In the
past employers had to dig to
find people. That has chan-
ged. Len (Ferne) has been

the

waaw

out

el

unth

vv BUAd

training | costs. ‘Almost all

‘emplover
weak pA yw

employers, at Ofe time or.
another, find they have to

train workers, but if we can
place. a person in an auto
mechanic. job, part of the
salary paid to the apprentice

will-be absorbed by us for a_

limited period,’’ Ferne said.

‘I believe firmly that
something be done with
everyone who comes to see
us—upprading their skills by
retraining or referring them
to some other agencies.’

On a monthly average
Ferne says the centre has
placed 150 persons in jobs,
registered 400 for training
programs, and_ sucessfully

referred 100 to other agen-
cies.

; physically handicapped, who

| continued on ‘page 20.

=

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