The Manitoba Jobs and Skills Centre is here to help youth ages 12 to 29 find employment and work experience this summer.

Youth Engagement Coordinator Samantha Turner explains they collaborate with local businesses to offer a wide selection of employment opportunities, noting businesses who are looking to fill vacancies can always reach out to the centre. Turners says they offer a wide range of employment opportunities from seasonal and part time jobs to full time employment.

"When we're working toward the younger age range of that, like twelve, we offer an odd jobs squad," says Turner, describing the employment opportunity they have for pre-teens. "This is just a program within Portage. It's events including a strawberry pick, barbecue; that kind of thing. How it works is [the kids] do the work. They gain the work experience so they can put that on their resumé and it's also a good way to earn some cash this summer, but who do not quite want to commit to a full-time job."

Turner details how to get the job search process started.

"When someone comes and sees me, if you've built a resumé already, definitely bring it as we can work and build on it," explains Turner. "No work experience is needed to come see me. We can build a resumé off just about anything. Other than that, a good attitude and an open mind is always a plus."

Turner notes she understands how difficult it can be to enter the world of work. She says her goal is to make the experience easier and more comfortable for students.

The Skills Centre in Portage is located at 1016 Saskatchewan Avenue East.