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EllisDon Oakridge — The Power of Partnerships for Community Impact
We are so grateful to the entire EllisDon team for recognizing the power of working together to create inclusive work opportunities and lasting community impact. Some EMBERS Staffing workers have converted to full-time EllisDon employees. Positions range from General Labourers and Construction Safety Officers to Traffic Control Persons.
500 Boots Challenge: Karen’s Story
Karen sees firsthand how critical it is for new workers, especially women, to have the right gear. “Since I’ve started working in Vancouver, I’ve seen so many women entering construction. But we need women’s sizes in gear like boots and rain jackets,” she explains. For Karen, the 500 Boot Challenge is about making sure every worker can walk onto a site confidently and safely. “Boots are the most vital part of construction work and often the most expensive. I hope people will give generously so everyone who needs a chance can get it.”
Meet Lesley, our Building Better Futures Program Manager!
Meet Lesley, a vital part of our EMBERS Training team!
John’s EMBERS Journey
After completing a degree in Hotel Management, John moved to Vancouver seven years ago with the aspiration of working in the bustling tourism industry. After a few years, and with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, John decided he needed to look for a new employment path.
EMBERS Training: VR Construction
There are only a few simulators like this in BC, so this is an extremely rare opportunity! The youth had an amazing time with Lynne and the Bigfoot team, and some even found careers that they’d like to pursue post-secondary.
Derek’s EMBERS Journey
Derek was referred to EMBERS by WorkBC. Before working at EMBERS, Derek was doing DoorDash after being a stay-at-home dad for eight years.
Bert’s EMBERS Journey
Bert had a career in the culinary arts for 20 years. After having faced addiction issues, Bert decided he wanted a change and enrolled in the Kinghaven treatment program. It is there that he learned of EMBERS Staffing through the Purpose Project, a skills training and support program. Bert has been with EMBERS Staffing for nearly two years, building his construction experience. His story has been an inspiration to all.
Emem’s EMBERS Journey
Emem joined EMBERS Staffing in September 2023 after struggling to find work as an international student. Through chatting with friends, Emem learned of EMBERS Staffing, attended an orientation and has been with us ever since.
Andrew’s EMBERS Journey
Andrew is a participant of EMBERS’ Worker Support program, which provides wrap-around support to EMBERS workers. Support services include connecting people with free or low cost resources in the community, such as discounted groceries and free meals, in addition to life counselling and housing search support. The program is customizable to provide people with the extra support they need to reach their career goals.
Working for Good with Darwin Construction
As one of EMBERS Staffing’s first construction clients, Darwin has been a key partner and supporter to EMBERS from the beginning. The support of a major construction company in the early stages of EMBERS Staffing helped solidify our reputation in the industry and enabled us to continue growing and changing the lives of the people who work with us.
2023: A Year In Review
As we reflect on the year, we are proud of the impact we had on the communities we serve. EMBERS expanded its programs creating more opportunities across our divisions including EMBERS Staffing, EMBERS Training and EMBERS Eastside Works.
A big thank you to all of our partners, funders, workers, volunteers and supporters. Our work would not be possible without your support, time and dedication to community impact.
PCL St. Paul’s Hospital Project – Empowering the Community through Local Employment Opportunities
The new St. Paul’s Hospital is the most extensive hospital redevelopment in BC’s history and is expected to reach completion in 2026 and open to patients in 2027. With 550 beds, it will offer a long list of care services, including chronic disease management services; emergency and critical care; mental health and addictions; ambulatory services and outpatient clinics; end-of-life care; Indigenous health; maternity; colorectal and gastrointestinal services; and community care and community outreach programs. It will also include a multi-level underground parking garage, a public plaza, new roads, and civil infrastructure.
EMBERS BladeRunners Career Exploration Program
We are happy to have had a successful BladeRunners program in 2023 and look forward to continuing the program in 2024. Congratulations to this cohort of students! We are inspired by your enthusiasm and we wish you the best of luck on your career journey.
Lavinnia’s EMBERS Journey
Today we are featuring EMBERS Staffing worker, Lavinnia! Lavinnia celebrated her one-year work anniversary with EMBERS in May and we are so proud of her accomplishment. We sat down with Lavinnia to learn more about her employment journey at EMBERS.
Golfing for Good: EMBERS 13th Annual Golf Tournament
On August 14th, 2023 we held the EMBERS 13th Annual Charity Golf Tournament at the UBC University Golf Course! It was a wonderful opportunity to come together to celebrate partnerships and raise funds for our life-changing employment programs.
Gazal’s EMBERS Journey
Gazal joined EMBERS Staffing in February 2023 as a Construction Safety Officer (CSO). After having been a Civil Engineer in her home country, Gazal is building Canadian work experience and knowledge of Canadian construction processes with the ultimate goal of getting back into engineering and one day opening her own renovation company.
Working for Good Together with Riggit!
A huge thank you to Matt for participating in this interview and to Riggit for their generous donation to our 100 Boots Campaign!
We are so grateful to Riggit for being a long-time partner and supporter of EMBERS. Riggit’s support allows us to create more work opportunities for people; ultimately changing lives through the power of work.
Kingsley’s EMBERS Journey
Kingsley started working with EMBERS on February 8th, 2023. He started as a General Labourer, and after gaining some skills, he’s now working as a plumber.
Vancouver House + ICON West Construction
To celebrate our relationship with Icon upon the completion of Vancouver House, EMBERS has created a booklet that shares worker stories and statistics about the various sites, commemorating the time spent on these projects.
