Through Neil Squire’s Creative Employment Options program, the Penticton & District Community Arts Council (PDCAC) (new window) were able to hire three youth with disabilities over the summer: Avi, M, and Emily.
Tristan, Avi, M, Emily, and fellow staff member Serena show off masks made by youth in Penticton & District Community Arts Council programming.
“Having the three students just brought a lot of energy and new ideas into the workplace,” says Managing Director Tristan Boisvert. “We were just so thankful to have their support, and if it wasn’t for the subsidy that came through Creative Employment Options, we wouldn’t have been able to hire [them].
“It really allowed us to catch up on a lot of work and to make a lot of really exciting changes for the future, which included organizational planning and focusing on a lot of things that just were getting pushed aside because we didn’t have the capacity to even look [at them].”
It’s been a win-win experience for both the PDCAC and the youth.
Avi had joined the Creative Employment Options program after having a difficult time finding his first job on his own. He has Autism and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which makes some tasks tougher.
“I wanted to find a job with them where I could thrive and not feel terrible after working there,” he shares. “Which I did achieve — I’m currently at a job which I love.”
Avi works as a Student Creative Assistant at the Leir House Cultural Centre, which is managed by the PDCAC. He does a lot of design work, including creating social media graphics and newsletters, and he also attends many in-person events.
“I’m so thankful to have help and have this opportunity to work in such an amazing environment with such cool people,” he says.
M handles a wide range of responsibilities including running the gift shop and front desk, writing grants, creating handbooks and resource pages for activities and community groups, tracking payments, and handling upcoming programming. She joined the Creative Employment Options program after learning about it from a friend.
“I have mental health issues that lead to me dealing with heightened anxiety, a lack of focus, sensory overload, and time blindness,” she says. “This means I am often on edge for little reason, struggle with prioritizing my responsibilities, and can get over or underwhelmed very suddenly.”
Workplace accommodations have made a big difference for the youth. Tristan worked with Avi to make sure he would thrive in his role, including making sure that he could work in quiet environments to avoid overstimulation, a flexible schedule to avoid burning out, and checklists with the tasks he needs to do for the week.
“Avi was really the leader in that and telling us what he needed. And for us to adapt to that,” says Tristan.
M required detailed instructions, flexibility where she worked, and clear communication.
“Having a person from the [Creative Employment Options] program consistently checking in and sending me resources on mental health as well as the specific responsibilities I was taking on was incredibly informative, comforting, and helpful in the long run,” M shares. “Furthermore, being able to establish my needs with my employer ahead of time instead of being concerned about masking or underperforming without a concrete reason gave me confidence in asking for help and security.”
Diversity, equity, and inclusion is an important focus for the PDCAC.
“Our goal’s to be a leader in the community, to show that somebody with a disability, or somebody that does not fit the model that has been carved out by a colonial mindset, that they have just as much, if not more, value in the workforce,” Tristan explains.
“I think the fact that we also work within the arts gives us the opportunity to be that representation, because traditionally the arts have always worked with people that think outside of the box and that work on different levels and at different speeds. So, I think it’s a really good fit having people with disabilities, that are neurodivergent, work within arts and culture because it’s just a great match.”
Tristan says they “absolutely” recommend the Creative Employment Options program to other employers.
“[I’m] really thankful to Neil Squire for stewarding this program and for making it available to community organizations. And also, to [Case Manager] Mindy [Rollins] for being so level-headed and just so frank with things, which I really appreciated. Just a great experience for us.”
