Anyone have experience with the Second Career Program???

[Kyles_Mama]

DH was laid off a couple months ago and we started researching the Second Career program. He called to get a meeting with an employment counselor (first step to get into the program) and after waiting 4 months for the appt it is finally here.

I have read so many negative things about the program though and how it's basically a huge run-around and super hard to get accepted...

Just wondering if anyone on here has experience with the program or knows someone who does??

Please post your experiences/advice here.

TIA!

[babygonnermann]

It completely depends on what type of job training he is looking for on whether or not he'll get a lot of run-around.

My mom got in with no issues whatsoever!!

There is a lot of work and research that needs to be done on his part in order to send the application in, and if that isn't done properly, I can see that causing him big issues.

Other than that, if he follows the directions and completes the work, he should have no problem (again, depending on what kind of training he's looking for).

Just recently they upped how many people can get into the Second Career program, so admission has been easier, as far as I've heard. I guess it would also depend on when he's looking to start. I would imagine admission would be easier to get for a January start than it would for a September start, but I'm just guessing with that one.

[Kyles_Mama]

Thanks for the advice. He is back from his meeting. Wants to be a paramedic. He has to get a bunch of stuff and go back in two weeks. I saw somewhere online that the whole process could take 6 months before he finds out if he is approved. Hope that was just one person's experience and won't be his.

[parisprincess]

I did something like this but went to school (this was 3 years ago now, wasnt called "Second Career" at the time)

I found out I was approved on a Wednesday and was starting school the following Monday!! ... It was pretty nerve-wracking not knowing if I was going to school or not (I had to register and everything)... but WELL worth the wait. I was very lucky. and now I have an awesome job!

I did need to do research based on the course choice, also interview 6 people in the field I wanted to go in and write down theirs answers to my questions, then lastly, write an "essay" explaining why I want to return to school and why I should be accepted in the program.

Did end up taking me roughly 6 months from beginning (meeting with counsellor) to approval....

[Kyles_Mama]

I'm glad to hear that it worked out for you. I'm so excited for him and I hope it works out for us as well. Thanks for the info!

[parisprincess]

Good luck I hope it works out for him as well! Its a great opportunity!

Don't hesitate to PM me with any questions if you want - I'll help if I can

[batman1978_]

A friend went through the 2nd career. He was working on it since about May. He had to go to interviews with the 2nd career, investigate the career he was interested in, investigate the school to make sure when they start the program. After all of that they mail in an application and you wait 4 to 6 weeks to get an answer. Then at the last minute he got a responce. I hope everything works out for your husband. Good luck.

[vibrantflame]

Good luck! My husband's friend just got into this, he wants to be an electrician. Actually DH is also going in for an electrician if he can get accepted. I don't think it took his friend 6 months to get accepted, but he only found out a few days before school started that he was in.

[YesI'mcheap]

My husband did a similar thing in Manitoba 6 years ago. Alot depends on the person you are dealing with. The first person my husband talked to made him run around like a chicken with his head cut off looking for information and stuff. We did, and then he went back and that person was on stress leave and he got a very nice women name Debbie and she looked at it and said we have a trucking coursing running here is the info, he went the next day to the infomation session and started a week later. Debbie could not understand what the first person was doing. This was throught EI. It was funny cause Ei had a back log at that time and they said 6 weeks to the first check and when they program worked out, we got his first check that week. To bad they shut that program down in Manitoba.

[tray]

My husbands friend was accepted to second career for a paramedic and is going to school in January. Also a cousin of mine has had her meeting with them and was told she shouldn't have any issues being accepted and is working on her application. I think it's an amazing program! Good luck to your husband!