The bilingual workers, aged 12 to 15 years, are ready to babysit, mow laws, wash cars, paint, clean, do gardening, do housekeeping or whatever other odd job needs to be done, all at a reasonable rate.
“They are now looking for contracts that will allow them to work, gain experience and earn a bit of spending money for the summer,” explains Stéphane Blanchard, youth economic development officer with RDÉE Prince Edward Island, the organization that oversees the co-op. “The youth are hoping that people from the community will hire one or more of them for a few hours or a few days.”
When the co-op (or YSC) receives a work order, the coordinators estimate the volume of work required and negotiate a price. When the work is completed, they check to make sure the task has been performed well. The co-op retains 10 per cent of the income to pay its various operational expenses while the balance is paid in salaries to the young workers.
One contract has already been negotiated. RDÉE will use a $3,000 grant from the P.E.I. French Health Network to hire young people from the co-op to build six small children’s picnic tables and six adult-sized picnic tables and to deliver them to the six francophone school-community centres of the province. These tables will be placed near the community gardens that have been established at each of the centres. Two raised beds will also be set up at each centre.
Thanks to an agreement negotiated with the French language school board, the co-op has access to the school workshops at Evangeline School for its construction projects.
Those wishing to get a free estimate or to place a work order are asked to contact Shelaine Gallant at [email protected] or 902-315-2880.
