Osoyoos Indian Band Service Area

Annual Report 2005/2006

Coordinator: Ramona Bent
Phone: (250) 498-6935
Fax: (250) 498-6965
rbent@oib.ca
RR3, S25, C1
Osoyoos, BC V0H 1T0

Download PDF: Annual Report 2005/06

Osoyoos Indian Band is the “people on the move” and working towards self efficient lifestyle for the community as well as the surrounding commuties within the Okanogan region. With much of development taken place at the south end of the reserve there are many upcoming working opportunities for members and non members of the Okanogan area. It has been an exciting year with partnerships with Bell Star and Fortis.

This fiscal year the Business that participated in the training programs and updating skills were:

• Heritage Centre
• Nk’ Mip Construction
• SOSS High School
• Vincor Winery
• Nk’ Mip Cellars
• Nk’ Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course
• Land Stratetrgies
• Penticton Museum/ Heritage Centre
• Osoyoos Indian Band Administration
• Osoyoos Indian Band Sun Fun
• Harrison Rebar
• Osoyoos Indian Band Fencing Crew
• ONA Fisheries program
• OIB Butterfly project under Ron Hall
• OIB Chat’s project – under Ron Hall
• Elements Greyback Construction
• Nk’ Mip Vineyards
• Nk’ Mip Campsite
• OIB Operational & Maintenance

In March during the spring break we had organized a job fair and had representation from:

• Fortis BC
• CFDC
• ONA Entrepreneur
• Bell Star
• Nk’Mip Cellars
• Nk’ Mip Heritage Centre
• Nk’ Mip Construction
• Nk’ Mip Resort
• Nk’ Mip Convenience Store
• Work Zone
• ONA Fisheries Footprints to Technology

Also in this time I had organized a “Job Readiness Program.” I had brought in On Your Mark Employment Service to do the five day program – part of the program consisted of Food safe, Super Host, WHIMIS and eight 3 hour sessions on Values & Motivation, Personal Management, Communication, Time Management & Reliability, Support Systems, Normalizing Stress, Job Search and Ready for a great first day on the job? I had 10 youth participate in the program. In the same month I had Okanogan College come in do a level one first aide and had 23 participates over the three days.

As we got close to the end of March I was working on getting the University Post Secondary student situated into jobs. There was 27 University Post secondary students and I was working with 20 students and 7 went under OTDC wage subsidy project.

One of the successes we have is those that are working with the Heritage Centre in Osoyoos. There were three trained in wage subsidy programs during the fall and winter. One was trained to become the new manager of the Centre; the second one was trained to become the new assistant manager: and the third was trained to become the retail manager. They worked hard over the winter months to get ready for the new building and develop new programs for the centre and to touch up the existing programs.

Other programs through OTDC funding:

o Cellars training o Millwright Apprenticeship o Construction Apprenticeship – one first year and one third year o Rebar training o Fork lift operator o Winery Assistant Program Heritage Assistant Snake program o Museum Assistant o Summer student employment for post secondary o Sun Fun Assistant o Golf course maintenance o Heritage tour guide o Archive assistant

It has been a great year with lots of success and lots of paper work. I have also had an opportunity to work with managers and hear some of their concerns and this is what came out of the job readiness program. There is still a lot of work to do in this area and I have enjoyed the opportunity to work in this department and also enjoyed working with the team of coordinators. Thank you for this opportunity and will be looking forward to next year report as there is more productivity going on here.