Andrew Cogswell
For several years, Andrew Cogswell was forced to leave the province to secure employment in the fish processing industry. His hope was to secure a job locally so that he could spend more time with his family. So, in 2012 Andrew entered the Richmond County Literacy Network’s Age Advantage Plus program where he benefitted from all aspects of the classroom component, especially the computer instruction and the job interviewing skills.
Andrew then completed a twelve week work placement with Winmar Cape Breton and was offered a full-time permanent position upon completion of this component. Given his strong work ethic and reliability, Andrew quickly progressed from an entry level position to a supervisory position – given the responsibility of a vehicle and crew.
According to Winmar Cape Breton management, hiring Andrew was a great decision for the company. As for Andrew’s apprehension about computer training while taking the Age Advantage Plus program, he soon realized how important it was for both job searches and for keeping up-to-date in the workplace. When he finished the program and started working for Winmar Cape Breton, Andrew purchased his own computer.
Andrew is a testament of how the Age Advantage Plus program assists unemployed older workers gain the personal and employment skills necessary to successfully re-enter and fully participate in the modern workforce.