NSSRP helps Town of Faro youth overcome job training barriers

The Town of Faro, located in the Yukon, is a small community of less than 500 people. For Monica Kazda, it can sometimes be challenging to find quality employment opportunities. 

But in 2024, Monica was given the chance to receive her Bronze Cross, Bronze Medallion, National Lifeguard, First Aid, and CPR courses – allowing her to expand her swimming abilities and job skills - thanks to funding from the CPRA’s National Swimming Recovery Program (NSSRP), funded in part by the Government of Canada.  

“It was an interesting opportunity to learn new skills, and to challenge myself,” says Kazda. “I have learned a lot, including teamwork with the other lifeguards, practical skills, and many First Aid techniques.” 

Kazda was one of four youth participants to receive a variety of aquatic training, such as swim instructor training, Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, and National Lifeguard certification. 

Tina Freake, Manager of Recreation and Culture for the Town of Faro, says that the program provided a unique opportunity for the youth, and employment experience at a local level. 

“This funding has really helped us provide opportunities for locals and to get locals trained,” she says. 

Freake adds that the youth participants were able to shadow the community’s swim coach and received mentorship from the town’s aquatic staff. This opportunity helped teach the youth participants hands-on skills that they can apply to any career, she says. 

“They learned interpersonal skills, how to work with each other . . . and just taking on a greater responsibility,” she added. “It’s a serious job being a lifeguard because you’re responsible for people’s safety. This experience really helped [the youth] grow and mature as individuals. It was a really good learning experience and is transferable to so many other fields.” 

Kazda says while she did not have previous experience as a lifeguard, she worked at the town’s recreation centre as a casual student.  

The training, she says, will allow her to gain summer employment as a lifeguard – and it has also motivated her to continue to build her swimming and job skills. 

“I believe that since I passed these courses, it has given me the confidence to go farther, and gain more training and experience in the future,” Kazda says. “Gaining the work experience on the job was also very helpful to me.” 

Freake adds that the youths’ training has also helped promote a sense of water safety in the community. It helped them become more educated on water safety, which she says will motivate them to encourage others to stay safe in the water. 

She says the training also opens the door for the youth to become swim instructors for the town next year, which will allow the recreation centre to offer more swimming lessons to members of the community. 

“Water safety is such an important thing. It was really important to me for my kids to go through swimming lessons when they were little, because then it helps protect them – whether they’re swimming in a community pool, near a lake, or near a river,” Freake says.  

She adds that training youth in aquatics also helps the municipality fill much-needed positions at the community’s recreation centre, and the Town of Faro also benefited from the program. 

“Hiring in general is really difficult because there’s a shortage in the labour pool,” Freake explains. “In such a small community, we struggle with recruiting and staff. For us to be able to have funding and provide this in such a small community means a lot. We’re really grateful for the funding we received, and the partnership and support. It’s truly made a huge impact in our community.”