Painter Sisters

The Painter Sisters provides women affected by violence and who face barriers to employment with a skill that allows them to regain entry to full-time employment (where employment opportunities are flexible and in high demand) and to attain financial independence.

The project provides:

• Direct support and referrals to community resources for women in addressing barriers through case management support;
• Two, twelve-week painting training sessions with sixteen training spots each per annum, (with the opportunity to write for level one apprenticeship certification);
• Employment opportunities with The Painter Sisters so women can obtain three to six months of on-the-job experience, with three women gaining permanent employment with The Painter Sisters;
• Support in finding mainstream employment for women who are near completion of their six months on-the-job experience, including direct work search online, resume development and employer job fairs;
• Socials for community building where women have the opportunity to bond with, and support each other and access individual supports and referrals to community resources from The Painter Sister project coordinator;
• Opportunities for career advancement

The training provides:

• Job safety skills, technical painting skills (Job preparation to completion), first aid (level 1), essential workplace skills, how-to for minor home repair, and training will include on-site hands-on instruction in real work environment as well as in training facility.
• For successful completion of training a woman needs an attendance record of 80 percent (or more) and to have completed the first aid and safety components.

Employment:

• All women who successfully complete the training will be hired by the Painter Sisters.
• Participants can expect to work part-time when first hired. Scheduling will be flexible to meet particular needs of women.

Socials:

• Meetings scheduled weekly and monthly to provide ongoing supplemental training, community building, peer-support and leadership development and to support women in addressing barriers.