ESTR’s Market at Thompson Rivers University celebrates a decade of building skills

KAMLOOPS — Thompson Rivers University’s Education and Skill Training Program — ESTR for short — provides skills training and knowledge to folks in the community who face barriers to employment.

The ESTR program identifies students’ strengths and then helps build skills and confidence before students get practicum opportunities, and ultimately, a job.

ESTR’s Market is a space where students can practice those skills in a practical setting. It was founded a decade ago with a cart that was parked once a week in TRU’s Old Main building selling homemade soup or chilli and bannock. Since then, it has grown into a whole storefront full of locally-produced snacks and handmade gifts, and still offers some of the best soup you can get on campus.

“We started in 2014 with the idea of creating a real-life training lab for both kitchen and retail training students in the Education and Skills Training program,” Saskia Stinson, one of the people who helped found the ESTR’s Market, explains.

The ESTR Program at TRU is designed for anyone who might experience barriers to employment. Through the program, many grads have gone on to find jobs or have continued their educations in other programs at the university.

“We have students who have gone through Culinary Arts. We have students who are in Early Childhood Education. We have students who are in Arts or Fine Arts, and they often carry on the upgrade in the UPrep department,” Stinson says. “It’s become about these students finding their purpose.”

The students focus on their strengths and have the opportunity to explore different skills that could be useful in a job search.

“Before I started, my dream was to cook,” program grad James Spinks explains. “I like to learn a lot of stuff. Right now, I’m studying spices. I travelled over to Japan for ten days and learned a ton about Japanese cooking.”

Daniel McLean works at Sweláps Market and learned many useful skills through the ESTR program.

“Just to get ready for what’s out there,” McLean says. “Getting resumes done, cover letter. Just to get out of my comfort zone and get ready for work.”

The social interaction is a huge part of ESTR. Many grads stay in touch with one another after they finish the program.

“I keep in contact with a lot of my classmates that I graduated with,” Angel Phair, a 2017 grad tells CFJC Today. “It was nice seeing them [today] but I keep in contact with them.”

Thursday’s 10-year anniversary celebration served as an opportunity to celebrate the faculty that helped create the ESTR program, the students who have graduated, as well as the ones who are still learning and growing their skills and confidence every day.

“We see them build a life and feel like they’re part of their community,” Stinson says.