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Local businessman gets program snub Chronicle Statt lars a week from Onâ€" tario, to help you hire the help you need," says a provincial govâ€" ernment advertiseâ€" ment promoting its new Young Ontario Caâ€" reer Program. But, says Waterloo businessman Don Kuzuk, that expensive promotion ‘‘is jUst a big government hoopâ€" dela, and that‘s it." "I get the impression that they‘re putting on a program but they don‘t want to give out the money," he said. Last week Kuzuk, who owns and operates Kâ€"W Small Engines on Caroline Street, conâ€" tacted program â€" staff with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing in Toronto seeking additional inâ€" formation about the program. His intention was to hire someone through the program, train them to repair and maintain small enâ€" gines, with the possibilâ€" ity existing of offering a permanent job down the line. But, said Kuzuk, the reception he got from Toronto was anything but helpful. "When I called up, the woman I taiked to just asked me what I did and told me I didn‘t qualifv ... that they just had universiâ€" ty kids ana they can‘t do this kind of work. It. all took place in 15 to 30 seconds. She didn‘t even give me a chance." The $25â€"million proâ€" gram, announced by Ontario Treasurer Frank Miller in his Steven (left) and Stephanie Hempei (centre) are jubiiant as they make another successful saile. The two are among dozens of youngsters who will be visiting local homes and businesses this summer to sell cookies on behaif of the Applied Training Action Centre. Proceeds from the saile will be. used to pay for the operation of the nonâ€"profit centre after government funding ends later this year. At right is chiropractor . Rob Dobrucki Chronicle Special Despite some problems and setbacks, the Sandinista movement of Nicaragua has been working constantly to improve the basic standard of living of its citizens, stated a group of local residents upon their return from Nicaragua. At a recent meeting coâ€"sponsored by the Waterloo Public Interest Research Group (WPIRG) and the Southern Ontario <Niâ€" caraguan Tour, approximately 90 people listened to five representatives of the group which toured Nicaragua for two The tour, organized by the Latin Ameriâ€" can Working Group in Toronto, was arranged "to help Canadians understand what has happened in Nicaragua since 1979", (when the former government of General Somoza was overthrown), accordâ€" American influence destabilizes _ many aspects of life in Nicaragua ‘Kind of work‘ spring budget, offers subsidies of $2.50 an hour, maximum of $100 a week, for 20 to 26 weeks to businesses as an incentive to help young people build a career. l Underâ€" program â€" Kuzuk said he intends guidelines eligible emâ€" to submit an applicaâ€" ployers must have been _ tion later this year. He in business for at least â€" cannot apply now beâ€" one year and the jobscause he has not yet created must be new â€" been in business for the positions, providing 25 â€" required time period. hours a week of emâ€" ployment and "contribâ€" The Waterloo busiâ€" ute to the employe@®S nessman has already vocational developâ€" _ pag two students workâ€" ment. ing with him in his firm under other governâ€" Potential employees mentâ€"funded proâ€" must be between the grams, including one ages of 20 and 30, not student from Conestoâ€" related to the employer _ ga College through the and either unemployed Ontario Career Action for three months or a â€" Program. * Potential employees must be between the ages of 20 and 30, not related to the employer and either unemployed for three months or a graduate of at least a uneâ€"year course at a postâ€"secondary â€" school unable to find work related to their educaâ€" tional qualifications. . When contacted by tke Chronicle, program staff member Alex Chiâ€" solm indicated that Kuzuk could very well be eligible for the proâ€" Don Kuzuk ing to Jane Reble, a member of the group. She added that, as the trip was primarily organized by a group of trade unionists, it had a trade union focus." As well, they met representatives of many other organiâ€" zations, including women‘s organizations, the Human Rights Commission, and the Church; Reble also stated that the group met government officials with the Minâ€" istry of Labor and the . Ministry of Planning, as well as the Minister of the Interior himself. With the aid of a recently produced film entitled Target Nicaragua: Inside a Coâ€" vert War, the members of the group described life in Nicaragua and the destabilizing effects of American economâ€" ic and military influence on life there. It was claimed that the American government has been using its economic clout to try to undermine the Sandinista gram but offered no explanation for the reâ€" ception the Waterioo businessman originally received. The key to employer eligibility, Chisolm stressed, is the amount of vocational Araining and development the job would offer. "It depends on what the employer intends to do with the empioyee,"" he said. ‘"We‘re not subâ€" sidizing someone to do menial work .. there has to be a considerâ€" able amount of training to it, to develop the educational backâ€" ground of the employâ€" Despite {he coolness of the initial tontact with the program, Kuzuk said he intends to submit an applicaâ€" tion later this year. He cannot apply now beâ€" cause he has not yet been in business for the required time period. Local factfinders discover "It‘s (the Young Onâ€" tario Career Program) a good program, someâ€" thing that is really needed,"" Kuzuk comâ€" mented. "How else is someone coming out of school going to get the experience they need to build up skill and attitudes today?" Pat Arguckie photo Pat Arbuckie Chronicle Staft ‘‘Want to buy some cookies?"‘ It is a question residents in the Kitchenerâ€"Waâ€" terloo area may be hearing often in the next few weeks as the Applied Training Action Centre ATAC in Waterloo launches its first fundâ€"raising cookie sale. â€" Formerly known as the Job Action Centre, ATAC, located at 244 King St. N. is designed "to help the unemployed through information and training either find fullâ€"time employment or continue their education in computerâ€"training,"" explained the centre‘s director Arlene Mahood. The nonâ€"profit organization hopes to raise up to $150,000 and, at the same time, put 100 area students to work. The project is funded by a 40â€"week, $112,000 grant from the federal and provincial governâ€" ments under its Canadaâ€"Ontario Employment Development program (COED). Approximately 70 per cent of the grant money will be used to pay the salaries of seven fullâ€"time employees at the centre, said Mahood, with the remainder covering operating expenses, including the purchase of four computers. The fundraising campaign was launched July 1 to enable the centre to become selfâ€"supporting and to ensure that it will continue offering its services free of charge to the public when government funding runs out.â€" explained Anna Marie Rempel, program manager at the centre who is also in charge of the cookie sale. Rempel hopes to recruit approximately 100 youngsters to sell the packages of cookies doorâ€"toâ€"door at homes and businesses in the Kitchenerâ€"Waterioo area. The cookies sell for $2 per package and students will earn $.40 for each package sold. "The average student can make $40 to $50 per COED and cookies buoy Action Centre Free help to unemployed government. "Americans are using their power in the IMF (International Monetary Fund) to prevent Nicaragua from getting loans ... despite the fact that Nicaragua has honored all debts incurred by the Somoza regime before its collapse,‘" said Reble, while adding that other Central American governments with closer ties to the United States (such as Honduras and Guatemala) can still negotiate new loans despite the fact that they haven‘t consistently kept up on their payments. More direct interference, in military form, was also made clear. Both the film and the speakers stated that the rebel groups operating against the Sandinista government could not have organized themselves without the funding they reâ€" ceived from the American government. The film referred to a statement by week with very little effort," she said. Prizes will also be awarded to those with the best sales record. o In addition to doorâ€"toâ€"door sales, Rempél is also planning promotional disflays in area shopping malls. She hopes the current cookie drive which will last throughout July and August and subsequent sales of other small items such as spices, cookbooks or pens will raise between $112,000 to $150,000. The Applied Training Action Centre opened in December of 1982 in an effort to offer additional support to unemployed people. Mahood, a former teacher at Conestoga College, had been employed in the department of continuing education. working on government projects that dealt with plant shutdowns. “Peoplé took a oneâ€"week course and then were left out in the cold. There was not enough money to fund followâ€"up support,"‘ she (*)g(_)lained. Mahood and Rempel began offering a oneâ€" week job search course that focused on preparing resumes, filling out application forms, interviews and cover letters. The proâ€" gram is supplemented by individual followâ€"up support and counselling "for as much as they want and need in their job search," said Maâ€" "It‘s lonely out there looking for work. We teach them how the system works so they know how to use their job search effectively,"" added Rempel. _ > _ Both Mahood and Rempel emphasized howevâ€" er, that the centre is not a job placement service. In fact, the name of the organization was recenfly changed to avoid association with other placement agencies and to better reflect its aims. Since it began offering the job search William Casey, the Director of the CIA, in which he asserted President Reagan authorized a $19 million budget for covert actions in Nicaragua. _ Members of the group as well dismissed charges of the Sandinistas trying to help to overthrow neighboring governments. _ _ ‘‘Nicaragua is a very poor country," said Reble. "It can‘t afford to finance revolutions in other countries." _____ _ She said that American claims of foreign interference by the Sandinistas were groundless: "There‘s never been an exâ€" ample of â€" anyone finding weapons going to El Salvador from Nicaragua." _ _ All group members said that they often heard Nicaraguans dismissing charges of ‘"Soviet collaboration", saying that, after losing 50,000 lives in their struggle to free themselves from American domination, they weren‘t about to ask the Soviets to take the Americans‘ place. m n uw Sm un ce mum um d dn P99 2 w aheinainneftiges {Continued on page 11}