Young people from the Saint-Michel district will soon be able to discover the professions of firefighter and police officer, thanks to a program set up by the Center Lassalien and the City of Montreal.
The initiative, which will take place first at Louis-Joseph-Papineau high school, aims to support young people from diverse backgrounds who wish to become police officers, firefighters or pursue a career in other emergency trades. Participants will be entitled to academic and social support.
“We want to allow young people from diversity, both cultural and social, to go into these trades. We break down systemic barriers and we support young people and their families so that they can achieve their goal of entering these bodies, ”explained Paul Evra, general manager of the Center Lassalien, an organization in the Saint-Michel district.
Young people who are selected, in particular through a cover letter, will be entitled to support four days a week, after school or on weekends.
During these periods, an educator will be close to them to help them academically. Fitness classes with a professional are also on the program. The young people will also speak regularly to firefighters and police officers and will be able to go to their place of work.
Mr. Evra recognizes that the program is demanding, but believes that the support will bear fruit. “It’s like an extracurricular activity, like being on the school soccer or football team,” he compared.
Several pitfalls remain for young people from diverse backgrounds who wish to be part of these trades, not all of whom have the necessary support at home to succeed. Some also cannot eat their fill every day. These are the barriers that Mr. Evra intends to tackle.
“We are building a fabric of security around these young people, so that they can concentrate on the academic aspect,” he explained.
“We wondered why there weren’t so many people from diversity at the level of the police force. The challenge is that even before, during the selection for CEGEP, there was a breach,” added Mr. Evra.
For the next year, three cohorts of around twenty Secondary 3 and 4 students will be able to take part in the initiative. The City of Montreal will provide a financial contribution of $232,000 to enable the smooth running of the Support Program.
Last year, a first pilot project, with a limited number of students, was tested. This year it will be able to take on a greater scale. Both the City and the Lassalien Center would like them to be extended to a greater number of schools in the future.
“This unique program will contribute to ensuring a mobilized and diversified succession within the SPVM and the emergency trades that operate in Montreal, which will have a concrete impact on the safety of the city and the careers of young people”, for his part declared the mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, by press release.