by Lin Armstrong--Did you know that this is Small Business Week (Oct 14 to 20)? To celebrate, Small Business BC has announced a contest for their Successful You Award. Self-nominate on line and from October 1 to November 30 you are tasked with gaining as many votes as possible through the social media. Go to www.successfulyou.ca for all of the information. Local Small Business owners can also apply for a hiring incentive of $2,800 for 3 months at 30 hours a week minimum at GetYouthWorking.ca Participants must be between 15 and 29 and they cannot be EI eligible. There is also $1,000 for training courses, like FoodSafe or Serving It Right, which HSEDS offers on line by appointment.HSEDS has information on the Targeted Skills Shortage Program for businesses and non-profits of less than 100 employees. Each individual employee is funded to a maximum of $1500 up to $7500 per employer for training costs. There are some industry restrictions.Whether you are an employer or someone looking to become employed, Hecate Strait Employment Development Society can help. You are welcome to come in and use our Resource Room computers to search for employment. Our staff can help you with a resume and cover letter specific to the job you are applying for and we have a Job Board with jobs available on and off island, including information on how to apply for a position in the mining and oil industries. On Tuesday mornings between 10 and noon in our Charlotte office across from the credit union, anyone who would like to learn about computers can come in and have a one-on-one session. You will learn how to write, send and reply to emails, search on the internet and write a Word document. On Thursdays between 10 and noon, we offer our THRIVE workshops in Queen Charlotte which focus on skills including Employment Readiness, Options and Decisions, Occupational Choices, Building Self Esteem, Job Leads and Job Search Strategies. You are also invited to partake in a free workshop for discovering your personality type and what kind of a jobs would be suited to you. We offer Mock Interviews to help steady and ready you for your big day. Visit our website at hseds. ca (or call 559 0049/ 626 3236 and learn more about what we are able to offer you.