News & Updates

Women’s Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor Inc. stands with everyone fighting anti-Black racism. We are all saddened and angered by recent anti-Black violence in the US and Canada.

We agree that as a community we can no longer sit idle, so we stand with members of the Black community and other disadvantaged communities, we stand with those fighting anti-Black racism. We stand for unity, equality, and safety for all men, women, and children regardless of race, class, gender, nationality. As we continue to work diligently to assist disadvantaged women in the Windsor-Essex community, we shall continue to challenge anti-Black racism and other forms of discrimination that exist in our community as we remain committed to the fight for more inclusive representation in workplaces.

Although we often think of Canada as a beacon for multiculturalism, pervasive yet often covert racism is a part of the daily lives of our friends and colleagues and women we serve. We join Canada in acknowledging the pain felt due to racial violence and expressing the need for our community to come together in solidarity to fight against racism and intolerance.

WEST demonstrates our commitment to inclusion through representation. Our Board of Directors, our staff and the participants we work with in our programs all represent the diversity seen across world. We work daily towards fighting for equality by promoting inclusive representation in workplaces across the community. WEST will continue to be a leader in the community and committed to fighting against racism and intolerance. Women’s Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor Inc. was incorporated in 1987 to improve the employability skills of
severely-employment disadvantaged women in order to improve their employability in the workforce and or to further their education.

Educational anti-Black racism resources:

• Anti-Racist Resource Guide https://tinyurl.com/antiracistresourceguide
• Dr. Charmaine Nelson of McGill University (booklist here https://www.mcgill.ca/ahcs/people-contacts/faculty/nelson),
• Kathy Hogarth at U of waterloo (https://uwaterloo.ca/renison/people-profiles/kathy-hogarth)
• artist Camille Turner (http://camilleturner.com/press/)
• phd candidate Natasha Henry working on her dissertation “dissertation, One Too Many: The Enslavement of Africans in Early Ontario, 1760 – 1834”
  https://teachingafricancanadianhistory.weebly.com/blog/my-phd-dissertation-research-on-the-enslavement-of-african-people-in-colonial-ontario
• Excellent resource list here
• For additional ways to take action, please see this resource list from #BlackLivesMatter.

#BlackLivesMatter #WeStand

Message from Women’s Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor Inc.

Please be advised that WEST management is staying up to date on the COVID-19 pandemic and connecting with resources to assist in the development of policy and protocol for the organization. Therefore, in order to be responsive and continue our work to create a safe and healthy work environment for staff, volunteers and clients, Women’s Enterprise Skills Training of Windsor Inc. (WEST) will be modifying our services.

There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Windsor, Ontario and there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at WEST. Should you become aware of someone with COVID-19, please provide this information to management in writing immediately.

The following modifications will be effective Monday March 16^th, 2020, until further notice.

1. All in-person client-based services will be temporarily suspended (our continuity of services plan includes instructors will connect with participants and provide assisgnments via phone, email, WhatsApp, or similar resources).
2. Language Classes and CNC will be closed during the March Break, as planned and a two-week extension will be put in place until Monday April 6, 2020. We will continue to monitor the directions and/ or guidelines of municipal, provincial and federal health authorities, as well as school boards.
   2020. Instructors and CNC staff will required report to work, as regularly planned on Monday March 23, 2020. Should there be changes staff will be notified. Please ensure that your coordinator has your contact information.
3. Volunteer activities will be suspended temporarily, to reduce the number of individuals accessing the building.
4. Off-site activities will be suspended temporarily until Monday April 6, 2020.
5. In agreement with the recommendation to avoid crowds and/ or gathering of 250 people or less, therefore WEST staff are still expected to report to work as planned, until further notice. The office will only be open to staff.
6. Signage will be updated and walk-in clients will be notified via signage and directed to the appropriate person to call for service.

Please read the additional information below:

 With the upcoming March Break, individuals should check the Government of Canada travel advisories for up to date information on area impacted by the COVID-19 (travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories).

   All staff is asked to monitor themselves and self-isolate (do not come to work) for any of the following reasons

1. 1. If you are not feeling well
   2. If you have travelled to areas currently under travel advisories that include but not limited to; China, Iran, Italy, Japan, Singapore, or South Korea, or spent time in an area with infection rates (such as; France, Germany, New York, Washington State, California, etc.)

The best way to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses including COVID-19 is to practise the following:

1. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water, or alcohol based hand-sanitizer (min of 70% level of alcohol).
2. Cover your mouth and nose when coughing, or sneezing; if you do not have a tissue, then sneeze or cough into your sleeve, or arm.
3. Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces regularly
4. Office cleaning through our janitorial services has been increased to sanitizing door knobs and surfaces twice a week.
5. Stay home until symptoms resolve.

If you have any questions, please let us know. WEST will continue to monitor and stay up-to date on the Coronavirus and are working to ensure that we maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for our staff, volunteers and clients.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Rose Anguiano Hurst, WEST Executive Director