Young adults gain work experience through Stride Program

There’s a group of interns from Steinbach moving through various businesses, learning about career options. 

The Stride Program is offered by enVision and runs for 12 weeks. It’s open to select students after completing their high school education. 

Makenzie McKave is one of the interns at our radio stations and has been part of the morning shows for Mix 96.7, Country 107.7 and AM1250. 

She explains the Stride Program provides a variety of learning opportunities, helping participants make the transition into adulthood. 

Some of the topics they cover include independent living skills, budgeting, employment and cooking, McKave adds. 

“And usually on Tuesdays or Thursdays we would have a tour, we would usually go out somewhere. And the best part of this is that we have internships,” she says. 

When McKave is not interning as a guest co-host for morning shows at one of Steinbach’s radio stations, she can likely be found at the MCC Thrift Store in Steinbach. 

“It’s a lot of fun,” she says enthusiastically. 

Joe Friesen is another Stride participant, also interning as a guest morning show host for radio stations in Steinbach. 

During an internship through the Stride Program, Joe Friesen co-hosted the Mix Morning Show with Corny Rempel. He brought his love for hockey and the Steinbach Pistons to the morning conversations.

He’s also getting work experience at Sobey’s, Source for Sports, and McDonald’s. 

Friesen also volunteers in the community, helping at places like Southeast Helping Hands. 

“My favourite part is learning about different things,” he says. “Like budgeting, and we had the RCMP come to talk about internet safety; what is not safe to put on the internet and what is safe to put on the internet.” 

While Friesen enjoys all of these experiences, his heart is in sports, and that passion fuels his desire to become a sports broadcaster. 

When he was asked to run the flag at home games for the Steinbach Pistons, Friesen was quick to agree. 

He appreciates the Stride Program, adding that he believes many of these experiences are only made possible by the support of enVision. 

The Stride Program has been operated by enVision’s Eastman Employment Services since 2018. 

-With files from Corny Rempel, Dave Anthony, Michelle Sawatzky.