Instructions: Create an original post and describe the major groups of people with whom you work and the backgrounds from which they originate. Identify the key resources that you use with this group. Then respond to one classmate’s post. You will make a total of two posts.
Remember that our learning group works in a full-value environment: We treat our colleagues with respect and professionalism. Our comments should reflect this culture.
Working in a Middle and High schools offers me the opportunity to work with students from a wide range of backgrounds. Although I work in two small, rural schools, there is a growing population due to our proximity to the city. In general I work with the Generation Z population. With this group I use a lot of technology to reach them and send new information to them. I find, for my students at least, they are more open to communication in smaller groups or 1 on 1 settings as well. I am able to work with students with a wide range of diversity, some of the groups that I serve are English Language Learners, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, students living with disabilities, and students who are in transition or homeless. Working in a school system affords me the opportunity to work with students from different backgrounds, but also provides multiple resources for these students. Collaboratively with the staff, we are able to open up career opportunities for all students.
I also work in a high school and have seen how individuals from different generations can have unique characteristics. This has made me realize the importance of recognizing each student’s potential and making sure they understand their worth.
I too use a lot of technology to communicate with students and doing so has helped students understand that we are there for them to work with them 1 on 1 and you are correct, a lot of them feel more comfortable in this setting as opposed to working with large groups of students.
I think that you getting to work with this much younger generation is such a wonderful and important role. You have the abaility to steere these chldren into the right direction. At the end of the day it sin the decisions they choose to make but having someone to help lead them correctly really make all the difference in the world.
I am a Career Advisor at workforce we often work with our clients one on one allowing them to be a little more open and even confident in what type of assistance they are looking for. Being able to help these clients of diverse backgrounds and find resources to meet their needs or assist with barriers is a reward in itself.
Its good to have that opportunity to support clients one one one that will allow them to be more open and comfortable on what they are experiencing towards employment or personal experiences they are having. When we have that opportunity to support and help the clients we interact with daily, knowing that there is a resource out there is a great rewarding feeling to have.
I agree, as a career coach being able to help guide individuals (youth and adults) is an important role. Many people are unaware of the resources available in their community. I like to use one on one sessions to help them identify career choices, help them overcome any barrier, and let the client know that they are supported and they have someone to whom they can talk to.
I work in a Technical High School and serve students; the majority of the students here are males, living in rural, suburban and urban. Students, at the school are from all across the county. We have some students with disabilities who are able to experience all of the tech areas accompanied by their teacher. Also we serve students who identify as LGBTQIA+, and English language learners to name a few more populations in our school. The resources we use in large part include: the teachers, counselors and career coaches, google classroom, social media and of course computers.
Hi ScallEli,
It is useful to be able to utilze the counselors, career coaches and teachers to serve the students. Especially if they are involved and have developed a good working relationship with them.
We share a lot of similarities in our student populations. Having so many different resources for our students is so beneficial for them to explore all of their options in the workforce.
Way to go Ms. Brenda you’re a great asset to your customers. I hear Goodwill North Central Texas AKA Goodwill Industries of Fort Worth, has a program called ReLaunch for ex-offenders too. Here are a few things from Tarrant County reentry. https://tarrant.tx.networkofcare.org/pr/services/category.aspx?cid=38932&targetgrp=
In my area it’s hard for ex-offenders to get to anything. We do not have public transportation and most ex-offenders have had their license suspended or lapsed license because they have been in so long and have to retake the driving test. Or have restrictions on where and when they can go. Very discouraging for them.
I decided to comment on your post because of the population you serve, and you mention the teachers, counselors and career coaches. I believe a lot of youth need that one-on-one assistance. And it doesn’t matter what financial background you come from. You could be a super-rich kid and your ignored by your family and you could be a kid in poverty and your family is working too much to give you the attention that is needed to support you during this period of your life. And with social media and bullying / cyber bullying you need someone or community to hear you.
I work as a Career Advisor and a lot of my customers have extensive criminal backgrounds and this makes it difficult to help them find employment. We use OneStop for a lot of our customers in this situation. They help them find second chance employers; help rebuild their skills that they may have missed out on while they were incarcerated. They often have a hard time reintegrating into society because they cannot cope with all of the changes, I had a customer a few weeks ago that had been in prison for the last 25 years. He did not know how to use a cell phone or check email. We were able to provide some refresher classes designed to give him a crash course in email etiquette, as he will need these basic skills in order to gain employment.
Brenda, as a Career Advisor that has to be difficult to have as a barrier for your clients to find employment, thankfully there are some second chance employers willing to give people a chance. We never think about the things we do on a daily basis,like using a cell phone,that not everyone has the knowledge how to do!
I worked in various fields in and associated with Criminal Justice. Individuals with criminal backgrounds, whether minimal or extensive, are one of the more challenging populations to help find employment. It is imperative to find employers and community groups willing to assist these individuals get their foot in the door. I have found involving Goodwill or any agency that offers career training along entry level employment benefits the individual. It also matters the offenses that an individual has committed. Felonies come with a harder search for the individual.
Hi Brenda – does your local area have Re-Entry program for those individuals who come out incarnated? Here in our local area San Antonio, we have these program which I refer them and the majority of them find employment since Career Advisor who works in this program works with employers who are willing to hiring second chance.
Hi Brenda. Just an FYI. Work in Texas allows you to filter employers that are second chance employers.
Brenda,
I work with several customer that have recently been released from prison. I’ve had huge success in assisting them find employment. We created a list of employers that are background friendly. I share the list with customers that have a barrier of a criminal background. Most of my customers that are released from prison are normally the most disciplined. They show up on time and they provide their job searches timely. They just want someone to give them a second chance. I did have a situation with a customer that was in the resource room lost. He was not computer savvy. However, our first chapter helped me. I showed empathy and understanding. I helped him get in the website. Also, I told him I understood and if he needed assistance, I’m to help him. He kept saying I’m not dumb, but I just haven’t used these tools. I explained to him in detail how to use the website.
Although the school at which can be broken down into smaller populations, for the basis of this post and its effectiveness, I will break my student population into 3 main groups based on where they live: Semi Urban (City of Hagerstown), Suburban (Small towns like Smithsburg and Boonsboro), and Rural (Unincorporated areas in the Mountains and valley).
*Semi-Urban population: This population contains subpopulations of African Americans, Latinos, and those struggling with Poverty. With this group of students, we see levels of apathy, indecision, and a lack of determination. Students often don’t want to or can’t afford a driver’s license. With this, a student’s opportunities are limited. Plus, other factors like substance abuse, family issues, and academic standing limit a student’s access to success. With this population, we partner community groups, like the Western Maryland Consortium, to provide training and financial assistance. In addition, I can draw from my personal experiences from growing up with similar circumstances and as an African American.
*Suburban: This population is mixed with people of various races and ethnicities. We see many of the same issues from the previous population. However, a driver’s license, in many cases, is not a deterrent, as many students in this population drive. This benefits these students; we can offer youth apprenticeship opportunities within a further radius from school or home.
*Rural: Within this population, we see the inability to leave the comfort and security of their small community. This can be based on several factors. For instance, these students often don’t want to work in urban settings, where a lot of jobs are located. With this population, we encourage them to broaden their horizons. We guide them by showing them how their skills are desired within their chosen industry. Finally, we use salary data to demonstrate how their potential salary could go further living in their community.
I worked at one stop center in San Antonio and one of my biggest challenges as Caree Advisor is we have a lot of individuals who came to center with criminals’ backgrounds. Depending on their charge, if is minor or misdemeanor, we have a lot of success in placing our customers with employment. However, if they have serious charged like felony. Luckly here in our area, we have the Re-Entry Department program in which they help those individuals to place them on job and worked with employers who work with second chance.
I can see how working with those with criminal backgrouds can be challenging. That limits there path and what they can and can’t do. But, it is great to see that there are Re-Entry Department programs that assist and give these individuals a second chance at life.
I can see how it would be challenging to help clients with a criminal background secure a job. The Re-Entry Department program seems like a great resource for that population and it is great that your clients could access that. I wonder what the success rate is for individuals who participate in the Re-Entry program.
I’m a Career Advisor in a suburban area with many racial and ethnic groups comprised of mostly Generations in the workplace. They tell me they have been let go to be replaced by younger people that will get paid less or were at a job so long that they no longer have technology skills required for a new job or even job search. We have workshops for 55+ that teach how to job search in this time of hi tech and how to age proof your work profiles. We offer basic computer/ technology classes in person. Referrals could also be to AARP.
The other group is people who are English language learners, some are highly educated in their home countries, but their education documents do not transfer to the United States. I refer many to The Fort Worth public library for a conversation class with other adults to practice and improve English speaking skills. Participate in an ESL Book Club for monthly discussions about the chosen books.
This is definitely something I’ve seen recently with older folks being let go so companies can hire someone who will work for less. It’s also quite a challenge for our older generations with the growing use of technology. I’m taking a course at the local community college now to up level my skills. They are currently offering several courses completely for free through a state grant for the very reason of helping older generations gain new skills. I know there are also many other courses available at low cost through our community college. Wishing all your folks the best in their transitions.
I am also seeing more of this in the rural area as well. It seems as if age discrimination. is alive and well even though employers will deny this. It’s great you have workshops catered to meet their needs. That is something that will help this population to reenter the workforce updating their skill set. We are also seeing an increase in English language learners experiencing the same issues with education challenges in the States, along with process to be eligible for employment etc. It makes it difficult when you work in programs with the philosophy of work first. We often are getting them enrolled in English as a second language and using community service as their participation for the programs.
Interesting, I feel technology has had some negative impacts on older and younger generations. You are experiencing the older generations impact, but with working in a high school I am seeing the negative impact on the younger generation. I have students that do not feel comfortable making phone calls, are not sure how to compose a professional email, even some that don’t know how to fill out a check – last week I had a student say he did not know he needed to sign the back to deposit it, and could not figure out why his bank was not accepting it. So something I will definitely be considering when I work with students, how to incorporate some basic professional work and life skills that they no longer get.
I work in an arts high school (9-12) with students from all over our county and some from neighboring states. Our student population is quite diverse in ethnicity, culture, gender/gender-identification, socio-economic and abilities. While we have many outgoing and social students, we also have many who are inward focused. This does become a challenge when trying to help students as it takes time to build a level of trust that allows them to open up. I would say the biggest resource I use is myself; specifically my interpersonal skills. Beyond soft skills, I like to meet each student where they are in their planning journey and use the best tools to help them make the next decision. Sometimes that means starting with an assessment, sometimes that means using the outlook handbook to search careers. This resource does seem to be the most helpful to the students and one they enjoy using the most.
I think this is a great answer and speaks to the importance of attending skills. Being able to empathize with students is vital to gaining their trust and ensuring that they are giving you genuine answers over what they think you want to hear. I often have to introduce the concepts of emotional and social intelligence to students and how they differ from academic intelligence. I often find that these conversations will help to boost students’ confidence especially when they struggle with their grades.
Chapter 6 Assignment
I am a Career Advisor in a rural workforce office. I oversee the TANF (Temporary Assistance Needy Families) and the SNAP (Food Stamps) programs. Many of my customers present themselves with several barriers (poverty, Lack of transportation, childcare, criminal backgrounds, and family issues) to name a few. I use a broad range of activities (assessments, job search, job readiness classes and support services) depending on individuals needs which activities are used. I aim to enhance workers skills, knowledge, and abilities to improve their employability and earnings potential.
I used to work as a TANF Career Advisor and it was hard serving the re-entry customers. TANF is a work first program and they have to get a job to keep their benefits or risk being sanctioned and kicked off of the program.
The TANF program presents one of the most diverse populations we serve as employment service and presents many time constraints. Working in TANF provided me with the knowledge of assessments and the importance of them in career developments and I carry that with me through the other programs I work in now.
The TANF program presents a sense of urgency, and you have to rely on creativity and resources to be able to successfully assist the customer due to the time restraints that the TANF program allows. Many of the customers do possess barriers and customers are not always ready for the tasks (assessments, job readiness, job searching, childcare, etc.) that come with moving forth in them being marketable or employable. When I was a TANF Career Advisor I did learn a lot on how to work through challenges and have a guide to prepare me for the other programs I currently work with on being more knowledgeable in career development.
As a career coach working with high school students, I work with several major groups with unique backgrounds and needs. Some of the typical groups and their backgrounds include:
1. College-Bound Students: These students belong to families that have a tradition of attending college or aspire to pursue higher education. They often have excellent academic records and are motivated to excel in their studies to gain admission to prestigious universities. Many come from middle to upper-middle-class backgrounds and have access to resources such as college prep courses, tutors, and extracurricular activities geared toward enhancing their college applications.
2. First-Generation College-Bound Students: These students are often from low-income households and schools with limited resources, and they are the first in their families to pursue higher education. Despite their unique challenges, such as navigating the college application process without familial experience or support, they demonstrate remarkable resilience. They may require additional guidance and support to understand the college admissions process, financial aid options, and available resources.
3. Career-Ready Students: These students are not interested in pursuing traditional four-year college degrees. Instead, they are focused on entering the workforce directly after high school or pursuing vocational training programs. They come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Their determination to seek practical skills and experiences that will prepare them for their chosen career paths is genuinely inspiring.
4. Underserved or At-Risk Students: This group includes students facing various challenges, such as poverty, homelessness, involvement in the foster care system, or other adverse circumstances. They may have limited access to educational resources and support networks and may require additional assistance to overcome academic and career success barriers.
To support these diverse groups of students, I utilize a variety of resources tailored to their specific needs, including:
1. Career Assessment Tools: I use career assessment tools and inventories to help students identify potential career paths based on their interests, skills, and values.
2. College and Career Exploration Programs: I organize guest speakers and college fairs to expose students to post-secondary education and career options.
3. Community Partnerships: I collaborate with community organizations, businesses, and industry partners to provide internships, job shadowing opportunities, and mentorship programs.
Working in a school I will be working with students. However the students I work with can come from a variety of backgrounds, skills, experiences, and situations. Students may be college bound, attending trade schools, entering the workforce, or enlisting in the military.
When working with students of all different backgrounds my main goal is to understand their goals and situations to find the best path for them. For example some students want to attend college but know it would be a financial burden on themselves or their family so they will need to work through college or work a job that offers reimbursement. Working in a school system also provides access to community resources that can help students overcome any hurdles they may face to continue their education or career. Not all students are the same so we need to find the best path for each individual.
I’m working at the middle school grade level with a school-wide population just under 900 students. Most of the students I have met with have local, rural backgrounds. I find that this demographic trends towards interest areas related to skilled trades, so I try to remain well versed in the program areas of our trade schools, the certifications/credentialing/licensure they offer, and their class structure. Approximately 70% of our students are recipients of Free and Reduced School Meals (FARM), so I try to consider that many of my students are coming from homes in some degree of financial stress and may be trying to work with hunger. I’ve also noticed that many of these students are motivated by their desire to contribute to family finances as soon as possible and see their personal interests as a secondary consideration.
Another demographic I encounter frequently are students with IEPs. Especially when it comes to assessments, these students often require a variety of process modifications that can range from verbalizing content and transcribing dictated answers to utilizing hard copy worksheets over digital exercises. Working with this population also often means enlisting the help of a case manager to determine best practices in regards to assessment modifications, and how scheduling changes affect the students’ behavior.
As a middle school career coach, I work with a variety of students with different backgrounds. Most of the students are of the urban population, though there are quite a few students who have moved to the area that weren’t originally in a urban setting. There are a few students who’s mother language isn’t english, and the school has a mix of different personalities and backgrounds, which means the approach used to help inform and prepare the students for their future opportunities will be different.
In order to help each student, I work with my co-workers to make sure I understand what a students interest are in terms of their future and how they best take in information. Using resources such as Naviance helps students to have a better understanding of their own interests and what career paths they may be interested in looking into, which helps me to provide help[ in preparing them for what pathways can help them learn the skills they need.
I work and serve the students at Clear Spring high school and middle school. This a small rural area. Regardless of this being a small country town, I serve a diverse student body. Because these students are generation Z, I utilize technology to reach out to students. I also like to use paper and pen with them as well because they lack the in person, “soft” skills. I try to work with students 1 on 1 and sometimes small groups because these students tend to get off task easier when in larger groups. We have a few group homes in our district and have some English language learners. So we have different cultures and backgrounds mixed in with the country family folk that have lived in clear spring there whole lives. Some key resources to work with these students are online resources and collaborating with counselors and teachers. I collaborate with outside resources and companies to help build soft skills, real world skills, and everyday skills.
As a high school career coach I am working daily with a very diverse population. I am working with a lot of students who do not have transportion to get to and from work, whose parents do not have jobs, students who do not feel they have any sort of options and students who do not have any issues getting to and from work. I try to evaluate each unique situation and work with them in ways such as finding employment that they can walk to or helping them navigate and come up with a way to get to a job that they may not have considered. As long as I am patient with these students and understanding of what they are dealing with we have come up with solutions to solve some of these issues that arise. Some students I work with just need someone to hold their hand through the process and explain how it works to them and others simply just want someone to review applications and resumes before they send them out.
I know what you mean about transportation. The transportation issue seems to be the most difficult hurdle. There’s no public transportation here and most families here only have one car. If mom or dad needs it for work, the student can’t even get to an apprenticeship. What struck me about your post was this… you said, “students don’t feel like they have any options”. I see this every day and I’m sure you do too. The apathy I see in my students is my biggest challenge.
Despite working in different schools, I also see a lot students who don’t have too many transportation options, which makes them feel as though they can’t take part in the different opportunities to attend certain schools or programs when they graduate. Evaluating each students situation is important since everyone not only takes in information differently, but also make decisions differently depending on whats going on in their life. Understanding these differences and being adaptable while solving problems goes a long way in helping the students move forward in the path that they want to be on.
I am a Career Advisor at a Workforce Center and I work a lot with customers who have criminal backgrounds. A lot of these customers are not familiar with modern technology which is a problem because technology is used to job search and submit applications. I sit with the customer and explain how to use the computer to job search. We set up emails and I explain how to use email. I assist them with registering with Work in Texas and also show them how to access the second chance employers in Work in Texas. I also have a list of second chance employers, so I give the customer the list and show the customer how to access their websites. We talk about other agencies in the county that may be able to provide assistance to the customer i.e. HHSC, MHMR, etc. I also utilize our Business Services Unit to find out about other second chance employers.
I work with the Local Workforce in the Adult Vocational Academy under the WIOA (Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act). In our program we work strictly with Basic skill deficient customers determined through a CASAS assessment. We work with a diverse population. Our centers service customer in the suburbs, inner city, rural communities, county unincorporated areas and industrials areas.
Our customers come from all walks of life, including but not limited to the youth, parenting youth, homelessness, single and two parent families utilizing public assistance, dislocated workers, employed customers, and customer recently released form incarceration. They workforce services anyone seeking a career or job services.
I am a career Advisor with workforce. I work specifically with NCP (Non Custodial Parnets) who are court orderd into our program due to lack of employment and fialure to pay there child support. I often see a trend of these Customers having Criminal backgrounds which does make it difficult in tryng to find the Customers employment. Unfortunaly when you have a crimnal background not only does this limit the work that you are able to get but it alsoeffects how much money they are able to make. This becomes a probelm especially with these NCP Customers when most of there paychecks end up going directy to child support payments. in some cases it has left my customers with less then $400.00 a month to live off of working a full time job making slighly above minimum wage. We have many differewnt great recources that can assit these Customers. i would say the best assistance I have used for my Customers aside from things like HHSC, MHMR, is either getting them enrolled into the 21st century program or getting my customers connected with our business services Unit. Our Business servcies Unit has been such a great source for so many of my customers. Im able to provide them with there barriers, the type of work they need and even the amount of money they are needing to make in order to maintain there monthly expenses and 9 times out of 10 they go above and beyond to find my customer multiple potential leads.
I am a career coach in a middle-senior high school working with students in grades 6-12. This community is about 25-30 minutes from a small city. The town used to have a lot of industry, but now relies on just a few local businesses to keep afloat. Many people have left the area to find work in the city and beyond. The school once had a population of about 650 students and is now down to about 220 students in 7 grades; mostly caucasian students with low to middle class incomes. We have a high percentage of students who receive free and reduced meals. I speak with many students who do not have working role models…in other words, no one in their family works. Because of this, it is difficult for them to imagine getting a job. I have been working at this school for about ten years as a teacher and know the student population and their families very well.
I utilize a variety of techniques to reach my students including posting job listings, opportunities for learning new skills in their career tech classes and organizing field trips to expose them to career fairs and career exploration. I use a variety of surveys to help them narrow down possibilities and invite speakers into the school to speak with the students about careers in a variety of areas. I try to work with students in small groups and individually because they open up to me better than in the classroom setting. I utilize my career coach team for ideas and trainings. We have a real team atmosphere and share ideas to help one another improve.
I work with the Texas Workforce commission in the WIOA (Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act). In this program I work with Basic skills deficient customers determined through a CASAS assessment as well as people who are not skills deficient. I work with a very diverse population. My customers come from all walks of life including being homeless, having a job and once being incarcerated. We are able to refer some customers to the Women’s Center which helps with job search as well as giving counseling. We also have a list of resources for the customers if they are in need of financial help paying the rent or utilities. We also have a list of second chance employers which helps those that have been incarcerated find jobs so that they can support themselves and their families.
I am a Career Advisor for the Workforce. I work mostly with SNAP (food stamps) customers. Most of my customers are recently released from prison and mandated to conduct four weeks of job searches. I’ve had a huge success rate of assisting my customers in finding employment. Our office created a list of employers that are background friendly. Also, I add to the list daily. When a customer finds a job and has a background, I add that employer to my list of background friendly employers. It has helped my customers finding employment. Also, I utilize our business solutions team. They assist in providing our customer job leads that are background friendly. We also offer internships and scholarships. f the customer does a great job, the employer may offer the customer a permanent position. It also gives the customer an opportunity for work experience.
Most of my customers that have a background are disciplined. They arrive on time and produce their weekly job search logs. I’ve only had one incident when the customer was confused with the computer technology. We had just had our first class on “helping relationships”. I asked my customer if everything was ok. He told me he wasn’t dumb. I asked him to come to my office. He explained he went to our Resource desk and asked for assistance in logging into the workintexas.com system. The customer was having issues. I explained it to him. I told him I understood, and I showed empathy. Also, I let him know that it’s our job to assist our customers. I told him he could come to me if he needed additional assistance. He appreciated that I took the extra time to assist him. Also, we offer our customers assistance with resumes, short term trainings, dress for success, and mock interviews. We do whatever we can to assist our customers in being successful.
I am a Career Advisor for Workforce. I work with the WIOA (Work Innovation Opportunity Act) Program with Adults, Dislocated Workers, and Youth. The population is very diverse that our center service. We service lots of customer s who have criminal background issues. Most are not up to speed with technology, have limited employment history, limited job searching or interviewing skills.
I utilize all the services we have to offer to help assist with getting them back re-acquainted with general population such as In-person MAPS which provides tools for resume assistance, mock interviews, etc., while looking for employment. We provide resources for HHSC, MMHR, Housing Needs, Training, and even utilize our Business Service Team to help find direct hire opportunities that will assist with an individual needing a second chance.
I work with high school students. Students I work with are living in poverty, college bound and work bound. For students living in poverty I connect them with our community in schools representative. For college bound students I connect them to their assigned school counselor. For work bound students I am the resource and I connect them to tools and opportunities they can use to secure work.
As a CHOICES Career Advisor, I have the opportunity to work with all kinds of people. Some include single mothers and fathers, two-parent households with low income, and our universal customers that come into the workforce center. I get the opportunity to assist these customers with finding employment. Many resources are used to assist these clients. To name a few we use the TABE Assessment testing in the CHOICES program for programmatic clients used when helping to look for employment. For universal clients they have access to the resource room. Clients can use computers, virtual reality goggles (allowing clients to feel like they are working hands on in a field of interest), they are able to use the phones. For any client that comes into the Workforce we provide free zoom classes called Career MAPS clients can attend these free workshops about interview skills, resumes, and the do’s and don’ts of the workforce, just to name a few. I really like being able to introduce and help navigate through resources that are available to the community.
As a career coach, I’ve had many clients from different backgrounds. We are an equal opportunity program, we help individual who are struggling to obtain employment. I like to use an assessment, to understand the individual’s struggles, barriers and personality. If the client is unsure of career path, I like to use the Traitify Assessment, this assessment will give the individual an idea of what path to take. We use the WorkKeys Test to see what level is the client in Math, Literacy and Workplace Documents, based on the results we can see if the client needs extra support in certain areas. We want to make sure the client has the skills needed to start a training or job. I also help them with job preparedness workshops such as assistance with resume, cover letter or mock interviews. Our main goal is to help the individual be self-sufficient and become successful. We can make a change!
I work in the TANF side with the adults – all do come in with barriers as the program is based on gaining employment and helping to get pass barriers- A lot of the customers come into the program -not knowing what work field or interest they want, so giving them the assessments gives them more of a direction to guide them into the next steps as we offer many workshops within the building. Just being here to show the customer’s they have support and help with direction in preparing them to gaining self-sufficiency by sending them to MAPS workshops will work on resumes how to dress, preparing for interviews. Great to see the customers succeed and complete the program not having to return to the program.
I work with the CHOICES Program. TANF Recipients. My customer could be both male or female, all ethical backgrounds, I could work with youth (High School w/a child) young adult and adult. Some are two parent households; some are single parents. My customer could also be a grandparent raising their grandchild (children) Some could have criminal backgrounds; some could have clean backgrounds. Some are homeless and no family support then I get those that have family support. The one common denominator is they all need assistance and when you are setting up their plan you must always consider the children. When we first meet, we have a conversation, I listen to my customer, I take notes and ask questions (this is probably why my intakes are 1.50 hours) I always ask what your employment goals are and what are you looking to gain / achieve by participating in this program. I then set them up for the Career Cruising, TABE and MAPS Workshop Program once the Career Cruising and TABE are completed, we discuss the results during the next weekly meeting. I also sign the Customer up for Career Edge and depending on their career choice or desire for vocational training I might sign them up for Metrix. I utilize our BSR Team Business Service Representative Team and Placement Unit to help with paid internships or direct hire. if the customer is interested in vocational training, I use the TWC ETPS (Eligible Training Providers). If the customer is need of a GED: I provide them with the information on FWISD (Fort Worth ISD GED Program) Good Will Industries GED Program as well as our own GED Program (We have partnered with Tarrant County Community College for a GED Program) as well as provide them with a computer / tablet through The Work Ready Koncepts Program (This Program also has modules the customer is required to complete). However my first step is to listen to my customer. I like to refer my customer to the Pathfinders program because of this reason here: I am not a therapist, I can listen for that 1.50 hours first meeting and that 30 mins per weekly meeting however I cannot go on site with them, I cannot address mental issues with them, I cannot give them extra attention or time and that’s where Pathfinders come in. They have the staff that is able to be more available for the customer. I also refer to the Womens Center because they also have more resources as for as housing and counseling. My initial meeting I try to tackle a lot and of course my goal is to be as efficient as possible.
I work with a diverse group of individuals who come to the Career Center seeking employment services. Many of the individuals who come into the Career Center is a mix population. The public who come in are recipients of public assistance, single fathers or mothers trying to make a difference in their lives, We also come across individuals who are homeless, or couch surf. The individuals that arrive at the office, face some barriers to employment such as no education level, monolingual, computer illerate. Some individuals who come to the career center are searching for other resources to help support them towards employment and training. We have come across individuals who speak other languages such as Mandarin, Russian but most of the dialect we come in contact with is English and Spanish. The staff I work with are great when it comes to supporting staff who do not speak Spanish.