14 Aug News and notes
Summer may be winding down, but we’re not! Check out our recent news!
Youth Works participant Wendy De Leon Hernandez learns about the respiratory therapy program at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) as part of the Healthcare Career Exploration Day. Students visited the lab area designed to represent a hospital ward, complete with computerized patients, to demonstrate real-life situations.
Inaugural event opens doors for youth interested in healthcare and technology
Last month, nearly 40 Youth Works participants representing MeckEd’s Career Pathways Program and ResCare Workforce Services attended career exploration days at Central Piedmont Community College’s (CPCC) central campus to learn more about healthcare and technology-related opportunities.
These inaugural events were born out of student feedback asking for interactive ways to learn about various careers, rather than traditional classroom guest speakers.
Career counselors invited youth who expressed interest in the healthcare and technology industries. During the events, CPCC staff introduced certificate courses and degree programs and conducted walking tours of lab areas and classroom workspaces.
“The goal is to explore all 16 career clusters at CPCC and expand the event to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC),” says Barbara Scannell, Charlotte Works’ education outreach coordinator.
From troubled youth to CEO: Financial Analyst Andrew Stotz speaks to Youth Works participants
After learning about Charlotte Works’ Youth Business Connector, A. Stotz Investment Research CEO Andrew Stotz was eager to connect himself.
On July 28, Stotz traveled from his home in Thailand to speak to a roomful of Youth Works participants at the Career Center at W. Morehead St. (WMS). As his parents looked on, Stotz reminisced about his own troubled teen years, including drug use and suicide attempts, with hopes of inspiring youth to make better life choices.
NCWorks Career Center volunteers Adrian Cross (l) and Andrea Campbell (r) enjoyed a cool treat and camaraderie at the ice cream social hosted by NCWorks Career Center and Publix.
Volunteers treated to cool thanks at summer social
From January to June 2015, 63 NCWorks Career Center volunteers dedicated their talents and more than 1,100 hours to assist job-seekers in transition.
Talent Engagement Strategist Stacey Henderson and Publix® hosted an ice cream social on July 31 to celebrate these numbers and thank our volunteers for all they do to serve and empower job-seekers. Many of the volunteers are also NCWorks clients and recognize the benefit of being able to relate to job-seekers.
“Being a volunteer has been an empowerment process. It allows me to stay encouraged and motivated because I’m also in career transition,” says Kia Cauthen, a five-month volunteer and NCWorks client. “It’s not just about yourself, but also how what you do can impact others.”
Charlotte Works’ partner agency, Charlotte Bridge Home (CBH) surprised four clients with boxes of work goodies. Pictured left to right are James Murdough, veteran; Valaria Weaver, military spouse; Tiann Shade, veteran employment and education specialist (CBH); Kim Bryant, veteran; and Leon Tyner, veteran.
Community partner provides employee “starter packages” for veterans
Tiann Shade, veteran employment and education specialist at Charlotte Works’ partner agency Charlotte Bridge Home (CBH), frequently connects with veterans who aren’t sure what to expect on their first day at a new job.
“I was placing veterans, but never thought until afterward that some of them have been out of a job for so long, that even getting gas money to go anywhere was hard,” she says. To help alleviate some of those pressures, Shade purchased gas gift cards for them. Next came lunch bags. Then note pads. The ideas kept rolling in until one day, she decided to assemble “starter packages” filled with essentials for new employees.
The packages have been a hit with veterans. In the beginning, there were 18 packages. Last month, Shade presented the four remaining packages to three U.S. Army veterans and a military spouse who are now employees at Movement Mortgage. For the recipients, the impact goes beyond the material things.
“You get a new job and you want to go out and be the best, but sometimes you overlook small details,” says James Murdough, lock desk analyst at Movement Mortgage. “It’s almost as if Charlotte Bridge Home is still being a safety net for us and it’s very thoughtful and appreciated.”
Market Your Mind Foundation joins SNAP site roster
Market Your Mind Foundation is Charlotte Works’ newest SNAP (Share Network Access Point) site. The organization serves young women who are victims of sex trafficking by providing shelter, counseling, work experience and access to other community resources.
The closed site is available for use only by clients of the Foundation.
Our nearly 30 SNAP sites are collaborations with targeted community partners to extend Charlotte Works’ resources within local neighborhoods and faith-based organizations so that communication, transportation and other barriers to employment are reduced or eliminated. Each site is equipped with computers, software and volunteers that offer clients convenient access to resources needed to become more employable and to find work.