 Home  Contact Us
 Sitemap |
As the full impact of
public assistance reform plays out in communities across the nation,
the provision of job placement assistance has become a critical
element in helping families to attain improved economic well-being.
 Help Inc.
Foundation's Employment, Labor and Training Program aims to
support clients in reaching this goal by assisting individuals and
families with job skills assessment, employment preparation and
retention skills.Through trial and error over the past 10 years, Help Inc. Foundation has developed an innovative, individualized, client-centered, team approach to helping multi-problem, public assistance clients, primarily single head of household parents, emancipated foster-children, and homeless individuals to successfully transition from public assistance to employment. Living in crisis poverty, these individuals face major barriers to employment, such as unstable living patterns, poor coping skills, poor education, early parenthood, low self-esteem, histories of homelessness and/or domestic violence, and little or no extended family or other social support systems. In the team approach, a case manager and employment counselor work closely together with each participant over time, helping her to address each barrier, while moving participants slowly toward independence and self-sufficiency. While the case manager addresses basic issues related to family stability and resources, such as housing, child care, money management, household management and transportation, the employment counselor focuses on employment-related needs and addresses psychological barriers that prevent clients from participating in job development and job placement activities. Once the barriers have been overcome and the client is employed or in training, the case manager and employment counselor continue to share responsibility to promote job retention, providing appropriate interventions and support for the new worker and the client for at least a 12-month time period. The team of case manager and employment counselor can provide a valuable resource to the employer willing to hire participants with little or no previous employment histories. The basic responsibilities of each are described below. The Role of the Case Manager:
Clients should be identified in two job readiness areas: those with employment potential and those with employment histories. Formerly employed adults can often participate immediately in job placement activities. Clients should be assessed through personal interviews that examine needs, desires, abilities and interests. Barriers to training should be candidly discussed and background checks will be made. The employment counselor should employ objective, basic skill testing in the areas for which employment is sought. This should be an important factor in determining whether, and how, a client will be served. Integration of Approaches & Tools The team approach and individual activities targeted to a client's particular strengths and weaknesses can be easily integrated into many existing programs. Provision of individualized job development and placement support might include the creation of a functional resume, identification of appropriate entry-level jobs, obtainment of interview clothing and the development of a job search strategy. Help Inc. Foundation Current Employment, Labor and Training Projects
Employment Services Project Clients can visit an Employment, Labor and Training location to view current job board listings, access basic skills tutorials, use computers for their job search and improve their typing skills with the Mavis Beacon typing program. The program also hosts several workshops throughout the year to inform clients about particular employment-related issues. Clients can access many direct services such as the following:  • Employment counseling • Job readiness classes • GED Preparation and Testing • Vocational assessment • Subsidized and unsubsidized on-the-job training • Work experience opportunities • Job retention skills training • Job placement • Computer training • Transportation assistance • Post-employment referrals Public Assistance-to-Work Project A variety of resources are provided by utilizing different programs within Help Inc. Foundation’s structure. To date Help Inc Foundation has served 265 participants, with 206 successfully completing the program. Of those, 102 were placed in unsubsidized employment and 86 in subsidized employment. The project’s framework is built on the following:  • Creation of
Individual Development Plans – Personal and educational
testing are conducted by a Help Inc. Foundation employment counselor
upon enrollment to establish a base-line profile of each participant
and the specific barriers to address.All clients participate in a variety of individualized job development and placement activities. These activities included the creation of a functional resume, identification of appropriate entry-level jobs, acquisition of interview clothing and development of a job search strategy. Throughout the interviewing and hiring process, Help Inc. Foundation staff provides continuous support, as well as complete access to telephones, resource directories, computers, printers and facsimiles. All participants are required to attend five two-hour small group sessions and additional one-on-one counseling. Participants who had low reading and math skills received basic instruction and tutoring. All participants are provided child-care assistance and other subsidized child care in the community. All participants receive funds for work-related clothing prior to actual employment. Participants received support from both the employment counselor and Public Assistance-to-Work case manager for up to one year after they obtained employment. Project Comeback Project Comeback participants usually come from transitional shelters, in-patient substance abuse treatment centers or halfway housing programs.  Project
Comeback gives participants the opportunity to gain the
necessary skills for employment. Program participants spend
approximately 20-24 hours each week working on-site in one
of Help Inc. Foundation’s Partnership
neighborhoods, sweeping streets, removing refuse, providing tree
care and seasonal snow and ice removal. Weekly workshops facilitated by the Project Comeback staff focus on resume writing, interviewing skills, workplace etiquette, job applications and conflict resolution, among others. Additionally, our participants are taught the necessary skills needed in order to transition to independent living, including money and time management. We offer computer and basic typing classes three times per week, which allows our participants to create their resumes and cover letters. While our workshops teach many vital skills, they are also a tool for empowerment. Participants feel a great sense of accomplishment as they learn how to operate a computer, increase their typing skills and begin taking steps toward independent living and permanent employment. Project Comeback’s rules and requirements create a workplace where structure, commitment and the ability to take instruction from others are crucial for lasting employment. Through a comprehensive six-month curriculum focusing on employment readiness, our staff works closely with all participants to prepare them for placement into work internships and full-time competitive jobs. Youthbuild Program Hammers, drills and saws are not only tools of the building trade - they are the key to a promising future for at-risk young people. YouthBuild, a national program, provides unemployed young men and women, many of them high-school dropouts, with GED and life-skills training, hands-on construction experience, leadership training and counseling services. Participants spend alternate weeks on job sites and in school while they earn wages.  The goal of
the program is to help young people with troubled lives learn the
value of skills that will help them succeed, and to help them
understand the value of contributing to their community.
Help Inc. Foundation initiated YouthBuild in Georgia in 2001. To date, more than 65 youths, ages 18 to 24, have graduated. Students have rehabilitated two homes, built 5 new homes, constructed more than 45 tool sheds, and completed concrete and carpentry work for Habitat for Humanity and other residential development organizations. Many of the program's graduates have been placed with construction companies. Graduates receive follow-up support and guidance for at least a year after graduating from the program. |
 | |
|
| Home | Contact Us | Sitemap |
Designed By :: Aprajita Technologies