One Stop Job Readiness Class

One Stop Job Readiness Class: A Cooperative Effort

by Susan Utt

• A representative from the Consumer Credit Council presented budgeting information and consumer credit counseling. • Staff from the VA Employment

Sometimes needs and resources students to continue their learning after Commission explained in-office come together at just the right class had ended. An emphasis was and online services. Students moment. When a local training facility placed on resume writing, job applica- explored resources to guide them closed in Frederick County, there was a tions, and interviewing techniques. The to their particular job interest. need for job readiness instruction in the students learned how to market them- • Members of the Employment community. When the selves. They had opportunities to prac- Network facilitated and videoWinchester/Frederick County tice their job-seeking skills and explore taped mock job interviews. Employment Network met, there was a or develop career paths. willingness to pool resources and share On Tuesdays and Thursdays mem- • Representatives from various expertise to meet local needs. When a bers of the professional community non-profit agencies held a panel new multi-media learning system (representing more than ten agencies) discussion about local employdesigned to help adults improve basic facilitated classes. This large base of ment resources. workplace skills was introduced to adult education, there was a ready-made curlocal support was critical. It brought a wealth of background information to Lessons Learned riculum for needed The One-Stop Job instruction. When all of Readiness class has these elements came together, a powerful new Multiple agencies felt ownership of the been a work-inprogress since its resource became available inception and continfor the unemployed and under-employed class and wanted to see it succeed… ues to be modified in response to learner adults in the Northern evaluations and lesShenandoah Valley. sons learned from the program, provided a bridge to the practice. The class is Pilot Program community, and expanded the student now offered over a two-week block of

The One-Stop Job Readiness class referral base. Multiple agencies felt time meeting five days a week for four began at the Virginia Employment ownership of the class and wanted to hours each day, tailored to appeal to a Commission in Winchester on April 9, see it succeed; this was the driving larger number of participants and fit 2001. A steering committee composed force behind the initial success of the better with the reality of job-hunting of representatives from adult educa- program. The Tuesday/Thursday schedules and demands. The organization, social services, rehabilitative serv- schedule included these facilitators and tion and coordination of the program ices, the regional jail, and the employ- activities: has also gone through changes and ment commission worked to coordi- now rests with a fewer number of indinate the needs and services of the pro- • An employment specialist from viduals than originally planned. gram and to develop the class sched- TANF (Temporary Assistance for The Northern Shenandoah Valley ule. The three-week course met five Needy Families) administered continues to experience a low unemdays a week from 9:00 to Noon. the Workplace TABE (Test of ployment rate and most job seekers do

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Adult Basic Education). not have to look long before finding Fridays the class concentrated on using • A caseworker from the employment. Consequently, each time the multi-media learning system, PBS Department of Social Services the class is offered it becomes more LiteracyLink Workplace Essential demonstrated computers to write difficult to generate a class enrollment. Skills. A Northern Shenandoah Valley a letter of introduction. However, the job turnover rate remains Adult Education teacher used the video programs and the workbooks to guide discussion and instruction. The online component served to reinforce the classroom activities and allowed the • A job services counselor from the regional jail taught communication skills necessary for employment success. high among entry-level positions, and a goal of the Job Readiness class is to help clients develop job-keeping skills as well as job-seeking skills. Some classes and activities were