Whenever you hear a cowbell clanging inside the CAP building, it means that another person has just been hired through the Career & Family Development Department.
Last week (Feb 25-Mar 1), that bell rang eleven times!
Jessica Grothen
One of those successes was Jessica Grothen, who was hired by Express Personnel. “I’m ready to get back into the workforce,” she said.
CAP’s Career & Family Development staff are five committed and super-charged women who help individuals master the job application process, as well as provide job matching, individualized coaching, and a lot of personal support.
Jessica sings their praises. “They coached me through a number of challenging situations, helped with my resume, and gave me confidence. They are an awesome team!”
Along with her new job, Jessica is finishing up a two-year business degree at Lower Columbia College. She plans to pursue a four-year degree in marketing through LCC’s new relationship with Eastern Washington University.
Other employers who hired people through the Career & Family Development Department last week were Indoor Gardening, the Longview School District, Alpha Ecological, The Brits Restaurant, Dairy Queen, Minit Shop, Personal Care, and CAP’s own Grounds for Opportunity (GFO) Cafe.
The program is for people who often have significant barriers to employment, and last week’s numbers were especially impressive considering that the total number of people who found jobs last year was 44. What changed?
The “awesome team”–(l to r) Vera Saverchenko, Shelly Gerry, Liz Myntti, Libby Odden, and Melissa Cozadd
In late 2012, Liz Myntti became the department manager (along with managing CAP’s Financial Independence Center in her spare time), and re-organized the staff positions into more of a team approach, placed a greater emphasis on gaining unsubsidized employment, while continuing to reduce one’s barriers, and changed the message to people entering the program: “You’re here to get a job.” Also, the job club, actual job searching, and job matching became key elements in the program.
The results are paying off. That bell just rang again this morning!
To all of the program participants, to their employers, and to the “awesome team,” our congratulations!
