Collaboration
Spokane Valley Community Center is bringing jobs to people who need them most. The center’s staff is collaborating with a handful of employment agencies to create one-stop for obtaining education, training, skills and ultimately, a decent-paying job. “This is just a convenient presence and location to reach out to the people in the community who need jobs,” said Debbie Walker, branch manager for Spokane’s Kelly Services Inc.
Kelly Services provides temporary workers for office, technical and light industrial occupations and plans to recruit employees at SVCC. The company also is negotiating with several other temporary help businesses to share office space.
The center already serves as a site for emergency assistance and social services, and even offers food handlers classes.
But the new collaboration could unite agencies that hire construction, home health-care, and manufacturing and office workers with low-income people who need living wage jobs with benefits.
In addition to providing useful job experience, temporary jobs sometimes lead to full-time, permanent positions.
Last week, Career Path Services started offering GED and high school re-entry programs at the center along with career counseling and job placement services.
Mike Hunley, instructor for the community center classroom, said a high school education opens doors and builds confidence, enabling students to pursue other training.
“It’s all about increasing your freedom to have a choice about the way your life is going to turn out,” Hunley said.
Career Path Services’ programs are based on employment and educational needs, rather than entitlement, and funded by the state and federal government. The services help students who were unsuccessful in traditional classrooms overcome challenges ranging from finding child care to getting transportation.
“We have people who want to be here. They want to get their GED or get back to high school,” Hunley said. “They’re really at a place where their thinking has changed.”
After GED students complete coursework they must pass tests administered by the community colleges’ Institute for Extended Learning.
Four employment representatives will rotate through the center, working with job seekers to improve their résumés and boost interviewing skills. They’ll also help people obtain relevant job experience and access to training resources, which can be free for qualifying individuals.
Eventually, Kelly Home Care Services may offer financial assistance for a health care certification program. Between the two agencies, they hope to eliminate financial barriers so people of low-incomes can get certifications and training to land better jobs.
“We have more open positions than qualified people right now,” Walker said.
Walker said sometimes people with good skills have trouble getting hired because they lack specific experience, have flawed résumés or need a more professional demeanor.
Volunteering at the center could fill voids in experience and boost a résumé. Sometimes a little experience and a reference make a world of difference, she said.
“We want to take a look at that person’s résumé. We want to sit down and have a mock interview,” Walker said.
An upcoming job fair will offer an evening of résumé and interviewing assistance, and will allow people lacking professional clothes to choose an outfit, courtesy of Best Foot Forward clothing drive.
“What we want is serious job seekers who are out there seriously looking for work, and we’re going to look at what’s between them and getting them a better job,” Walker said.
Although the collaboration is in early stages, 12 students already have enrolled in Career Path classes. If interest continues to grow, another daily session may be added or classes relocated to a bigger room, said Mollie Dalpae, director of Spokane Valley Community Center.
“It just indicates that people are not waiting and waiting. There are invisible barriers. We have to help them determine what they are and get on with it,” Dalpae said.
Sierra Hale is enrolled in the high school re-entry program. The 18-year-old was experiencing family and personal challenges when she dropped out of East Valley High School last year.
“I just kind of got lazy and stopped going,” she said.
Getting to classes at Career Path Services’ downtown office was tough because the Spokane Valley resident works and travels by bus. The new classroom is just a 10-minute walk from her home and is a better fit for her busy life.
“I’m really positive about this program. I think it’s a good program, and somewhat of a lesson to me,” Hale said.
Hunley is working with East Valley High School staff to ensure that Hale completes the essential coursework that will allow her to re-enter high school next semester and graduate with the class of 2006.
After graduating, Hale may tap into other services to get a higher-paying job. Hale is hoping to eventually train to become a massage therapist but knows that completing this next step is crucial.
“It’s all falling into place now, and it’s all up to me.”