Monthly Archives August 2011

When “Nathan” first came to the Resource Center in the Greater Richmond, Virginia area, he confided to KRA Program Manager, Gary Fletcher, that he was so discouraged about his future that he just felt like giving up. Having been laid off and looking for work for more than a year, Nathan was not getting any call-backs from the employers with whom he had interviewed. He feared that it was his criminal record that was keeping him from getting hired. As a father with a family to support, Nathan was feeling very despondent and desperate to find work…but had definitely come
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KRA Camden, New Jersey Youth Employment Success (YES) customers are a little better prepared for that first job or internship opportunity thanks to the initiative of Sean Minor, KRA Job Developer, and the generosity of a local branch of TD Bank. Mr. Minor’s liaison with the banking and financial services giant…the sixth largest in North America with more than 79,000 employees…resulted in a generous donation of backpacks filled with highlighters, pencils, pens, and notebooks. Currently, KRA/YES students are engaged in academic studies in preparation for their GED exams, as well as Life Skills coursework linked to Entrepreneurship, Hospitality Services, and/or Media
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On August 3, 2011, CBS News National Correspondent, Chip Reid, visited a Resource Workforce Center in Richmond, Virginia, where he met KRA staff and customers.  An hour-long interview with dislocated workers Robert Drake, Andre Best, and Donna Martin examined their opinions about the effectiveness of the President and Congress and how the Budget Control Act might affect their job search. Reid also met with Alice Freeman, owner of Healthy Heart PLUS, business partner with KRA and Resource, the Capital Region’s Workforce Investment Board.  According to KRA Program Director, Gary Fletcher, “In light of the ongoing debate about the economy and
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On July 25, 2011, Anita Davis, KRA Program Manager, and Thomas Davis, KRA Team Lead, welcomed four local representatives to the first quarterly meeting of the KRA/Camden Advisory Board. The end-goal of the Board is eight members, representing community, commercial, and non-profit partners who support KRA’s diverse services through effective Community Work Experience, OJT, and General Assistance programs. To benefit KRA’s Youth Employability and Success program specifically, a school vice principal and a probation officer have been recruited to join the Board. For 1 hour, the Board addressed a full agenda that included topics related to increasing KRA’s presence and
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