Monthly Archives November 2011

KRA Customer Volunteerism Enhances Employability Skills

“DJ”, 37, and single parent of five, came to KRA’s Norfolk VIEW (Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare) program to regain her status as a self-sufficient citizen. She had worked as a Sales Associate at a large national retail chain, but lost that job 2 years ago. In addition to enrollment in Job-Readiness Program activities…GED preparation, resume-building, mock job interviews, computer literacy, and other courses…her volunteer position in the Public Service Participant (PSP) program also contributed to her workplace-readiness.  Working daily with the Instructional Team at the KRA/VIEW Workforce Development Center, DJ was able to hone her administrative, communication, and
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KRA President & CEO Announces 3rd Annual Community Care Day

On November 23, 2011, Knowlton R. Atterbeary officially launched the firm’s 2011 Community Care Day, a company-wide initiative created in 2009 to celebrate the joy of giving and sharing good works with customers and neighbors in the communities the firm serves.  He stated, “With each passing year, I feel an increased sense of pride in the commitment that KRA and its staff demonstrate to the communities we serve. Staff at every project site and HQ regularly volunteer time and expertise, or raising financial or in-kind donations, to support a wide variety of community causes.  Then, once a year, we increase
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Senator Blumenthal Holds Press Conference at KRA CTWorks

Recently, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) held a press conference at the Hartford KRA/CTWorks One-Stop Career Center (One-Stop) to announce his proposal, Pathways Back to Work, that “would subsidize employment for unemployed adults, promote summer and year-round jobs for youth, and create a competitive-grant program to support work-based training, and tax credits for hiring long-term unemployed.” Senator Blumenthal discussed skill-training programs that he will introduce in the US Senate as a part of a larger job-creation initiative to cut unemployment and boost economic recovery. Also speaking at the press conference were Thomas Phillips, President/CEO of KRA’s client, Capital Workforce Partners (CWP), and Mark Polzella, CT
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KRA Monthly Spotlight!

November’s Spotlight! shines on the achievements of three Waccamaw Region, South Carolina, customers whose futures are significantly brighter due to the efforts of two dedicated Career Agents and the resources of the WIA Adult/Dislocated Workers Program that specifically assists unemployed individuals, who, through no fault of their own, have lost their jobs.  When Kathy Hammond, KRA Career Agent, met with Vertanza Cunningham, she learned that this accomplished, well-educated professional was seeking assistance with resume preparation, effective job-search techniques, and ultimately meaningful fulltime employment. Despite two BS degrees…Information Technology and Management Information Systems…and solid work experience, Ms. Cunningham was having difficulty finding
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KRA Team Lands Job and Housing for Customer in Less Than a Month

Last month, we reported that KRA had been awarded a multi-year contract as a Prince George’s County Works provider, assisting customers enrolled in Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), Supplementary Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), and Non-Custodial Parent Employment (NPEP) programs.  On September 7, 2011, “Ellie”, a TCA participant, enrolled in the KRA Job-Readiness Program, and on October 3, 2011, started a new job. In this economic climate, where the unemployed search for jobs for months…even years…this is a remarkable accomplishment. During intake, Jazmyne Byrd, KRA Career Agent, in the Landover, Maryland office, learned that Ellie, 22, needed immediate assistance: she had been unemployed
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