Monthly Archives June 2013

KRA Monthly Spotlight!

June 28, 2013 | No Comments

The KRA Spotlight! is shining brightly on the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW) Program, operated by KRA for the Norfolk Department of Social Services, which are co-located at the Norfolk Workforce Development Center. First, the Spotlight! honors Tiffany Haynes, KRA/VIEW Instructor Supervisor, Job Readiness Program (JRP). At the May 2013 National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) annual conference, Haynes accepted the 2013 Jodi Spiegel Enhancement of Customer Service Award, one of only four Advancing the Profession Awards that honor “individuals who have made significant contributions to the profession that have benefited customers of the workforce investment system.” On
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KRA Prominent on NAWDP Website

June 24, 2013 | No Comments

Held annually, the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) 2013 Conference, Putting America to Work, was held May 19 – 22, in Minneapolis, MN. According to the NAWDP post-conference webpage, “Over 90 breakout workshops, three plenary, two super sessions and two deep dive sessions were featured.” KRA Corporation, the only Gold-Level Sponsor, was extremely active in Conference activities, with the largest representation from any one single organization: more than 25 corporate- and program-level executives, managers, and staff…from California to Connecticut. Featured on the webpage…http://www.nawdp.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Annual_Conference/…is the video produced by Joseph Seymour, KRA Corporation Trainer & Subject Matter Expert, KRA/CTWorks One-Stop
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KRA Staff Volunteer for Adult Education Seminar

June 24, 2013 | No Comments

On Saturday June 8, 2013, KRA Business Services Representatives, Charles Botts, III and Myrna Fienman, KRA/CTWorks One-Stop Centers, North Central Connecticut Region, facilitated two seminars for a group of adult students in the town of Vernon, about 15 miles east of Hartford. The Vernon Regional Adult Based Education (VRABE) Department hosted a Job-Search Skills Development Seminar, the first event of its kind in the Region, for any area residents willing to come in on a Saturday morning. The 12 attendees participated in three training sessions, two of which were presented by Botts and Fienman. Fienman, whose topics focused on Professional Attire and Interviewing Techniques,
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Unemployment: The Many Effects

June 20, 2013 | No Comments

According to May 2013 DOL Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures, 11.8 million Americans are unemployed…but seeking employment. Traditionally, BLS numbers do not include unemployed individuals who are not actively job-hunting. Some economic reports indicate a myriad of reasons, one of which being that unsuccessful jobseekers often become discouraged to the point that they simply give up in their job search. Unemployment affects individuals. It almost goes without saying, but has to be noted that money—or lack thereof—is more often than not a cause of stress, sometimes of a disabling nature. As reported by the American Psychological Association in Psychological
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Effective Workforce Development Must Include “Soft Skills” Training

June 20, 2013 | No Comments

According to the DOL’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average U.S. unemployment rate, between May 2012-May 2013, was 7.9%; not as high as the May 2009-May 2010 average of 9.7%, but still representative of a significant number of unemployed Americans. Yet, despite these statistics, employers report they are struggling to fill positions…not due to a lack of candidates, but due to a lack of jobseekers with “the right stuff”. In a recent article, Sustainable Education: How to Train Students for 21st Century Careers of Impact, Roshan Paul, Amani Institute, reports that college graduates are not being equipped to compete in the 21st century workplace. His research indicates
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DOL Addresses Challenges of Maturing Health Care Workforce

June 18, 2013 | No Comments

In January 2012, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the National Technical Assistance and Research (NTAR) Leadership Center convened a 1-day symposium “to explore issues relating to the aging health care workforce.” The Introduction to the post-meeting brief prepared by NTAR, states “The aging of the U.S. population has tremendous implications for the health care industry, both as employers of an older workforce and as providers of services to a growing number of older patients.” The full In Brief article can be accessed at The Aging Workforce: Challenges for the Health Care
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KRA’s Staley Re-elected to NAWDP Board

June 17, 2013 | No Comments

Kimberly Staley, KRA Vice President and Director of Client Services, has won re-election to her seat on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP), whose mission “is to be the national voice for the profession and meet the individual professional development needs of the membership.” Staley, who represents the state of Connecticut on the Board, has 20+ years’ experience in the Workforce Development industry, including serving as the Director of a multi-site WIA/TANF Intensive Services operation, CTWorks, for KRA in Hartford. Credentialed as a Certified Workforce Development Professional by NAWDP, Staley won her first
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VRAP: Helping Unemployed Veterans Join the Workforce

June 12, 2013 | No Comments

KRA Corporation feels that our Veterans are an important—and often unspoken—priority in public workforce policy today and second only to youth employment programming. Therefore we applaud the efforts of those agencies involved with the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP). A joint program between the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the VRAP helps qualifying veterans receive crucial financial assistance for up to 12 months (payments equal the monthly full-time payment Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty) so that they can pursue a degree or certificate for employment in high-demand occupations (as determined by the DOL). The VRAP has
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H.R. 798: A 21st Century Approach to the Workforce Development System

June 12, 2013 | No Comments

Reauthorization bill H.R. 798, or The Workforce Investment Act of 2013, was introduced by Representatives John Tierney (D-MA), Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) and George Miller (D-CA) in mid-February. (Congress.gov offers a concise overview of this workforce development reauthorization.) Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training in late April, this amendment to the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) is an alternative to the Republican H.R. 803 Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act, which Democrats claim “is highly partisan and will have a grave impact on the workforce investment system.” With 49 co-sponsors, it is directed
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KRA/Camden Staff Honored by Mayor’s Youth Council

June 11, 2013 | No Comments

On May 30, 2013, Anita Williams Davis and Indiya Frazier were honored by the Camden City Mayors Youth Council (MYC)* at an Honoree’s Reception held at Camden County Community College. Davis, KRA Program Manager, was honored with two Certificates of Recognition for Corporate Leadership, one from the MYC, and one from the Camden County Board of Freeholders, acknowleding both her personal and professional accomplishments and services provided to the Camden, New Jersey community. Frazier, KRA Outreach Specialist, received the MYC’s Young Adult Achievement award, which honors those who inspire peers and youth to volunteer, who consistently perform acts of kindness, and who
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