Search Results for BCDSS

Temporary Internship Leads to Permanent Hire for Local Employer

August 8, 2022 | No Comments

KRA/Baltimore City customers enrolled in the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program must complete an unpaid Work Experience (WEX) Internship, at the end of which, the jobseeker is hired by the employer, assigned to another WEX-site, or placed in permanent employment elsewhere, if appropriate. Some WEX-site employers embrace a mission so aligned with our own, that a partnership is inevitable—as in the case of Paul’s Place, Inc. that offers 20+ developmental and support-services programs, e.g. computer classes, family workshops, and job training. Shawnda Walker, KRA/WEX Program Supervisor reports, “Paul’s Place supervises, on average, seven Interns daily. During the previous
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KRA/Baltimore City Customers Train for Self-Employment

January 14, 2022 | No Comments

The Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program, operated for the BCDSS, includes a mandatory 3-month Work Experience (WEX) Program Internship. The Druid Heights Community Development Corporation (DHCDC) has been a valued WEX-site for several years, recently providing workplace-readiness internships for seven KRA customers. Since all of the WEX participants had expressed interest in developing their own businesses, Azalee Fisher, DHCDC Community Outreach Director, offered them the opportunity to enroll in an Entrepreneurial Training Program founded by Dr. Lela Campbell, and directed by Katrina Leonard, both from the Workforce Development Center of A Step Forward Inc. Several small-business development specialists
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KRA Monthly Spotlight!

December 30, 2021 | No Comments

KRA Non-Profit Partner is a Valued Employer The WIOA and TANF programs that KRA operates across the country cultivate collaborative partnerships with local employers—businesses and non-profit organizations—essential to the workplace success of our jobseeker-customers. In Baltimore City, the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program, operated for the BCDSS, requires up to a 3-month Work Experience (WEX) Internship, at the end of which, the intern-jobseeker is either hired by the WEX employer, or given another assignment. The New Vision House of Hope (NVHOH), an exceptional WEX-site provider, has assisted dozens of KRA jobseekers optimize their employment options, hiring several in
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KRA Customer on Career Path to Realize Childhood Dream

November 5, 2021 | No Comments

In 2015, Myrtice Taylor applied for TANF-TCA benefits through the Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS), which required her to enroll in a Job Readiness Program (JRP)—a critical component of the KRA Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program—prior to qualifying for occupational-skills training and/or job-placement opportunities. While attending JRP workshops, Ms. Taylor also participated in KRA’s unsubsidized Work Experience (WEX) Program. Volunteering at several public schools led to a job offer from the Baltimore City School System as a Classroom Aide, helping children with special needs. Unfortunately, in July 2021, Ms. Taylor became unemployed, re-applied to BCDSS, and was
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Two Years on Bumpy Road Lead to Smooth Career Path for KRA Customer

October 8, 2021 | No Comments

Keshana Dorsey enrolled in the KRA Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program on September 12, 2019, after applying to the Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS) for TANF-TCA benefits. Two critical Program components include Community Work Experience (WEX) assignments with local private- and public-sector organizations, and a comprehensive Job Readiness Program (JRP) —both of which optimize opportunities for sustainable employment and career development. Unfortunately, personal circumstances led to Ms. Dorsey leaving the Program when her first WEX assignment ended on November 24, 2019. On January 15, 2020, having re-enrolled with BCDSS, she began a second WEX-site assignment, only
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Temporary Assistance Develops Into Permanent Career for KRA Customer

September 10, 2021 | No Comments

In 2013, the Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS) referred Ms. Shandra Womack, a TCA-TANF recipient, to KRA for enrollment in the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program, which includes a Work Experience (WEX) Internship with a community-based organization, and participation in Job Readiness Workshops (JRW). Since there was a WEX opportunity open in the KRA office, she was assigned as a Receptionist Intern to manage front-desk operations, welcome customers and visitors, and ensure that everyone received timely service. Ms. Womack commented, “All of a sudden, I was on the other side of that desk! Becoming confident in
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KRA/Baltimore City Customer’s Career Path Paved with Green

July 16, 2021 | No Comments

Mr. Torre Lewis, 27, applied for TANF-TCA benefits through the Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS), which required him to enroll in KRA’s Job Readiness Program—a critical component of the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program—prior to occupational-skills training (OST) and/or job-placement. One such OST opportunity is the KRA Knowledge2Career Construction Academy (K2C-CA) co-funded by the BCDSS for TCA customers and the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development for WIOA-eligible Youth jobseekers. KRA is a licensed provider-partner of the Home Builders Institute’s award-winning PACT (Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training) Program, compliant with National Construction Skill Standards, as well as National Association of Home Builders
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KRA Virtual Learning Approach to Service Delivery

November 20, 2020 | No Comments

For the Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS), KRA operates the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program, which provided a wide range of in-person services for a caseload of more than 400 customers—until state-mandated COVID-19 prevention measures went into effect March 17, 2020. Since many customers have little-to-no work history, or have been out of the workforce for a long time, KRA’s Workforce Readiness Workshops (WRW) are an integral component of preparing customers for sustainable employment opportunities. Gregory Alexander, Program Manager, commented, “Before COVID-19 forced us to close our office and transition staff to work-from-home, about 100 customers
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KRA Opens Second Construction Academy in Maryland

October 16, 2020 | No Comments

KRA is a licensed provider of the Home Builders Institute (HBI) award-winning PACT (Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training) Program, based on its proprietary National Construction Skill Standards, as well as National Association of Home Builders National Green Building Standards. On September 4, 2018, KRA opened its first Construction Academy, in Anne Arundel County, implementing PACT curriculum, which provides core skills for graduates to compete for entry-level and/or semi-skilled job opportunities across multiple specializations in the construction industry. For the Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS), KRA operates the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program, assisting TANF-TCA jobseekers to increase sustainable-employment
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KRA Customers Excel Through OST Partnerships

June 26, 2020 | No Comments

KRA operates the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program, for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services (BCDSS), assisting TANF-benefit jobseekers through strategic collaborations with private- and public-sector organizations to create employment opportunities through Community Work Experience and Occupational Skills Training (OST) programs. To address local employers’ needs for job candidates with computer-related skills— now, and in our new-normal virtual environment—last month, MedCerts joined KRA/Baltimore City in a partnership to offer Fundamentals of IT as a blended-learning program, with graduates receiving IT certification through CompTIA. To date, KRA has enrolled 33 female and two male customers for whom MedCerts IT Specialists
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