Posts by hbui

KRA Customer’s Success Leads to Career Opportunity for Another

Three months ago, Tiana McLeish enrolled in YouthWorks!—a career-development program for Out-of-School Youth and young adults (18-24)—operated by KRA for the Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation. Adhering to the Workforce Excellence Series, developed by AAWDC, YouthWorks! combines career assessment and guidance with workplace-skills training to equip young jobseekers with resources that maximize their potential for long-term workforce success. James LeBlanc, KRA Program Manager, reported, “During a Workplace Excellence Workshop, our Career Exploration Team agreed that Tiana’s skills-and-interest assessments indicated she would be highly successful in a customer-service career environment.” Following productive career-planning and-counseling sessions, the Team also agreed that Tiana was workforce-ready, and
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KRA Represents Employment Sector on Reentry Coalition Executive Committee

Based in Chambersburg, PA, the Knowledge2Career (K2C) Academy, a proprietary KRA program operated for the South Central PA Works WIB, serves the unique career-development needs of young adults, 17 to 24, who are disconnected from both school and the job market, by linking academic and vocational training services to achieve workforce-related success. Recently, Amien “Tim” Hodge, KRA/K2C Operations Manager, received an invitation from Alaina Ingels, which read, “I’m pleased to announce that you have been nominated to represent the employment sector on the Franklin Together Reentry Coalition’s Executive Committee. As the Coalition Coordinator, I believe your work experience, knowledge and special skill sets would complement our committee and
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KRA Selected to Support Office of Family Assistance TANF Webinar

On August 22, 2018, from 1:00 -2:30pm (ET), Anthony Featherstone, KRA Director of Workforce Operations, and Sylvelt Walker, KRA Education & Business Services Manager, DC TANF Employment Program, will serve as panelists for the OFA Peer TA Webinar on Developing Stable Employer Partnerships. Recognizing that strong partnerships between TANF programs and employers can lead to better long-term employment outcomes for participants, the Webinar will stress that through partnering with employers, TANF programs gain direct access to information about potential and existing job openings, current occupational and skill needs, and anticipated changes within the organization that may impact jobs. Featherstone and
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KRA Convenes Workforce Development Extravaganza for Out-of-School Youth

The KRA Knowledge2Career (K2C) Academy, a proprietary program operated as a WIOA One-Stop Center for California’s Orange County Development Board, serves the unique career-development needs of young adults, 17 to 24, disconnected from both school and the workforce. K2C, which links academic and occupational development to employment-related services, recently hosted its 2018 End of the Year Summer Extravaganza.  Attended by 40 percent of enrolled K2C Academy participants, the multi-activity event included engaging demonstrations, presentations, and workshops provided by several key K2C community partners and stakeholders, including: Michele Worth, presented Self-Care Through Art, representative of her award-winning Worth Visual Arts Program that helps at-risk teens and young adults learn
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KRA/Camden Business Partnership Tackles Critical Workforce Issues

Through the Camden County Workforce Investment Board, KRA is addressing two of the   County’s most challenging workforce-services concerns–unemployed 16-to-20 year-old TANF Out-of-School Youth and unfilled Certified Nursing Assistant jobs–through a dynamic three-way business partnership. Due to the high demand for healthcare services related to an aging and elderly population,  especially those residing in assisted-living and dementia-care facilities and nursing homes, CNA-employment is projected to stay strong, which is driving the cost of training and credentialing programs beyond the reach of many jobseekers. However, with the CCWIB providing tuition-financing, KRA/Camden was able to create the Education, Professionalism, and Entrance Into Certification
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KRA/CTWorks Adopted a Family for Christmas

Eliz Cruz, KRA Career Agent with the Greater Hartford CTWorksAmerican Job Center–operated for Capital Workforce Partners–wrote to her co-workers, “I’d like to express my gratitude and appreciation for the cash and gift-card contributions for our ‘adopted family’.” More than $500 was donated to help fulfill their Christmas wishes!” Eliz was referring to the drive that she and colleague Maritza Morales, KRA Unit Supervisor, organized to support the local Salvation Army’s Adopt-A-Family Christmas Program. On December 21, 2015, the KRA/CTWorks‘  adopted family–a disabled,  retired grandmother raising her two granddaughters, 3 and 7, on her own–was presented with individually-wrapped gifts that included bedding, books,
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Community Involvement Company News Workforce & Government KRA Monthly Spotlight!

Our December Spotlight! is shining brightly on…storage containers?  Of the many businesses and organizations–e.g. the ARC of San Diego, the Balboa International Group, the YMCA–participating in the KRA/San Diego Expanded Subsidized Employment Program, San Diego Drums & Totes might well be the most unique! Angel Stancer, ESE Business Services Representative for the San Diego Metro Region Career Centers, operated by KRA for the San Diego Workforce Partnership, reports, “Drums & Totes is a major distributor and vendor of barrels, buckets, jugs, plastic and metal drums, IBC [Intermediate Bulk Container] totes, and various other accessories and storage containers, in every color, pattern, shape, and
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KRA/K2C Academy Joins Harbor Association of Industry & Commerce

The Pacific Gateway Workforce Development Board, in partnership with the City of Long Beach, funds the KRA Knowledge2Careers Academy. Recently, Craig Johnson, PGWDB Business Assistance Officer, introduced Shawna Wright, KRA/K2C Project Director, to John Cruikshank, President & CEO, JMC2, and Immediate Past President, Board of Directors, HAIC, “a collective voice and advocate for the harbor business community on important issues pertaining to economic, environmental and public policies.” Shawna, reports “During our meeting, Mr. Cruikshank invited me to speak before the Board to introduce the members to the great resources and services available through K2C, and to solicit their partnership for the benefit
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KRA Implements CQI Plan Aligned With Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence

No business enterprise can grow and prosper–exist, for that matter–for 35 years without continuous quality assessment, control, and improvement policies and procedures (P&P).  However, for KRA Corporation, it was time to formalize and institutionalize these P&Ps, especially in light of the changing landscape of the public and private workforce-services system. New WIOA regulations, as well as those anticipated for TANF, necessitated an introspective assessment of current  corporate and local-program P&Ps, to ensure total alignment with industry changes, and to identify areas where new approaches were needed–not just for compliance with regulations, but for KRA to remain a producer of superior program
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KRA Expanded Approach to Business Engagement Successful in Alameda County, CA

In July 2014, the same month and year that WIOA was signed into law, as part of its contract with the Alameda County Workforce Investment Board (WIB), KRA Corporation implemented an Employer Services Hub Program, tasked with outreach to area businesses as a centralized point-of-service.  Connected to the County’s six American Job Centers, the KRA/Hub employed a consultative approach with its business-customers to address their workforce plans, including growth and competitiveness. One year later, when WIOA became effective, the legislation made it quite clear that WIBs, through their contracted service-providers, focus efforts on more effectively engaging businesses, i.e. developing an
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