Archives for Company News

Our March Spotlight! shines brightly on 20-year old Nigel Lewis, a participant in the KRA/SCWorks Youth Employability and Success (YES) Program in the Waccamaw Region of South Carolina. Nigel, a high school graduate, came to YES seeking career guidance and employment. Nigel had tried hard to stay employed: he had worked as a Guest Services Representative at a popular hotel-resort; as a Supervisor at Hard Rock Park, a Myrtle Beach rock-‘n’-roll theme park; and as a Customer Service Representative at several other facilities. But, at the beginning of each job, the end was always in sight, as they were all
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“Business Services Consultant Charles Botts joins Elizabeth Sheehan to talk about the CTWorks Jobs Program” reads the text on the ctnow.com website.  For the second year in a row, KRA/CTWorks was featured on the local Fox-affiliate TV station, Fox 61, Hartford, CT.  On March 21, 2012, Charles Botts III, KRA Business Services Consultant, appeared on the news show FOXCT Morning Extra, accompanied by Elizabeth Sheehan, a former KRA/CTWorks jobseeker-customer placed with a local construction company on an OJT contract.  From January 18 through June 5, under the authority of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), the U.S. Department of Labor pays
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The Leadership Edge is a staff training and development program designed to grow, nurture, and encourage KRA’s already successful Program Management team. The first workshop was convened in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 19, 2010, and marked the successful start of a series of quarterly meetings that have been very well received by KRA Program Directors and Managers.  The Leadership Edge focuses on project management best practices, human resources, budgeting and financial tracking, strategic development, and other topics specific to KRA’s continue success as a national leader in the provision of workforce development services. On February 28-29, KRA returned to Baltimore
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Turnstyle Enterprises, KRA business-customer and partner in the Waccamaw Region of South Carolina, is the sole manufacturer of the first and only completely armless gate-opening system, which is eco-friendly with solar-power compatibilities.  The Turnstyle Gate Opening System is described by professionals in the industry as the “cleanest” system on the market.  Knowlton R. Atterbeary, KRA President & CEO, reported, “KRA truly appreciates Turnstyle as a valuable partner in working with our Adult and OSY [Out-of-School Youth] Program participants who face serious barriers to employment. Our collaborative effort is far-reaching; it helps participants remain enrolled in the GED Program, obtain technical
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We’ve reported previously on the successful operation of KRA’s SCWorks Adult Worker Program in the Waccamaw Region, an effective element of which are paid Work Experience Contracts (WEC) that many times lead to fulltime employment, but sometimes do not.  What follows are representative examples of how dedicated KRA Career Agents and Business Services Representatives (BSR) assisted two young women get their lives back on track, using the WEC process.  Vanesha McGill, 26, was new to the Williamsburg County, SC, area when she enrolled with KRA on June 10, 2011.  A young woman with a strong sense of family, Vanesha had relocated from
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Vanessa E. Atterbeary, Esq., KRA Corporate Counsel, has been selected for the Leadership Maryland Class of 2012, its 20th Anniversary Class.  Founded in 1992, Leadership Maryland is an independent, educational, non-profit organization designed to inform top-level executives, from the public and private sectors, about the critical issues, challenges and opportunities facing the state of Maryland and its regions.  Atterbeary is one of only 52 accomplished and talented leaders from across the State selected to participate in the 8-month program.  Following a 2-day opening retreat in April, Atterbeary will attend five 2-day, and one 1-day intense sessions focusing on issues, such
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Ruthie Meyers, 61, knew exactly what she wanted when she enrolled in KRA’s Adult Worker Program (AWP) in the Waccamaw Region of South Carolina on May 5, 2010…certification in Medical Records Coding (MRC).  She had solid experience in Medical Billing Coding, but an MRC Certificate would expand her opportunities for employment.  Certification would also expand her paycheck, as the average salary for bill coding is $35K, compared to the average of $45K for records coding.  After her KRA Career Agent determined that Meyers met all WIA (Workforce Investment Act) requirements for AWP participation, she was processed for an Individual Training Account (ITA), which
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Recently, Chris Murphy, Connecticut’s 5th District Congressional Representative; Glenn Marshall, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL); and Dennis Murphy, Deputy Commissioner, CTDOL, visited the KRA/CTWorks One-Stop Career Center in New Britain to meet with KRA jobseeker-customers who are in danger of losing their Unemployment Insurance benefits, or have already exhausted their benefits.  Together with Tom Phillips, President/CEO of KRA’s client, Capital Workforce Partners, staff hosted the roundtable discussion, which had been requested by Congressman Murphy’s office.  A disabled veteran; a customer trying to start his own business; and a jobseeker with two Master’s degrees, who was working at an hourly-wage job to
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Not long ago, we reported on the success of KRA customer Helen De’Atley, 57, who came to the Norfolk VIEW [Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare] program, a bit unsure of how her skills and abilities fit with today’s job market.  With KRA Job Readiness Academy preparation and a volunteer opportunity that transitioned into a job as a Teacher’s Aide at a local childcare center, Helen is “fitting” just fine.  Kathy Confer, KRA Career Agent, reported, “The really interesting twist to Helen’s story is that while she was attending GED classes at a local school, she discovered she was a
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KRA’s Spotlight! is shining brightly on Brittany Snipes, a single parent to a daughter. Originally, she enrolled in KRA’s SCWORKS Adult Worker Program, but was almost immediately referred to KRA’s Youth Employability and Success (YES) Program.  Alisha Williams, KRA Program Manager for both programs, reported, “Because Brittany is 21, she did qualify for our Adult Program, but we pride ourselves on customizing services for customers, and other aspects of her situation indicated she would be better served through our YES Program for Out-of-School Youth.”  Brittany’s primary long-range goals are impressive: she wants to obtain a Nursing degree and to buy a
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