Archives for Latest News

Capital Workforce Partners, KRA client-partner for the operation of the multi-site Greater Hartford American Job Center, recently convened its 13th Annual Meeting Breakfast and Awards Ceremony.  Addressing the theme of “Aligning Vision to Action”, Mr. Alex Johnson, CWP President & CEO, extended a warm and inspirational welcome to nearly 200 guests, and bestowed “Star Awards”, a highlight of the event, honoring those who provide, and receive, life-changing workforce-development services in Connecticut’s North Central Region. Professional Workforce Star Awards were presented to Mark Allen, KRA Retention Specialist, for his relentless dedication to the success of customers participating in the Free to Succeed Program for returning
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The headline of Chamber Connection—the monthly newsletter of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors and Convention Bureau—read “Workforce Resource Center Provides Opportunities for Local Job Seekers, Businesses”. Herbert Villa, KRA Business Services Representative, is quoted in the article as saying, “People see us as another unemployment office of EDD [Employment Development Department], when in fact we are so much more than that.” The article goes on to state, “…community members are often surprised to learn just how many different services the facility offers to both job seekers and businesses in need of employees.” The WRC, funded by the
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Our June Spotlight! is shining brightly on “Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin’ town”!  Recently, on behalf of KRA and its client-partner, the Chicago-Cook Workforce Partnership (CCWP), Ron Hearns, KRA Director of Midwest Workforce Operations, welcomed 60 guests to the Grand Opening of the Westside American Job Center! Hearns then introduced Knowlton R. Atterbeary, KRA President & CEO, who extended his own welcome, including a special thank-you, to the assemblage, which included Karin Norington-Reaves, CCWP CEO; Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President; Alicia Ivy, Administrative Assistant to Ward 7 Alderman, Walter Burnett; and a host of Chicago-Cook region representatives and stakeholders. The Westside Center opened
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Recently, the Long Beach City News website reported, “On Tuesday, June 6, Mayor Robert Garcia, in partnership with the Long Beach Business Journal, presented an update on new development within the City and major construction projects underway that are ready to break ground over the next few years.” Long Beach is “home” to KRA’s first Knowedge2Career (K2C) Academy—a proprietary workforce-services program for young adults disconnected from school and the workplace—and the K2C Team, especially Joanie Sonnet, KRA Business Liaison, was more than a little excited to learn about the City’s new-development plans. Robert Garcia, Long Beach Mayor was joined by
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In addition to two Pre-Conference Workshops, this year’s National Association of Workforce Development Professionals event featured 70 General Workshops, presented through five “tracks”, two of which were Leveraging and Establishing Partnerships and Priority Populations. Six KRA subject-matter experts presented exciting workshops relevant to the other three tracks: Business and Economic Development – John Hattery, Director, Strategic Partners; Pamela Carnes, Program Manager, Business Engagement Services; and Jonathan Overall, Senior Business Services Consultant, co-conducted Congratulations! You’re the Business Services Manager…Now What? on innovative strategies for building regional business partnerships, initiating one-on-one business-engagement relationships, and effectively measuring results against WIOA performance standards. Delivering
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One of the many innovative workforce-services programs that achieves exceptional results through the KRA San Diego Metro Region Career Centers, operated for the San Diego Workforce Partnership, is Breaking Barriers San Diego (BBSD). Critical to supporting jobseekers with mental-health challenges, including substance abuse, BBSD provides comprehensive assistance, resulting in competitive-wage employment with area businesses. BBSD also provides for 6-months’ post-placement follow-up services that support both the employer and the new employee. Our Spotlight! is shining brightly on Olivia Young, who after release from 5 years in prison, enrolled in the Harmony Women’s Recovery Center (HWRC) for addiction treatment—a condition of parole and
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Searching in San Diego, the official blog for the San Diego Metro Career Centers—operated by KRA for the San Diego Workforce Partnership —provides on-demand access to the most up-to-date information and resources of interest to both jobseekers and employers. KRA/San Diego has aired 28 podcasts, the most recent featuring Starting a Career in Technology, Job Tips for Millennials, Tips for Successful Job Relocation, and Successfully Navigating a Career Transition. Searching in San Diego is accessible through the Metro Career Centers website, as well as multiple SoMe outlets. So, listen, subscribe, share, comment, and “like” all of the informative podcasts through Soundcloud, and/or download
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Presenting Best Practices at State and National Conferences For many years, KRA employees have employed their considerable workforce-services expertise to design and deliver presentations, videos, webinars, and workshops at national, regional, and state conferences, forums, and symposia to share innovative, exceptional, and trusted results for both adult- and youth-program customers. In December 2016, a Maryland DOL bulletin, targeting “All Workforce Professionals and Partners”, announced the 2017 Maryland Workforce Association Raising the Bar Conference, inspiring Joe Seymour, KRA Corporate Training and Development Coordinator, to submit a workshop proposal, which was accepted for presentation. Building on the success of KRA Changing the Game and Raising
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How did eight individuals, whose performance was being both surveilled and timed, reach one conclusion to solve a problem that affected all of them? Well, according to Wenda Harbour, Chief, KRA Corporate Administration, the answer was teamwork! “Recently, KRA staff from our Accounting and Finance, Administration, and Human Resources departments tested our collaborative problem-solving skills in a Breakout Baltimore Escape Room activity, Operation: Casino. We deciphered codes; followed clues, diagrams, and maps; rolled dice, spun wheels, and calculated winnings; and solved puzzles to mutually conclude “Who Dunnit!” to win our freedom! I believe the challenge was to apply the skills we use
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According to the Trauma Informed Care Project, trauma-informed care (TIC) is “an organizational structure and treatment framework that involves understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma [and] emphasizes physical, psychological and emotional safety for both consumers and providers, and helps survivors rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.” In addition to supporting KRA’s corporate-wide 2016 Community Care Campaign, part of which focused on youth suffering from PTSD-type challenges, KRA/Long Beach Knowledge2Career Academy staff participated in local TIC-training events on practices that can assist individuals in coping with trauma-related obstacles to achieving personal and professional goals. Project Director
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