Archives for Latest News

The collaboration between the Westside American Job Center (WAJC) and The Will Group began in July 2021, and expanded 2 months later to include the Southside Chatham Education & Workforce Center, both of which KRA operates for the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership. Ms. Mignonne Barnes, Program Director, reports, “Since studying the short-term hiring needs of The Will Group, members of our Business Services Team have referred four female and five male candidates for jobs in Assembly, Field Auditing, Driving, and Shipping and Receiving.” These positions offer not only job training and stability, but also opportunities for advancement in the company’s
Read More

San Diego Customer Now on KRA Corporate Career Path In high school, Dennis Aumack’s favorite classes were in the business program.  After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy “to get off the streets of New York City and discover great opportunities.” After 22 years of service, Mr. Aumack retired from the Navy in 2014, as a Disabled Veteran, confident that his military career, and a BA/Business Management-MBA combo, would almost guarantee a high-paying position in the civilian job market. However, his “dream” job, in which he could fully realize his passion for business was elusive.  For 7 years, Mr.
Read More

In late November 2019, KRA staff at the Chicago Westside American Job Center (WAJC)—operated for the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership—participated in a Staff Development Day session devoted to Understanding Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care, created by Kelly Butler, Trainer/Special Projects Coordinator. Four months later, lessons learned that day would be sorely tested during the ensuing months, coping with the trauma introduced by the COVID-19 crisis that impacted everyone’s personal and professional interactions and relationships. Ms. Butler commented, “Recently, we were able to gather for our first in-person training, focused on Self-Care, providing a venue for team bonding, collaboration, and positivity. Actually, there
Read More

An integral component of the San Diego Workforce Partnership Career Centers Program—operated by KRA—is the Employment Recovery Initiative (ERI), a WIOA Program for Dislocated Workers, unemployed due to actual or anticipated business closures or downsizing actions. Aron Steck had been job-hunting for approximately 6 months, after his position—Senior Manager of Events for corporate- and association-conferences and tradeshows—was eliminated, as in-person events were severely curtailed, or cancelled altogether, due to COVID-19 restrictions. He stated, “It was particularly devastating because it had taken me a couple of years to find that position, which I had been in only 4 months when the
Read More

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
Read More

The San Diego Career Centers (SDCC)—operated by KRA for the San Diego Workforce Partnership (SDWP)—launched Searching in San Diego, the official SDWP Podcast for on-demand access to up-to-date “workforce topics, trends, and tips” for both jobseekers and employers in March 2016. To date, 108 episodes have been co-hosted by Diana Saldivar, KRA Career Centers Brand Manager and Doug Foresta, Workforce180 Director of Podcast Services and Communications, and supported by KRA/SDWP Career- and Business-Services specialists, who contribute their expertise. For example, in E108: The Tables Have Turned, Maxine Suka, KRA Director of Workforce Operations, discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has caused the “tables
Read More

New to the region, and committed to finding a well-paying job, Johnathon entered the KRA American Job Center of Nevada (AJCN)—operated for NevadaWorks, Northern Nevada’s Workforce Board—on August 15, 2021. For Johnathon, preparing, looking, and finding employment in a new town was a daunting endeavor. However, determined to succeed in providing financial stability for himself and his son as quickly as possible, he was relieved when greeted by AJCN staff, eager to assist and provide a “tour” of all the available services. One such service was full access to the Resource Center, in which Johnathon spent hours, working one-on-one with
Read More