For NevadaWorks, KRA operates the American Job Center of Nevada (AJCN)—hub of the comprehensive Reno-based One Stop Career Center (OSCC) system—in collaboration with an exceptional network of co-located agencies and organizations. One such entity, the DETR Business Services Office (BSO), builds relationships with local employers to assist in fulfilling hiring requirements.
Ms. Robin Walsh, KRA Program Manager, reports, “John Tolbert is truly representative of our AJCN customers whose lives are being changed through our OSCC partnerships. By reducing barriers to employment, and offering resources that increase options, we empower our jobseekers to participate in a prosperous and thriving community workforce.
“He came to the AJCN desperate to find a job, an objective thwarted by several obstacles. He wasn’t skilled in technology—didn’t even have an e-mail account. His work history included extended gaps in employment and limited job-related skills. In addition to specific scheduling preferences, and though able-bodied, at 75, his age might’ve been a deterrent to some employers.”
KRA worked with Mr. Tolbert, attempting to counter-balance each employment barrier. However, initial success was elusive, and frustrated and discouraged, he felt like giving up. “That was not an option, so we leveraged our relationship with the BSO, which immediately harnessed its vast resources to initiate a work-search strategy tailored for his unique situation.
“Mr. Tolbert started receiving multiple interview invitations for positions that were a perfect match. However, about 2 weeks after his last interview, we observed he hadn’t returned to the AJCN, and hoped he hadn’t given up after all. Later that week, he strolled into the Center, exclaiming, ‘I got a job!’. An interview with the Sure Stay Plus Hotel had resulted in an offer of a fulltime Maintenance position, which Mr. Tolbert happily started on July 14, 2021!”
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Dr. Boone’s 20+ years’ experience in the industry is extensive and her expertise in private-, public-, and non-profit sector workforce-services organizations is unparalleled, particularly in the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan area.
