March 2020…Mandated COVID-19 restrictions forced KRA to close all its offices, which included the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program that transitioned staff to a work-from-home status, and transferred individual- and group-participation activities to effective remote- and virtual-service venues.
July 2020…As certain restrictions eased, KRA opened the Baltimore City office—in compliance with CDC Guidance—to individual customers, by appointment only. In addition, we continued to provide remote-learning and virtual services for individuals and groups, as appropriate.
July 2021…KRA/Baltimore City staff met the “first day back” challenge with organization and flexibility. Pre-arranged scheduling allowed adequate time to welcome each customer, and to re-sanitize workstations between appointments, especially in light of the Delta variant.
Customers met eagerly with their Career- and Business-Services coaches, most of whom had not seen each other for 15+ months, but with whom they never lost touch.
Career Agents had provided the best possible level of remote case-management services, connecting through Google Classrooms, Zoom trainings, and phone calls and emails to check in with customers at least twice a month.
In addition, Business Services Representatives had continued to provide workforce-readiness services—resume development, interview preparation, employment leads—as well as job-placement opportunities with employers still hiring.
As a national leader in workforce-development services for 40 years, succeeding during the pandemic, and its current aftermath, continues to be an operational challenge, one we overcome every day with the unwavering support of our clients, community partners, and customers.
Especially, we thank our dedicated KRA staff, in Baltimore City and across the country, for their creativity, perseverance, and resilient spirit during these stressful times.
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