Pride Month, celebrated annually in June, is a vibrant and empowering time when individuals and communities come together to honor the LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, asexual/aromantic/agender/ally and others) community. This month-long celebration serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for equal rights and acceptance, while also highlighting the accomplishments and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community. Photographer Grey Villet – The Life Picture Collection (Getty Images) Pride Month traces back to the Stonewall Riots, a pivotal event that occurred in June 1969 in New York City’s Greenwich Village. After years of systemic discrimination and police harassment, the
Read More

On Monday, June 19, 2023, KRA employees topped off their 3-day weekend, or enjoyed a special day of celebration, with families and friends to honor Juneteenth, a Federal Holiday in the U.S. that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. “Juneteenth”, a combination of “June” and “nineteenth”, reflects June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger issued an order, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 in Texas, freeing all remaining slaves. Juneteenth was observed annually in various parts of the country for 150+ years—commonly celebrating history, literature, music, and other traditional mainstays of African-American culture through church-centered community gatherings. On
Read More

  Melody Daniel, Program Director, with KRA since 2015, and Gina Brotherton Mayo, Career Readiness Facilitator, in her 5th year with the company, will co-present  Victory in the Valley: Maximizing Career Success While Navigating Real-life Trials, Traumas, and Tragedies at CWA WORKCON: CLARITY THROUGH ACTION!  May 31 – June 2, 2023. Melody reports, “Through a roundtable discussion, we will examine the role resilience plays in our career accomplishments as Workforce Development Professionals. We will achieve insight and clarity, dissect the essential building blocks of resilience, and discuss navigating the highs and lows of our personal lives, while maintaining motivation, focus,
Read More

The movement for a national Asian American and Pacific Islander holiday, celebrating the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the U.S., began in the late ‘70s with Jeanie Jew, a fourth generation Chinese American who was instrumental in the acknowledgment of the Asian American and Pacific Islander experience. Since its founding in 1981, KRA has embraced and practiced DEIBA principles, and is fortunate that two of our Asian American employees are willing to share with us a bit about their experiences, and their families’ journeys. We’ve chosen to highlight these
Read More

For 15 years, Vanessa E. Atterbeary, Esq., KRA Corporate Counsel, and as a Maryland General Assembly Delegate is Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, has been receiving newsworthy attention in KRA Latest News, The Baltimore Sun, and most recently, The Daily Record, which chose Vanessa as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women of 2023 that recognizes high-achieving women making an impact through their leadership, community service and mentoring. Last night, at The Lyric Baltimore Performing Arts Center, hundreds of well-wishers gathered for the Awards Celebration to honor Vanessa and the other incredibly accomplished women. The KRA Family is extremely proud of
Read More

The National Association of Job Training Assistance—dedicated to the development of government and non-government workforce-services professionals—will convene its 39th Annual National Conference, May 1- 5, 2023, in Chicago. According to its website, “NAJA has a dynamic line up…to ensure a successful conference.”  Included in that line up is  KRA Dynamic Duo, Zaskia Ruiz, Executive Vice President, Administration & Finance, and Joseph L. Seymour,  Managing Director, Operational Excellence, and 1st VP, Southeastern Training Association. With KRA since 2017, Zaskia leads the Accounting & Finance, People & Culture, and Communications Departments, but still makes time to share her 20 years’ experience through
Read More

On March 31, 2023, President Biden proclaimed April 2023 as National Second Chance Month and called for the observance of the month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities. As a national leader in workforce development, KRA has been an advocate for the success of our returning citizens for decades, collaborating with local workforce agencies to deliver effective and compassionate services. Many KRA jobseeker-customers face multiple barriers to sustainable employment.  Therefore, KRA’s workforce programs strives to ameliorate a plethora of obstacles, e.g. educational and job-skills deficiencies, lack of adequate employment history, homelessness, et al—in addition to former incarceration. Recently, our KRA
Read More

Today’s Real-World Experience for Tomorrow’s Skilled Workforce April represents more than 50 National observances, some of which seem to relate to special-interest food groups, such as Fresh Celery Month, Fresh Florida Tomato Month, Pecan Month, and Soft Pretzel Month. However, on a serious note, there are April observances important to KRA’s special interests, including National Internship Awareness Month. Either complying with client-contract requirements, or adding to existing work-preparation services, KRA has incorporated Internship Programs into its TANF- and WIOA-funded operations for both Adults and Youth. Spanning 3- to-12-month commitments, Internships with our employer-partners are indispensable for jobseekers with little or no
Read More