Ruthie Meyers, 61, knew exactly what she wanted when she enrolled in KRA’s Adult Worker Program (AWP) in the Waccamaw Region of South Carolina on May 5, 2010…certification in Medical Records Coding (MRC).  She had solid experience in Medical Billing Coding, but an MRC Certificate would expand her opportunities for employment.  Certification would also expand her paycheck, as the average salary for bill coding is $35K, compared to the average of $45K for records coding.  After her KRA Career Agent determined that Meyers met all WIA (Workforce Investment Act) requirements for AWP participation, she was processed for an Individual Training Account (ITA), which
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Recently, Chris Murphy, Connecticut’s 5th District Congressional Representative; Glenn Marshall, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL); and Dennis Murphy, Deputy Commissioner, CTDOL, visited the KRA/CTWorks One-Stop Career Center in New Britain to meet with KRA jobseeker-customers who are in danger of losing their Unemployment Insurance benefits, or have already exhausted their benefits.  Together with Tom Phillips, President/CEO of KRA’s client, Capital Workforce Partners, staff hosted the roundtable discussion, which had been requested by Congressman Murphy’s office.  A disabled veteran; a customer trying to start his own business; and a jobseeker with two Master’s degrees, who was working at an hourly-wage job to
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Not long ago, we reported on the success of KRA customer Helen De’Atley, 57, who came to the Norfolk VIEW [Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare] program, a bit unsure of how her skills and abilities fit with today’s job market.  With KRA Job Readiness Academy preparation and a volunteer opportunity that transitioned into a job as a Teacher’s Aide at a local childcare center, Helen is “fitting” just fine.  Kathy Confer, KRA Career Agent, reported, “The really interesting twist to Helen’s story is that while she was attending GED classes at a local school, she discovered she was a
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KRA’s Spotlight! is shining brightly on Brittany Snipes, a single parent to a daughter. Originally, she enrolled in KRA’s SCWORKS Adult Worker Program, but was almost immediately referred to KRA’s Youth Employability and Success (YES) Program.  Alisha Williams, KRA Program Manager for both programs, reported, “Because Brittany is 21, she did qualify for our Adult Program, but we pride ourselves on customizing services for customers, and other aspects of her situation indicated she would be better served through our YES Program for Out-of-School Youth.”  Brittany’s primary long-range goals are impressive: she wants to obtain a Nursing degree and to buy a
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Recently, 45 adults and youth enrolled in KRA’s Camden, New Jersey multi-service education, training, and employment program attended a workshop on accessing subsidized housing opportunities.  Anita Davis, KRA Program Manager, coordinated the event with Diane Johnson, Supervisor of the KRA Community Work Experience Program at McGuire Gardens, a State-supported, non-Section 8, public housing residence. Davis reported, “According to our intake statistics, almost 45 percent of our customers are facing a serious barrier…homelessness or inadequate housing.  Some live in temporary housing in a motel or a shelter; others live in overcrowded homes with family members or friends.  I thought a workshop on the issue could be
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Edward Wilson is 28 years old and married with one child.  On March 2, 2011, he sought out KRA’s services in the Waccamaw Region of South Carolina, with a goal of fulltime employment, preferably in the Construction industry.  Edward was assigned to Kathy Hammond, KRA Career Agent, who would be his case manager, coach, and counselor throughout his time with the program. During intake, Hammond discovered that Edward was eligible for KRA’s Adult Workers Program, and began working with him on developing his Individual Employment Plan (IEP), a roadmap for success that, in Edward’s case, would require a few revisions. Hammond reported, “Edward had
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KRA manages and operates a multi-year contract with the Prince George’s County [Maryland]  Department of Social Services.  As a Prince George’s County Works provider, operating out of the County’s three Employment Resource Centers, KRA works with customers applying for, or already participating in, the County’s Temporary Cash Assistance, Supplementary Nutrition Assistance, and/or Non-Custodial Parent Employment (NPEP) programs.  Recently, KRA partnered with Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) to provide NPEP customers job-readiness assessment, support, and training as they prepare for, enter, and retain unsubsidized employment. Beginning February 27, 2012, Reginald Black and Rewa Powell, KRA Career Agents, and Dwight Hastick, KRA
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Last week, we took a look inside KRA’s successful workforce development programs for Dislocated Workers in the Waccamaw Region of South Carolina.  Essentially, dislocated jobseekers have been terminated or laid off (or received notice of termination or layoff), and are eligible for (or have exhausted) unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.  Question: What if the customer wasn’t laid off or fired, and is just plain “unemployed?” Answer: KRA’s Adult Workers Program, which provides quality employment and training services to assist jobseeker-customers in qualifying for and finding meaningful employment, as well helps employer-customers find the skilled workers they need to compete and succeed in business. 
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KRA’s workforce development programs for Dislocated Workers successfully provide quality employment and training services to assist eligible jobseekers in qualifying and finding meaningful employment, as well as to help employers find the skilled workers they need to compete and succeed in business.  Essentially, to qualify for the program, an individual must have been terminated or laid off (or received a notice of termination or layoff), and is eligible for or has exhausted unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.  Once eligibility is confirmed, dislocated jobseekers qualify for an intensive set of KRA services that includes comprehensive assessments, development of individual employment plans (IEP), counseling/career
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