Search Results for Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program

KRA Monthly Spotlight!

June 30, 2016 | No Comments

One year ago today, the Maryland Secretary of Labor, Licensing and Regulation announced that the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) had received a $5M demonstration grant, part of a $22M nationwide USDOL grant to seven urban areas with high youth unemployment, “to develop innovative job training strategies and work opportunities for at-risk youth and young adults.” Industries targeted in the Federal grant included Construction, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Technology, and Transportation/Logistics. Ernestine Chambers, 2016 NAWDP-Award winner and KRA Operations Manager for a TANF Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program—funded by the Baltimore City Department of Social Services—reports, “MOED
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Award-Winning KRA Operations Manager Featured in Podcast

June 6, 2016 | No Comments

In April, we reported that Ernestine Chambers, KRA Operations Manager, had been selected by the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals for its coveted 2016 Jodi Spiegel Enhancement of Customer Service Award. Attending the NAWDP Awards Luncheon, one of many highlights of last month’s Annual Conference program, Mike Fazio, Founder/CEO, WORKFORCE180—a web-based workforce-services training resource—was so impressed by her “unbelievable acceptance speech…brief, but impactful”, he invited everyone to “Meet Ernestine Chambers” in one of his educational and informative 180PROGRAMS Podcasts. We congratulate Ernestine, a previous KRA customer, for her many accomplishments and contributions, and thank her for providing the highest
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KRA Operations Manager Wins Industry Customer Service Award

April 18, 2016 | No Comments

The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) has selected Ernestine Chambers as the 2016 recipient of its Jodi Spiegel Enhancement of Customer Service Award, an honor previously bestowed on other KRA employees in 2013 and 2014. The Awards Committee concluded that Ernestine’s Individual Achievement and Circumstances & Challenges, as well as her contributions to the Advancement of the Profession “directly affect the customers of the workforce development system through enhanced assessment strategies, customer focused procedures, case management systems, and related services.” When informed of the decision, Ernestine responded, “I am sincerely honored, and blessed to have such a rewarding
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KRA Supports Businesses’ Ex-offender Hiring Events

March 14, 2016 | No Comments

Business Services Representatives (BSR) of KRA’s Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program—operated for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services—are active contributors, applying their expertise in employer-focused workplace development, to “Turnaround Tuesday” activities and events. Created by Baltimore United in Leadership Development (BUILD), and attended by local business representatives and other key community stakeholders, Turnaround Tuesdays provide educational activities, career-preparation workshops, and hiring events for ex-offenders, an initiative that compliments KRA/Baltimore’s own innovative workforce-readiness program. In an advocacy role, a BSR team member accompanies pre-screened, qualified candidates to hiring events, supporting them to connect effectively with employers—such as Home Depot,
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KRA Supports Healthcare Business Expansion Effort

February 10, 2016 | No Comments

KRA’s Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program, operated for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services, has partnered with a major local hospital, providing HR-support services to fill Dietary, Environmental Services, and Nursing positions critical to immediate and long-range growth and expansion goals. KRA’s innovative workplace-readiness, screening, and selection processes have already resulted in a Food Service Technician hire, and 10 more pre-screened candidates for CNA, Dietary Aide, and additional Technician openings. KRA looks forward to providing exceptional customer service to our new partner, challenged by the staffing demands imposed by a high-growth industry sector, and to our talented jobseekers
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KRA/Baltimore Receives Business Partnership Accolade

November 9, 2015 | No Comments

In January 2014, the Baltimore Horseshoe Casino announced it was launching a citywide outreach effort to fill 1,700 jobs for a new $442-million entertainment complex. According to Ernestine Chambers, Operations Manager for the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program, “Casino staff-hiring and -replacement is a continuous industry challenge, with some establishments reporting turnover rates as high as 80 percent!” However, statistics indicate that pre-hire, work-readiness programs, such as the Horseshoe Legendary Academy, reduce turnover significantly, e.g., since the August 2014 Grand Opening, 53 percent–964–of the original Academy graduates are still on-the-job!” From the beginning of the outreach program, KRA/Baltimore–operated for the Baltimore
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Quality & Customer Service Results

November 6, 2015 | Comments Off

Workforce Development Clients

November 6, 2015 | Comments Off

As a trusted partner to city, county, and regional workforce-services funding organizations across the country, KRA Corporation’s outcomes-driven models leverage resources and relationships to build programmatic innovations and strengthen area economies. We provide a comprehensive array of Business and Career Services for our employer- and jobseeker-customers through American Job Centers/One Stop Career Centers and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs. KRA also offers services targeted for Special Need Populations, including ex-offenders, individuals with disabilities, older workers, homeless jobseekers, and veterans. Check out selected profiles of KRA-operated WIOA and TANF programs, from coast-to-coast: Alameda County, California Long Beach, California San
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KRA Monthly Spotlight!

October 30, 2015 | No Comments

Our October Spotlight! is shining brightly on the KRA 2015 Community Care Campaign, and the dedicated private, public, and non-profit organizations with whom we continue to collaborate in keeping disability employment a high-priority workforce-services concern. We are proud of the achievements of our local programs in expanding, initiating, and/or supporting efforts that capitalize on the abilities of our customers for whom various challenges present significant barriers to sustainable employment. Each KRA program deserves its own spotlight, which will be shining on them in future articles! However, today we are pleased to provide vignettes on some of the CCC partnership-projects across
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KRA/Baltimore Recruits Talent at Local Job Fair

August 31, 2015 | No Comments

Recently, it was reported that Ernestine Chambers, Operations Manager, and Jermietra Carroll, Business Services Representative (BSR), with the Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program–operated by KRA for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services–had attended a church-sponsored Job Fair. Jermietra reported, “One goal for attending the Fair was to meet with representatives of local agencies, businesses, and organizations to identify potential resources for our volunteer CWE Program, as well as paid job-placement opportunities. Secondly, we intended to recruit candidates for an open position on our BSR team.” Missions accomplished! Not only has KRA/Baltimore developed several strong Community Work Experience partnerships for the program, they interviewed three qualified BSR
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