Ricardo Washington, KRA Corporation Job Developer and Instructor Team Lead, recently reported, “As we ‘prepare jobseekers for tomorrow’s global economy and supply employers with a trained and reliable workforce’, we understand that a vital part of our customers’ work-readiness preparation is to address their motivational needs. If someone has been unemployed for a long time, or never even had a job, it is easy to become discouraged. It is our job to make sure they keep their spirits up, and stay focused on the success that lies ahead.”
With that goal, Washington invited Rhonda L. Slade, Former President of the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce, to visit the KRA/PGWorks’ Employment and Training Program*. Aware of Slade’s reputation in the community as an effective leader, successful entrepreneur, business advocate/ mentor, and motivational speaker, he asked her to address 35 customers enrolled in the FUSE (Focusing on Utilizing Self Sufficient Energy) Program.
Washington commented, “Ms. Slade was truly inspiring; her central theme focusing on customers’ realizing that ‘Your Greatness Matters’. She ‘challenged’ them to not only recognize, but to acknowledge their skills, abilities, and talents! I do believe she motivated them to believe in their innate ability to be resilient. Thoughtfully, she brought gifts, including hand-made jewelry items, which she distributed at the end of her presentation.
Anthony Featherstone, Program Manager; Slade; and Washington
Another plus for the program occurred when Slade asked Washington for resumes that could be reviewed in an effort to fill three Administrative Assistant positions open at the Chamber. He complied with resumes of 12 qualified candidates. Recently, he reported that three customers had been contacted for interviews, and that he was optimistic they would be hired.
*PGWorks, funded by the County’s Department of Social Services, provides intensive work-readiness assessment and preparation; occupational-skills training; and unsubsidized work experience, in partnership with local employers, for jobseekers applying for, or already receiving, public-assistance benefits through TCA (Temporary Cash Assistance), SNAP (Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program), and/or NPEP (Non-Custodial Parent Employment Program), which provides job-placement assistance for those struggling to make child-support payments due to lack of employment.
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.
