这是史无前例的合作, 冰球突破豪华版试玩 is bringing the career-building professional development program WorkReadyNH to residents of Lydia’s House of Hope in Somersworth, 为无家可归的妇女和儿童提供过渡性住房的项目.
The first group of residents of Lydia’s House of Hope to participate recently graduated from the program, each earning three professional credentials that certify their skills and readiness to join the workforce. All have landed jobs and are using skills they learned through WorkReadyNH in their employment.
“This class is going to have a long-term impact on the lives of these women,” said Jenny Beach,
莉迪亚希望之家的项目协调员. “The communication skills and the soft skills they learned through this program are skills they will use the rest of their lives, 无论是在工作场所还是在个人生活中.”
WorkReadyNH is a tuition-free professional skills program designed to meet the needs of job seekers and career builders by providing training in a range of skills that employers value in current and future employees, 包括有效沟通等软技能, 团队建设, 解决问题, 以及决策, 以及足够阅读水平的基本技能, 数学, 信息素养.
For the recent cohort of graduates, those skills also included a new-found sense of self-confidence. 他们学会了如何写简历, 如何为面试做准备, 以及如何让自己充满自信.
作为一个顶点项目, the students worked together to create mock companies and designed imaginary products for the marketplace. One team presented a manufacturing and marketing plan around a computerized showering system that could be programmed and tailored to a user’s personal preferences. The other designed a body blanket manufactured with materials to retain the scent of a loved one.
“They had to be really creative and do something they had never done before,” Beach said. “很多女性都有工作空档期, where they either had children and have not worked in a long time, or they have worked in a fast-food restaurant and do not have the confidence to do more than that. WorkReadyNH给了他们信心.”
In addition to the entire population of Lydia’s House of Hope, Great Bay president Dr. 谢丽尔·莱塞(Cheryl Lesser)出席了顶点演讲. She said she was impressed with the quality of the research and comprehensive nature of the students’ work. “Working with Lydia’s House of Hope is a way for GBCC to meet the mission, serving the citizens of NH and helping to provide a prepared workforce. 看了毕业生的演讲, 我肯定是女人, 谁从这个项目毕业, 会成为雇佣他们的人的财富吗.”
WorkReadyNH has worked diligently across the state to create partnerships with nonprofit organizations, but this was WorkReadyNH’s first on-site program serving a residential population, 安吉拉·卡拉帕利基斯说, WorkReadyNH的全州主管. The partnership with Lydia’s House of Hope could serve as a pilot for other similar collaborations. “We hope to continue this partnership and expand to other homes,” she said. “这正是我们需要做的.”
Lydia’s House of Hope is a 365-day transitional housing program for homeless women and children that provides opportunities to transform lives and break the generational cycle of homelessness and poverty.
喀拉弗林, Program Assistant for WorkReadyNH at 冰球突破豪华版试玩, 同意这一伙伴关系具有巨大的前景. “The two words that come to mind are ‘community’ and ‘connection.’ We are connecting with our community and our community is connecting with us and all the resources we can offer. To establish a relationship of trust with the women at Lydia’s House of Hope allows us to take the next step more confidently. 我们不想成为一座孤岛. 我们希望成为连接人和资源的桥梁.”
黎明哈姆迪, WorkReadyNH冰球突破豪华版试玩主任, said the college plans to offer the program to a second cohort of residents at Lydia’s House of Hope in January. “We want to be an integral part of their program to make sure everybody gets over the finish line. This is just the start, and this is something we hope can be ongoing. 我们将继续推出.”
在完成课程时, the students received three certificates that highlight their value as an employee and colleague: a WorkReadyNH Soft Skills Digital Badge from the Community College System of NH; a National Career Readiness Certificate from ACT; and a WorkReadyNH Certificate from the Community College System of NH.
Instructor Kemetia Foley said she enjoyed teaching this group of students. Witnessing them present their capstone projects “made my heart very happy. 这是非常值得的，”她说. “对我来说，和这些女性一起工作是一个很好的机会, to get perspective on where they have been and what it has been like for them and where they are going and what it is going to be like.”
特蕾莎Tozier, founder and director of Seeds of Faith Ministries that operates Lydia’s House of Hope, said she was gratified by the success of the WorkReadyNH pilot project and the level of support for the program by all involved.
“We have amazing women in this house, and they just need the opportunity to succeed. 当他们做报告的时候，我就像一个骄傲的妈妈. WorkReadyNH helped them tap into an inner place they didn’t know they had. 他们不再奔跑，不再背负世界的重量. 他们可以放下那个重量.”
