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Project J.O.B. aims to improve prospects in Elbow Lake area
Published 10:40am Tuesday, December 18, 2012By Darla Ellingson
Daily Journal
Project J.O.B. stands for jobs, opportunities and benefits. It will provide hands-on training, resources, and information in Grant County to help people increase and strengthen employment skills while improving health literacy.
Project J.O.B. is hosted by Thorson Memorial Library. Child and Youth Services Council of Elbow Lake is facilitating the project.
“The public library at heart of community, where people feel welcome,” said Deb Hengel, administrator for the Grant County Child & Youth Council. “It is a comfortable place for people to go for information that may otherwise be disconnected.”
Targeting unemployed and under-employed workers, or those searching for a change of employment, Project J.O.B. is intended to increase awareness of the resources already available and to develop new resources.
Potential employees have an opportunity to complete the National Career Readiness Certificate. The NCRC is a portable credential that demonstrates achievement and a certain level of workplace employability skills and measures “real world” skills that employers believe are critical to job success.
Library staff will be trained in the NCRC certification process to assist the public, and can also provide information about completing online resumes and online job application.
Employers, civic and commerce organizations and government agencies will have a role in contributing resources. Events, such as job fairs, are planned.
“One unique partner is the Bargain Bazaar, which has affordable gently used clothing,” said Hengel. “A topic covered will be dressing for an interview.”
Project J.O.B. was initiated by a Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN Foundation’s “Public Libraries for Health” grant. The purpose of the grant is to engage public libraries as partners in working collectively to improve health for low-income communities and communities of color. A specific interest of the BCBS Foundation is to create health equity through such a program by creating conditions that will allow all to reach their full health potential, including achieving employment.
The culmination of the TML Project J.O.B. will be a mini-conference on ways to obtain and maintain a job.
Project J.O.B. is scheduled to launch in January. For more information, contact Deb Hengel at hengel@runestone.net
