Experience Works retraining workers

By Lauren Radomski | The Daily Journal

Published 12:05 p.m., April 27, 2009

Valory Finamore says she was shocked when she lost her retail job of 15 years in 2007. The Fergus Falls woman had been working since she was a teenager, but didn’t know how to begin a new career.

“I thought I’d have that job until I retired so I had no idea of how to find new employment,” said Finamore, now 59. “I knew I wanted to make a career change from retail to an office setting, but my self-confidence was shot.”

Finamore eventually discovered the Fergus Falls office of Experience Works, a Minnesota program offering job training and employment assistance to low-income workers age 55 and over. With the help of Experience Works staff, Finamore learned basic computer skills, and currently works 20 hours a week at Operation Happy Note in an administrative job funded by Experience Works.

Finamore is one of about 30 people working with local Experience Works staff, though that number is about to get bigger. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $120 million for the U.S. Department of Labor program that funds Experience Works, meaning local offices will be able to serve more people in the coming year.

Deb Trygstad is the employment training supervisor for Experience Works offices across northwestern Minnesota. Experience Works clients often have years of work experience and may even hold graduate degrees, she said. They range in skill set and age — the oldest current participant is 84 — but they share at least one thing in common.

“These people are trying to break into a new career,” Trygstad said, and they’re hoping their training will lead to jobs they can keep for the long-term.

It can be a particularly challenging prospect for someone who hasn’t had to look for a job for years. Rick Bock, who leads Experience Works’ job club, occasionally encounters people who have never filled out a job application before. Many people have limited or no computer skills and some have physical conditions that prohibit certain kinds of work.

Once a client is enrolled with Experience Works, staff help the person assess his or her skills and career interests. The client then has access to Experience Works tools and other community resources to start building on desired skills. Staff help place the client with a local nonprofit organization, where the person works up to 20 hours week in a minimum wage position paid for by Experience Works. Assistance with resumes, interviews and job searching is available as the person looks for permanent employment.

Experience Works also helps cover the cost of safety glasses, work attire, transportation and other necessities related to a client’s training position. When Finamore’s computer started giving her problems, Experience Works paid $40 worth of the repair costs. The program can continue to provide these kinds of services up to 90 days after a client secures a permanent job.

Experience Works also provides social interaction for people who’ve lost the networks they maintained at a previous job. Many people come into the program thinking their circumstances are unique, Bock said, only to find there are other people in the community like them.

The stimulus dollars will help Experience Works assist additional workers through June 2010. Anyone interested in learning more about Experience Works services may call the Fergus Falls office at 998-3161.

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