Secure Jobs Meeting Minutes – 10/4/17
In attendance: Dawn DiStefano, Square One, Bud Delphin, CareerPoint, Lisa Lapierre, Franklin Hampshire Career Center, Maegan Pedemonti, Way Finders, George Ryan, Hampden County Regional Employment Board, Pamela Schwartz, Network, Pamela Wotjkowski, BerkshireWorks
September Progress Report review (click here):
11 placements as of 9/30
focusing efforts on raising wage to livable wage
success story featured great partnership with Amazon
Program Updates
CareerPoint: Bud reported that CareerPoint is working hard in concert with others to prepare for providing support to Puerto Rican residents that will be moving into the area. A big effort to identify support mechanisms in all areas of life, including career support.
Franklin Hampshire Career Center: Lisa reported that the career center has consolidated so that all services are operating out of the Greenfield office with an out-station location at Forbes Library in Northampton. There will be regularly scheduled services in Northampton on Mondays and Wednesdays, including unemployment walk-in hours. Weekly job search workshops will be offered on Thursdays and intermittent info sessions on WIOA and disability programs will be scheduled.
Lisa also reported some confusion around reimbursement for clients served through the SJ program last year and around available resources this year. We agreed that reaching out to Ashley for a clarifying conversation would be appropriate.
BerkshireWorks: Pam reported that Johnny Miranda from Way Finders is coming to the Berkshires to do a training around workforce development. Pam also noted the rise in young people seeking services.
Planning for Career Services Workshop
The group confirmed the date and time and location for this workshop: Wed., 11/15, 2-4 pm, CareerPoint in Holyoke.
We brainstormed outreach to providers, including front line and managerial staff:
shelter providers, CHD, VOC, NEFWC, WF, FOH, ServiceNet
DTA, DHCD, MRC
community colleges – HCC, STCC (Bud), GCC (Lisa)
Survival Centers – Amherst, Northampton Survival Center
Community Action
McKinney Vento reps –
BHN, CSO
Springfield Works
Eliot Services –
Viability (formerly Human Resources Unlimited)
River Valley Counseling
Three County CoC
Holyoke Health Center
Clean Slate
The understanding is that career centers will talk amongst themselves about how to divide up presenting on available resources (since there is extensive overlap among the centers). We agreed we would leave plenty of time for Q&A and perhaps break-outs by sub-region. We agreed we would circulate the invitation across the 4 counties, understanding that turn-out from the Berkshires will be minimal but at least it will be useful for career center staff.
After brainstorming language for the flyer, Pamela agreed she would do a draft flyer and circulate for feedback. Bud may enlist a person at CP to help with graphics. We will aim to get it out early next week.
Next meeting: Wed., 11/1, 11 am – 12: 15 pm. We will finalize workshop format then.
