Secure Jobs Connect Advisory Committee
Meeting Minutes
November 19, 2013
In attendance: Debbie Bellucci, STCC, Patricia Crosby, Franklin/Hampshire Employment Center, Bud Delphin,CareerPoint, Ken Demers, New England Farm Workers Council, Kim Lee, Square One, Lisa Lapierre, Secure Jobs Connect, Darlene Morse, CareerPoint/Secure Jobs Connect, Rexene Picard, Future Works, Shannon Porter, HAPHousing, Consuelo Revis, Brandeis University, George Ryan, Hampden County Regional Employment Board, Pamela Schwartz, Network coordinator, Robin Sherman, Franklin County Regional Housing and Redevelopment Authority, Ken White, Holyoke Community College
Reviewed October Progress report (click here).
Job retention rate of 84%.
Placements: 45. Will be reviewing and revising initial placement goal of 76 to account for collaboration with HAP and other factors. Total placements including HAP/CareerPoint/Future Works collaboration are approximately 125 heads of households employed.
Robin expressed interest in following up with Franklin County effort to encourage more support services to program participants.
Lisa reported on Fireman Foundation’s allocation of an additional $10,000 to use as needed. Congrats to the program! Will focus allocation on transportation needs, including car repairs to enable transportation to jobs.
Lisa reported on the first round of Motivational Interviewing training. All HomeBASE agencies participated. Very successful. Now in process of scheduling next date.
Lisa reported on fantastic employment potential through new manufacturing firm who is interested in using SJC as the staffing agency. Good starting salary, looking for 2:30 pm – 11:00 pm shift – poses extra challenge due to child care needs at that time, but SJC is working hard to recruit referrals for this opportunity.
Checked-in on referral stream issue. Overall much improved although still a challenge. If there is not a significant increase in referrals from HomeBASE agencies for the manufacturing job opportunity, Lisa will check with Fireman Foundation to see if they can include shelter families (in order to not lose the manufacturing employment opportunity for this population).
Lisa reported on conversations to open a satellite office in Springfield as a way of increasing accessibility (SJC office in Holyoke; it can be a 2 hour bus ride from Springfield to Holyoke). Great support for this idea! Will be talking with Square One about possible space.
Update on HAP/CareerPoint/Future Works collaborations: Overall, going well. CareerPoint model works in cohorts of 8 or 9 (and since the start has placed 112 into employment!); Future Works is one-on-one with a population with more barriers, e.g., language barrier.
Update on SJC celebration (1/10, 10 am, Kittredge Center, Holyoke Community College):
Great responses from legislators, mayors and businesses so far. Includes Senator Rosenberg and 10 representatives thus far.
Brainstormed additional invites:
DEEC
Labor and Work Force Development
Commonwealth Corp.
Community Foundation
Davis Foundation
Additional business participants (follow-up with Kim Lee for names)
Hone message: this partnership is beneficial to businesses – great employees, great success, in everyone’s interest.
Other business:
Lisa shared a particular challenge with a client who has this week to find employment or will lose her day care voucher. Immediate brainstorming by the Advisory Committee resulted in several leads and clear follow-up. A great network in action!
Next meeting date:
Tuesday, December 17
Franklin/Hampshire Career Center
176 Industrial Drive, Northampton
