Crissy Burke is on the path to college, thanks to a little guidance and encouragement from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and career advisor Chris Thompson.

Crissy, 18, grew up in Harlan County and dreamed of being a paleontologist. But when her Cawood High School consolidated into the Harlan County High School, Crissy started having anxiety issues at the much larger school and dropped out during her junior year.

Later she enrolled in an Adult Education GED program at the Harlan campus of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (SEKCTC), which is where she met Chris.

Chris’s Harlan County Community Action Agency (HCCA) WIA office is just down the hall from the GED program, and he and the GED staff often refer clients to each other. He also drops in sometimes to chat with GED students, which is how he started talking to Crissy about going to college.

Chris enrolled Crissy in the WIA program and began helping her map her future, using his skills as a Global Career Development Facilitator. He gave her some skills tests, guidance, and work readiness training to help her explore possible careers and whether they would suit her skills and personality.

“He told me all about college and all kinds of jobs. It really pushed me to go to college,” Crissy said with a smile.
Crissy is now enrolled at SEKCTC. She’s still weighing her options for her major, but she knows she wants a career where she will be able to help people.

Chris said the career advising services available through WIA can help people who aren’t sure about their career direction or what skills they have—or even think they don’t have any skills to offer an employer. Crissy, for example, found that she has a strong desire to work with and help other people.

“It really does give them confidence,” Chris said.

HCCA provides WIA services in Harlan County under contract with Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program  (EKCEP), Inc. EKCEP administers WIA programs in 23 mountain counties and also manages the JobSight network of workforce centers, which provide access to more than a dozen programs and services for job seekers and employers under one roof.

For more information about WIA services for youth and adults in your area, call 589-3260. Or visit www.jobsight.org of www.facebook.com/jobsight.