[December 2008]

Pike County JobSight officials had reason to celebrate recently as a new job-preparedness program got off to a solid start with a 100-percent pass rate for the first class.

So they threw a party, including cake, for the 13 graduates of the new Work Certified program.

“We’re really proud of what you have done,” Jim Stewart, the program’s instructor, told the group as it gathered at the Big Sandy Community and Technical College campus in Pikeville to enjoy food and fellowship and receive cards acknowledging them as graduates of Work Certified.

Work Certified is a free job-preparedness program recognized by the United States Department of Labor. As implemented by the Pike County JobSight, Work Certified has an additional twist: those who are willing to work hard, attend classes and study to pass the exit exam at the end of the three-week program earn free vocational training.

Both Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) training and Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training were offered to graduates of this first class. Stewart said he thought this extra incentive helped motivate those who took part to succeed.

“They worked really hard, and it could not have gone any better,” Stewart said. “We started with 13 people in the class and all 13 finished and passed the test. Eight are going into CNA training, four are going into CDL training, and one other person is probably going back to college.”

Stewart said the first class of the new Work Certified program was so successful that the program is expanding to additional counties and adding additional training programs.

A second Work Certified Class in Pike County is just finishing up and Work Certified is expanding into Floyd County with a class starting Jan. 20th, Stewart said. Those who complete this class will be eligible for CDL and CNA training and will also be eligible for free Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification training. The registration deadline for the class is Jan. 16 and those interested in applying should call the Floyd County JobSight at 606-886-2948.

The Pike County and Floyd County JobSight locations, operated by Big Sandy Area Community Action Program (BSACAP), are part of the JobSight network of workforce centers administered in 23 eastern Kentucky counties by Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP). JobSight “one-stop” workforce centers give job seekers and employers access to over a dozen state and federal employment and training programs and employer services through a single location.

Work Certified includes information on job skills, resume-writing instruction, practice job interviews conducted by volunteers from local companies’ human resource departments, and many other activities that teach participants job search and “first day” job skills that will make them more attractive than other job seekers in a competitive job market.

By the time they receive their Work Certified card, Stewart said, participants have the advantage of knowing how to use resources like the Internet to search for jobs and other information; how to properly prepare a resume; how to dress, prepare for and conduct themselves during a job interview; and the basic skills needed to get and keep a job, such as being on time, dressing properly and being respectful.

Unfortunately, these skills are not commonly found in many of today’s job seekers, Stewart said.

“People nowadays are not prepared to go to work,” he said. Mastery of these basic skills means that the Work Certified employee will make a better first impression and be more productive and prepared than most, he added.

“They’re going to be ready to go on the first day,” he said. “They’ll produce more quickly and be more successful.”

Stewart said that all a person needs to succeed in the Work Certified class are basic literacy skills and an honest willingness to work and learn.

The first class was a bonding experience in which friendships were made as participants pulled together to help each other with projects and assignments, Stewart said. It was taken very seriously. Essentially, the Work Certified class was each student’s “job” from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. five days a week. Stewart acted as their boss and there were hard and fast rules, such as a limit on unexcused absences.

Chris Abshire, 28, said Work Certified sounded like a deal that was “too good to pass up” when he and his wife heard radio advertisements that explained how program participants could get free CDL training.

Abshire said he had worked in a steady, skilled job for several years at a United Parcel Service (UPS) facility in Louisville. However, he later moved home to Pike County for personal reasons.

Starting over has not been easy for him, he said. He and his wife are currently living with relatives and have struggled to make ends meet.

“It’s very hard to find a job here,” Abshire said. He added that without the gas cards Work Certified participants can get to help them get to the class if they need them, he probably would not have been able to afford to go.

The classes themselves were interesting, Abshire said, and were a good refresher course for knowledge he already had.

“It reminded me of what I am capable of,” he said.

Stewart said he believes Abshire is capable of a lot. He applied himself and studied especially hard, and scored 98 percent on the Work Certified exit exam, Stewart said.

“He only missed one question,” he said.

Abshire has already started CDL training and believes that obtaining the Work Certified Card will help him and his wife rebuild their lives. He said his wife plans to enroll in an upcoming Work Certified class and hopes to get a CDL license as well.

“Having a CDL license opens up a whole new world of career opportunities,” Abshire said.

Tina Justice was the sole person in the class who was not planning on going into either the CNA or the CDL classes after finishing. Still, she said she felt that Work Certified would help her in her plan to go back to college and change careers, possibly pursuing a degree involving writing or the creative arts with an eye toward going into a field like advertising.

As she picked up her card at the end of the program, she said she believed the program had helped.

“I think it’s a good program. It is really confidence building,” Justice said, adding she would encourage others to look into getting Work Certified.

For more information about Work Certified, contact Jim Stewart at 606-218-2106, or visit www.jobsight.org.