Adding Certification to the Center's Training Program

Information by State  Print version

Description:

Many Neighborhood Networks centers offer computer skills classes, and when residents successfully complete a class, they revise their resumes to add these newly acquired computer skills to their list of qualifications. However, is including a skill on a resume enough to land a job in today's market where the majority of applicants have similar skills? Maybe. Can residents highlight the skills they obtained through a workforce development program at their Neighborhood Networks center? The answer is yes. Centers can offer accredited and certified training programs that confirm a resident's proficiency on the computer. During this session, representatives from an Ohio Neighborhood Networks center will discuss how they established a certified Microsoft training program that is enabling residents to compete and succeed in the job market. By collaborating with local businesses, the center offers customized workforce development programs that meet the specific employment needs of the community and earns money for each employee who gets hired. The center not only equips residents with the job skills being sought by local businesses, but has grown to become a community-wide employment center that has helped hundreds of residents obtain jobs.

Presenters:

John Gregory
President/Chief Executive Officer
The Enrichment Association of Community Healing (TEACH)
Phone: 614-857-1811

Thomas Kennedy
Workforce Development Trainer
The Enrichment Association of Community Healing (TEACH)
Phone: 614-857-1811

John Gregory is the president/chief executive officer of The Enrichment Association of Community Healing (TEACH) in Columbus, Ohio. In 1995, Mr. Gregory was the owner of a security firm that was hired by the owner of the Greenbrier Apartments to reduce the amount of crime taking place at the housing complex. Mr. Gregory realized that using an onsite security force to improve the neighborhood was not the answer and began urging residents to take back their community. The residents elected Mr. Gregory to serve as the spokesperson and to organize the community. Mr. Gregory resigned his responsibilities from his security firm, moved to the neighborhood, and launched the Neighborhood Networks center with a $500 mini-grant from The United Way. Today, the 15-computer center is housed in its own 6,000-square foot building, has a $1 million operating budget, and serves as a one-stop employment center for the entire community.