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JobsNOW program lures unemployed back to school
Bruce Matlock photo
Trying to keep up with an increasingly competitive job market, unemployed adults are enrolling in the JobsNow Program at Mitchell Community College, where they can brush up on computer and basic skills while learning new skills that will get them back into the job market.
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Published: September 25, 2009
Last year, Deborah Clark was laid off from her full-time job of four years. She has been trying to get her life back on track ever since.
Clark, 55, said she has a plan for herself, and the first step in getting back in the working world is to return to school.
Clark is one of 55 students taking courses and gearing up to enroll in a new Mitchell Community College program called, JobsNOW.
"I've decided to come back to school because I haven't been able to find a job because I don't have a degree," she said.
The initiative offers students nine career pathways, each of which they can finish in six months.
The pathways available to students in the spring semester will include health care billing, certified nursing assistant, office/clerical support, manufacturing, energy auditor, HVAC, welding, industrial maintenance and work certified.
Clark is participating in the employability lab, career readiness certification program and will eventually enter the medical billing pathway.
To make ends meet, she has been working part-time at Walmart, a job she originally took to supplement her pay as hours at her full-time job decreased.
"I can't see myself staying at Walmart for the next 20 years of my life," she said. "It's a stepping stone to bigger and better things."
Now, the part-time job and her husband's fluctuating income are her only means of income. She has been living off her savings, but that money has quickly diminished.
Since attempting to get back into the job market, Clark has met road blocks.
"I keep putting in applications and they ask (if) I have a degree or (if) I speak Spanish," she said.
JobsNOW
The JobsNOW program is aimed at people who want to return to school or desire to be retrained to make themselves more competitive and marketable in the job market.
It's is an opportunity for people to get skills and retraining quickly, said Beverly Hedrick, director of Occupational Extension.
This semester, students interested in participating can begin taking courses to prepare themselves for JobsNOW.
Classes will be held on the Continuing Education campus.
MCC received $250,000 from Centralina Workforce Development for the initiative. The funding will allow for expansion of current courses and the addition of more.
Money designated for the program will be used for curriculum development, teacher and student certification opportunities, instructional costs and coordination of the program.
Workforce Development & Continuing Education Vice-President Carol Johnson said JobsNOW is designed to provide short-term skills training for individuals in the area.
Every state community college had the opportunity to apply for the funding, and Mitchell jumped at the chance.
"It's an opportunity we chose to take advantage of," she said. "There is a desperate need and this enhances our ability to meet that need and allows us to meet that need better."
Brenda Bronson, 54, left her 25-year job in the manufacturing industry last year for medical reasons.
Her goal is to eventually enter the health care field. She is starting down that track by enrolling in the Competitive Edge computer class, career readiness certification and the employability lab.
Her ultimate goal is to be self-sufficient again and fully employed.
"(I) have to have a degree or I'm going to be flipping burgers," she said.
JobsNOW
Prior to signing up for the JobsNOW program, interested individuals must attend a JobsNOW Retraining Transition Orientation.
Orientation is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 5-16 in Mooresville; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 2-13 in Statesville; and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 in Statesville.
Call (704) 978-5438 for more information and to register for a session.
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