When Vietnam Vet and truck driver by trade, A. C. woke up in an unfamiliar town and state and could not remember how the got there, he recognized his problem immediately. He received treatment through the Oak Arbor Treatment Center in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
It was at Oak Arbor that A. C. met Jim Craven, the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist from the Hattiesburg WIN Job Center. While at Oak Arbor, A. C. was placed in case management with Jim Craven. With Jim's assistance, he found employment at the Hattiesburg Convention Center. A. C. has been sober and employed for 22 months. During that time, he has been given additional responsibilities and has received a significant raise in pay.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before Hurricane Katrina, Gennifer was an LPN working on her Associate Degree of Nursing (ADN) license. That dream was still alive after the storm but the location changed to Bogue Chitto, Mississippi. Gennifer, who is a wife and mother, balanced working part-time, caring for her husband and children and commuting to Holmes Community College to complete her program. The schedule was taking its toll on her and her family.
She knew she would be unable to continue to work and carry the hours she needed to complete her ADN program. Gennifer heard about WIA and went to the Brookhaven WIN Job Center seeking assistance for her last semester of school. In her essay for funding, she wrote about how she had been faced with many delays in completing her studies, but that she was determined to finish so she could begin working as a Registered Nurse. The funding would alleviate the strain she was under and allow her to concentrate on her studies.
Gennifer was approved and awarded an ITA which allowed her to complete her program and receive her Associate Degree of Nursing from Holmes Community College in May 2007. She has realized her dream of becoming a Registered Nurse and now works at the University Medical Center in Jackson with a starting salary of $22.72 per hour. Her tenacity and the assistance of the ITA from the Brookhaven WIN Job Center allowed her to achieve her goal and fulfill her dream.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After graduating from Amory High School in 1996, Ben bumped around on several jobs before being referred by the Amory WIN Job Center to Tecumseh Products in March 2000. Ben was employed with Tecumseh until his job was eliminated because Tecumseh moved some of its product line manufacturing to South America in 2004. Tecumseh workers were certified to receive TAA/TRA assistance.
Ben again looked to the Amory WIN Job Center for help. He was enrolled in WIA services in July 2004. He decided to use the opportunity to prepare for a new career. With assistance from TAA/TRA funds and other federal grant programs, Ben enrolled in the respiratory care technology program at Itawamba Community College.
Ben completed the 3-year program in May 2007, and is now a licensed Respiratory Therapist at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Columbus, Mississippi.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Johnny quit school in the 10th grade and had done odd jobs most of his life to support himself. At the age of 48, he decided he needed a career. Johnny went to the Hattiesburg WIN Job Center seeking employment referrals; however, because of his limited education and work history, he did not qualify for any of the jobs that interested him. Upon receiving a referral from an Employment Service Representative, Johnny worked with a Workforce Investment Act (WIA) counselor to determine if training would be beneficial to him. Using several tests to assess Johnny's interests and aptitude, the counselor worked with Johnny to find a suitable training program he could enter without a high school diploma. The mechanics program was an ideal choice. In January 2002, Johnny enrolled in Pearl River Community College's (PRCC) Automotive Mechanics Program using WIA funds to pay for the program, and graduated from the program in December 2003. While in the program, Johnny was a member of PRCC's chapter of VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America) and participated in the Statewide Skills USA competition in Ellisville. Johnny's 1st place win in the Power Equipment division qualified him to be inducted into the top two percent of all Skills USA members nationwide, including Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. For his win, Johnny received a gold medal. In an effort to become completely marketable, Johnny is completing his GED studies and is scheduled to complete his examination soon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
John went to his local WIN Job Center in 2001 looking for work. He had lost his job of over 21 years and was receiving unemployment benefits. He was a forty-six year old Vietnam veteran and needed to find permanent full time employment. In order to provide additional assistance to John, he was enrolled into Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Core services in January of 2002 and into Intensive services shortly thereafter. He received numerous referrals to interviews and job development assistance, but, without much success. However, he was hired at a part time job to earn money until full time employment could be obtained. In August of 2002, John began Truck Driving Training at a local community college, as he had been unable to find permanent employment. He completed his training in eight weeks and was placed with an over-the-road trucking company; however, John wanted a job closer to home. Eventually, John was hired with a company close to home and has been employed the past two years with this company. The employer is pleased with John's work and John is very satisfied with his job.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warden Tommy Taylor heard about the On-the-Job (OJT) training program while placing a job order for new employees. WIN Job Center staff explained to him how OJT works to ease the financial strain of hiring new staff by paying some of the training expenses. Warden Taylor took advantage of the program to help defray the cost of training new employees. By doing this, not only does Warden Taylor save the county money, he has the satisfaction of knowing that his new employee is someone he selected, trained on his equipment, and is familiar with his business. To get started, Warden Taylor provided the business' IRS ID#, a copy of his Worker's Compensation Certificate, and a job description. The Cleveland WIN Job Center staff did the rest.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eva had been laid off from work for over eight months and was having trouble finding suitable employment. She contacted her local WIN Job Center in search of occupational training. Eva stated she earned slightly above minimum wage on her last job and that she really wanted to get into the nursing program. The WIN Job Center staff determined that she qualified for the Dislocated Worker program and completed the enrollment forms. As a result, Eva was accepted into the local community college LPN program. Eva completed the training, passed the State Board exam and now works full-time as an LPN at the local hospital earning almost triple the pay from her last job.
|
