RENO, NV – You may remember job fair lines in 2009. Nevada had one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, and many people were at the end of their ropes–believing they were qualified, good enough to do the work. But there was one problem.
“I think there is jobs out there but everyone is fighting for the same job,” said one woman to us back in 2009 as she was at JobConnect looking for work.
In 2013, Connecticut began a program called “Platform to Employment.”
Designed for the long-term unemployed, those who have been unemployed for more than 99 weeks, it has proven successful in getting these people back to work.
It is critical for these workers to get back on the job for financial and emotional reasons, but according to Platform to Employment, those unemployed for more than a year have only a 10-to-20% chance of landing a job.
For Reno residents like Keith LaRue, such stats can be disheartening. “Never say die. Ever Ever. You have moments, we are all humans, where you doubt, your confidence is down. But never give up,” says LaRue.
At KNPB, LaRue and others like him along with businesses owners learned more about “Platform to Employment”, which is now available in northern Nevada.
Accepted to the program, LaRue will take classes on job interviewing, internetnavigation, and even go one-on-one with experts to hone his skills.
Businesses will work with the program and take on candidates for 8-week internships. If an internship is successful, the candidate will get the available job.
Platform to Employment sees a 95% success rate in getting the long-term unemployed back on their feet.
Nevada received a 1.8-million-dollar grant to pay for the Platform to Employment.
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