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THE SOUTHERN MARYLAND JOBSOURCE PROVIDES EMPLOYMENT PLANNING,
CAREER ASSESSMENT SERVICES
AND JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE FOR PEOPLE LIVING
IN CALVERT, CHARLES, AND ST. MARY'S COUNTIES.
JOBSOURCE HAS THE MOBILE CAREER CENTER
THAT BRINGS SERVICES INTO COMMUNITIES.
JOBSOURCE OFFERS A FULL RANGE OF CAREER SERVICES
FOR EVERYONE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF,
AS WELL AS SPECIALIZED SUPPORT FOR SPECIFIC POPULATIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE ONLY SAY A RUT IS NOTHING MORE THAN
A SHALLOW GRAVE.
AND WHAT THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE GOING THROUGH
IS THAT THEY'RE IN THESE RUTS.
THE PROBLEM IS THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS SET UP
OUTSIDE OF OURS,
IS THAT IT DOESN'T REALLY HELP THEM IN THAT AREA.
IT HELP THEM FIND A JOB,
BUT IT DOESN'T HELP THEM GET OUT OF THAT RUT THAT THEY'RE IN.
SO WHAT YOU FIND IS CYCLES,
THEY'LL GO BACK THROUGH IT AGAIN,
THEY'LL GO BACK THROUGH IT AGAIN.
AND THEY GO UNEMPLOYED. AND THEN THEY START TAKING JOBS
THAT THEY REALLY DON'T WANT.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE TEACH THEM THAT WE UNDERSTAND,
FINANCIALLY, YOU'RE HURTING RIGHT NOW,
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT YOU NEED IS A CAREER.
AND WE TEACH THEM AND WE CHANGE THEM
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE AFFECTIVE COMPLETE FAMILIES.
THERE IS THE ISSUE OF JUST PERSONAL IDENTITY,
A PERSONAL WORTH,
HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO INTERACT WITH THE WORLD,
HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CONTRIBUTE.
SO BECAUSE OF THE NEGATIVITY AND THINGS I WAS CARRYING,
I COULDN'T BE POSITIVE UNTIL I GOT HERE.
IT IS A PROFESSIONAL OUTPLACEMENT SERVICE
FOR PROFESSIONALS THAT WERE MID TO HIGH-WAGE EARNERS
PRIOR TO DISPLACEMENT,
WHO ARE SEEKING ASSISTANCE, MENTORING, COACHING
AND POSSIBLY TRAINING,
IN ORDER TO RECONNECT TO THE LABOR FORCE.
THEY'RE GONNA GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL
BASED UPON THE RELATIONSHIPS,
THE NETWORKING, THE INDIVIDUAL COACHING
AND TRAINING THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS JOB A MATCH A MODEL
THAT REALLY SHOULD BE EXPORTED THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
I THINK THIS IS A SMALL INVESTMENT
THAT CAN RETURN GREATLY TO THE COMMUNITY,
AND ONE WOULD HOPE THAT THE LEADERS TO BE
WILL FIND THAT MONEY TO SEE THIS PROGRAM CONTINUE.
SOME OF THE BARRIERS I FACE WITH NOT HAVING A JOB,
TRYING TO BE ON MY OWN,
MAYBE IT WASN'T THE RIGHT TIME,
I JUST FELT DOWN WITHOUT A JOB.
WE'RE ALL DOWN THE STREET,
AIN'T NOTHING BUT TROUBLE ALL DAY.
WE GOT THE JOB, WE AIN'T GOT WORRIED
ABOUT BEING OUT THERE ON THE STREET.
WHEN HE FIRST CAME TO US, HE WAS ACTUALLY HOMELESS.
AND BEING ABLE TO KNOW THAT HE CAN FIND EMPLOYMENT
AND OVERCOME THAT BARRIER OF BEING HOMELESS
AND HOPPING FROM ONE SHELTER TO ANOTHER
OR ONE MOTEL TO ANOTHER,
YOU KNOW IT SURPRISES ME THAT HE GETS UP IN THE MORNING
AND GOES TO SCHOOL.
IT MADE ME FEEL GOOD
WHEN I GET UP EVERY MORNING AND GO TO WORK
AND GET MONEY TO TRY AND HELP PAY THE BILLS.
THE YOUTH PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM THAT'S DEVELOPED
TO HELP LOW-INCOME YOUTH TO BE EMPLOYMENT READY.
IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ME.
WITHOUT IT, I DO NOT KNOW WHERE I'D BE.
BECAUSE THE YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT HAS RISEN.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN THESE YOUTH,
SO THAT IN THE FUTURE,
THEY WON'T NEED TO BE ON UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.
WE GET THEM A CAREER INSTEAD OF AN HOURLY-WAGED JOB.
WE TEACH THEM SKILLS THEY NEED TO PROGRESS IN A CAREER
AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL CREDENTIAL.
AND SO THEY HAVE A JOB THAT WILL LAST FOR LIFE
RATHER THAN SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE GOING
FROM ONE JOB TO THE NEXT.
I'M BACK ON THIS RIGHT PATH
AND THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.
I REFUSE TO LOSE.
THEY GAVE ME TIPS ON HOW TO LOCATE JOBS
WITHIN THIS AREA
AND EXACTLY WHAT IT IS I'M LOOKING FOR.
TANF PROGRAM IS A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE
TO HELP PEOPLE GAIN LIFELONG SKILLS
FOR WORK READINESS AND WORK SUSTAINABILITY.
ANY APPLICANT THAT HAS A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 18
IN THEIR HOUSEHOLD IS ELIGIBLE.
SO I HAD TO SET MY PRIDE ASIDE
AND SAY, "OKAY, I NEED HELP, I CAN'T DO THIS BY MYSELF."
SO GOING INTO THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, I BROKE IT DOWN
AND TOLD THEM WHAT I NEEDED HELP WITH
AND HOW--
WHAT COULD THEY DO TO HELP ME HELP MYSELF.
MY KIDS, THEY SEE AGAIN,
THAT I WAKE UP SMILING EVERY MORNING.
THEY LIKE THE FACT THAT I GO TO WORK
AND I COME HOME AND WE TALK ABOUT MY DAY.
I HAD A NEED IN OUR ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT
FOR SOMEONE WHO REALLY HAD AN EYE FOR DETAIL
AND WAS VERY CONFIDENT.
AND WE GAVE HER AN OPPORTUNITY AND SHE'S DONE EXCEPTIONAL--
I THOUGHT IT WAS FOR OTHER PEOPLE,
EITHER UNDEREMPLOYED, UNEMPLOYED,
BUT NOW THAT I'VE BEEN, I REALIZE WHAT THEY DO.
IT'S FOR ANY AND EVERYBODY.
WELL, AT THE ONE STOP, WE CONNECT PEOPLE WITH JOBS.
EMPLOYERS WITH QUALIFIED JOBS SEEKERS
AND JOB SEEKERS WITH EMPLOYERS NEEDING PEOPLE.
WE PROVIDE JOB READINESS WORKSHOPS,
INTERVIEWING, WORKSHOPS,
TESTING, ASSESSMENTS.
IT PROVIDES UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO ANY JOB SEEKER
LOOKING FOR WORK TO COME IN TO USE THE CENTER,
TO USE THE COMPUTERS, FAX MACHINES.
SO IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN WORKING,
IT'S EVERYBODY.
EVERYBODY HERE IS A UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL
AND WE'RE FAR FROM PERFECT,
BUT EVERYBODY HAS, LIKE,
SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL TO OFFER.
IT ALWAYS JUST SEEMS, LIKE, WE ALWAYS HAVE A PERFECT STAFF
THAT CAN JUST CONNECT WITH SOMEONE
AND HELP THAT PERSON BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH
THE SAME TYPE OF THING.
THIS GROUP REALLY LISTENS, THEY GO OUT OF THEIR WAY
TO HELP YOU FIND EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.
THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND THE RIGHT WORKERS
WITH THE RIGHT SKILL SET IN THE RIGHT PLACES
THAT HELP FULFILL OUR WORKFORCE NEEDS.
AND IN THE END, I THINK,
YOU'RE GONNA BE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS 'CAUSE WE ARE.
I THINK THE BIGGEST THING I GOT OUT OF ONE STOP
IS SELF-CONFIDENCE.
YOU KNOW, ONCE YOU'RE IN IT,
THIS DEPRESSED STATE,
YOU TEND TO JUST WANT TO STAY AT HOME
AND CLOSE THE DOORS AND NOT WANT TO COME OUTSIDE,
BUT THEY BUILD UP THAT SELF-CONFIDENCE IN YOU
AND MAKES YOU JUST WANT TO TAKE ON THE WORLD.
IT'S OFTEN LIKE WATCHING A FLOWER BLOOM.
IF WE HAVE YOUR CAMERAS
AND WE COULD OVERTIME SET THE CAMERA,
IN SUCH A WAY YOU COULD WATCH THESE PEOPLE BLOOM.
AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT SOUTHERN MARYLAND JOBSOURCE,
WHERE PEOPLE MEET JOBS.