New Grant Allows JFCS to Expand Career Services

Jewish Family & Career Services (JFCS) announced on July 15, that it is the recipient of Department of Labor funding through a collaborative grant submitted by the International Association of Jewish Vocational Services (IAJVS). IAJVS will receive nearly $2.9 million over a two-year period and was one of only three recipients in the country to receive this funding.

JFCS is one of nine affiliates of IAJVS that will participate in this groundbreaking program to elevate web support to highlight career and employment opportunities in the healthcare field.

The grant will help the grantees ensure that:

•    appropriate computer technology equipment is available;

•    adequate capacity and speed of Internet connections at all affiliate locations is established;

•    all partners are equipped with necessary software tools for pre-training and training activities, including computer literacy, career exploration and career development; and

•    training will be implemented for career coaches, and staffing resources at the local level will be provided.

JFCS, using a train the trainer model, will be working with KentuckianaWorks and the One Stop Career Centers, various educational institutions, such as JCTC and JCPS, and specific employers who hire healthcare personnel.

“This grant is a wonderful opportunity for us to train people to utilize web-based career and occupational exploration instruments, while at the same time providing high touch services to ensure success for the job seekers,” says Judy Freundlich Tiell, Executive Director of JFCS. “We look forward to working with our partners locally and nationally to better inform and train job seekers and focus attention on healthcare needs.”

The first step of the grant will be building capacity for more computer and on-line availability for job seekers and then creating a national protocol for teaching job seekers how to access on-line resources and utilize them to chart their own career preparation and advancement. This is a two-year project.

IAJVS is a nonprofit network of 28 national and international human service agencies in major metropolitan areas in the United States, Canada, and Israel. Member agencies provide a vast array of services that have a direct effect on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people each year: career management, skills training, rehabilitation programs, health services, and home and community-based services.

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