The Education and Training Issue Group provides education, support and training for regional residents in poverty, and works to educate our regional community about the Poverty Reduction Initiative.
Past achievements include:
- Creation of “Looking Good,” a service by the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa to provide free personal grooming make-overs” for job seekers who cannot afford it; to date, 24 individuals have received this assistance;
- Hosting two “Saturday Specials” which welcomed more than 250 community members to workshops on careers, computers, car maintenance, home heating and other topics, plus access to community resources;
- Conducting a survey of Business Community regarding Employability Skills; 93 regional businesses have completed this survey;
- Providing educational presentations about PRI to regional service groups;
- Supporting the 211 Initiative (a community services information line) with workshops held at Career-Tech Center;
- Developing a mentoring program.
Plans for 2008 include:
- Continue Offering “Saturday Specials” Workshops;
- Use data from the Employability Skills Survey to assist those in poverty to secure and maintain employment;
- Launching a revised and expanded online Employer "Workplace Skills, Habits and Attributes for Success" needs survey in cooperation with the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Works! Small Business Assistance & Technology Center, and the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District;
- Continued support and marketing of 211;
- Develop and expand navigator program in cooperation with the Family Partnership - Grand Traverse Area faith community person-to-person mentors program ;
- Continue educating the community about PRI.
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