| ParentJobNet.org A 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization - Connecting parents with opportunities Connect...Advance...Share...Explore |
| AccessTraining Lanuch: January 25, 2006 (PS 149 in Manhattan) |
| AccessEnglish: Chelsea Roberts helps register parents for the ESL classes at PS 84 on the Upper West Side in Manhattan. |
| AccessEnglish: Chelsea Roberts (ParentJobNet Director of AccessEnglish) second from left, Anita Hauschild (PS 84 Parent Coordinator) third from right. |
| Another one of ParentJobNet’s programs is called AccessTraining, which was launched in January 2006. This program includes a series of job readiness workshops that brings human resources and career coaching professionals to a school setting. Parents can learn basic skills, such as crafting a résumé that is likely to open doors for them. They can also learn how to effectively present their strengths in an interview situation. Vera baker, a 23-year old nursing student and caregiver who attended the first session, said, “I really enjoyed this event and came here to learn more interviewing skills and preparation for my résumé.” Subsequent workshops in ParentJobNet’s AccessTraining job readiness series have focused on assessing skills and getting the most out of employment agencies and search firms. ParentJobNet’s AccessTraining program offers free workshops and seminars designed to prepare, educate, and connect parents/caregivers with the resources and techniques to help them secure employment, enhance their careers, and become financially knowledgeable. The organization’s “Financial Literacy” series, launched in February 2006, is sponsored by Fidelity Investments, which also provides their employees as volunteer instructors. These seminars address parents’ questions and concerns about money management, including investment strategies, saving for college, and planning for retirement. They also provide effective strategies for managing these aspects of a family’s financial life. ParentJobNet’s AccessTraining upcoming programs will include free computer training, free networking empowerment seminars that are both general and industry-specific, free GED classes, and sponsorship of parent-focused Job Fairs. Plans are being made to develop a series of parenting workshops that will focus on stress management. |
| AccessTraining: Job Readiness Workshop – Pat Craddick introduces the program at PS 149 in Manhattan. |
| AccessTraining: Financial Literacy Workshop - Lester Townsend of Fidelity Investments conducting a Financial Literacy workshop at PS 166 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. |
| The organization recently launched its AccessNetworking program, which is a monthly job networking event sponsored by Starbucks. These free job networking empowerment events are both general and industry-specific. ParentJobNet is exciting and vibrant. It is a truly giving organization because it really helps the community. Tony Meeker, the Vice- President of ParentJobNet said, “I have seen and been approached by many so-called socially conscious groups. But all one has to do is look at the fine print to discover that many organizations have an angle or some ax to grind. Not so with ParentJobNet. That is the reason I was attracted to it in the first place. People at ParentJobNet really care and want to help.” ParentJobNet is very affordable because its programs are free, and that is particularly significant in Manhattan. |
| From left] Pat Craddick (ParentJobNet Founder and President), LeShawn Hodge (PS 149 Parent Coordinator), Nancy Rizzo (Fidelity Investments Vice President), Lester Townsend (Fidelity Investments Regional Consultant), Win Sheffield (ParentJobNet Career Counselor) |
| Those who wish to learn more about ParentJobNet, either parents or caregivers who would like to take advantage of its service or wish to volunteer, or businesses seeking to explore sponsorship opportunities, may email us at: info@parentjobnet.org, or call the organization toll free at 1-866-541-3994. ParentJobNet is there for you. It’s free - use it! |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| In the wake of September 11th a lot of families were struggling financially; many parents had lost their jobs. Others were new to this country and seemed to be having an extraordinarily hard time finding jobs and establishing careers. A little over a year ago, Pat Craddick, a parent at P.S. 87 on the Upper West Side and a former Wall Street professional, felt she could use her management expertise to help remedy this situation by harnessing the resources of the school community and developing a job networking platform. After a lot of hard work and careful strategizing, ParentJobNet, a grassroots organization created and staffed by local parents and volunteers, was born. ParentJobNet helps parents and caregivers of school children find jobs and develop their careers. Committed to helping families become economically stable, ParentJobNet has, in the short time it’s been in operation, created and launched a website, applied for and been granted charitable 501(c)3 status, and developed a full spectrum of on-site programs. All of these free services, which establish a collaborative relationship with schools and parents/caregivers in District 3, prepare the organization’s constituency for the workplace, facilitate their job search, and empower them to network in their communities to identify viable job opportunities as well as to create valuable relationships and contacts. |
| [From left] Judi Aronson (District 3 Superintendent), Pat Craddick (ParentJobNet Founder and President), DJ Sheppard (District 3 Parent Support Officer), LeShawn Hodge (PS 149 Parent Coordinator), Win Sheffield (ParentJobNet Career Counselor), Connie Klages (ParentJobNet Job Readiness Director), Tony Meeker (ParentJobNet Public Relations VP), Shaniquia Singletary (PS 149 Principal), Nancy Rizzo (Fidelity Investments Vice President), Lester Townsend (Fidelity Investments Regional Consultant) |
| environment is that economic hardships can arise and have an adverse impact on an emotionally stable family life.” She went on to say that ParentJobNet was developed to assist with those needs by creating, among other programs, on-line and off- line networking forums to allow parents to connect with each other to find jobs and enhance their career opportunities.” “We believe that when parents are financially stable, they are more inclined to help their children in school,” she said, stressing that everything the organization offers is free. That includes four programs, two of which are held in local public schools: AccessClassifieds (on the web), AccessEnglish (English as a second language), AccessTraining (preparation for getting jobs and for life), and AccessNetworking (group facilitated discussions focusing on a particular industry or profession – held in Starbucks.) Commenting on the organization’s website, an Upper West Side parent who is a consultant in the nonprofit arena said, “Wow. I am so impressed with the ParentJobNet website…and it is so wise and wonderful to tap into the talents of the parents in our school community…” Through the AccessClassifieds program of www.ParentJobNet.org, parents can post that they are looking for a job, note that they have a job to offer, tell others that they would like to share jobs, communicate that they have something to sell or give away, learn about important community events and resources, etc. They can also find resources and links to important information. |
| Second Language) program entitled AccessEnglish. Unlike other ESL programs, AccessEnglish is completely individualized, so that parents, with many commitments, and perhaps a more urgent need to learn the language, receive specialized services. In fact, AccessEnglish is individualized to the point where it’s actually one-on-one. Chelsea Roberts, director of ParentJobNet’s AccessEnglish program explains, "We provide personal instruction and on- going evaluation. The goal is to help our parent- students feel secure, confident and capable in their ability to speak English so that they can use their new skills to find jobs and to help their children in school." She adds, "Even the scheduling is tailored to meet the special needs of parents. Unlike other programs, which fit the students into a pre- determined schedule, we build our schedule around our students’ needs. Classes are held at times convenient to most parents, such as right after school drop-off, and before pick-up. For others, we try to arrange one-on-one sessions in the evening, or on weekends." AccessEnglish works not only to assist individuals with little or no English, who are perhaps unemployed and wish to secure a job, but it can also be tailored to achieve a working knowledge of the language in order to help their children in school. In addition, the program can also be tailored to assist those with a higher level of education and professional experience to attain the credentials and/or training necessary to return to a more satisfying form of employment. Ms. Roberts, who has taught ESL for 19 years, including 16 as an adjunct lecturer for C.U.N.Y., and other educational institutions, trains others to help teach and administer the program. Some of those she trains are employee volunteers from Starbucks, which sponsors a portion of the program. |
