Montco Career Connections

Through collaboration with Stein Seal, Daniel Chominski worked to put together a pre-apprenticeship program offered to Montgomery County students. Educators were invited to tour the Stein Seal facility and hear from their team about the program. Then the application was open for students to apply to the pre-apprenticeship at the recommendation of their teachers. Students who were picked to move forward were invited to Stein Seal for an interview and tour of the facility. Each student completed an online program and was required to attend 5 in person hands on trainings at one of Stein Seal's facilities.

For student's who completed the pre-apprenticeship in good standing, Stein Seal welcomed them to interview for a direct hire opportunity. We are so proud of each student that completed the training. The next cohort will start their training in January 2025.

In November, the MontcoWorks★NOW (MWN) program held our first ever Financial Reality Fair hosted by the Police and Fire Federal Credit Union and PA CareerLink® Montgomery County. Financial literacy education is one of the 14 program elements established through our funding from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and this event was a great opportunity to connect with our participants on this topic.

The financial reality fair is a unique experience that helps youth learn about budgeting and managing their finances. This is an important life skill that goes hand in hand with workforce education. Participants were given a yearly salary and credit score based on their desired education level. They went to different stations and incurred expenses for items like clothing, transportation and housing. Then they totaled up their expenses and met with a financial advisor to see how they did. We are so grateful to all our volunteers who helped make the event a success. Our clients enjoyed the event and learned some great budgeting skills!

Bobby and Terrell both came to the MontcoWorks★NOW program looking for employment assistance. They both decided to participate in a Paid Work Experience and were connected with our worksite partner, the Lewis Group. While working with the Lewis Group, both Bobby and Terrell were offered direct hire employment after about three months in their paid work experience. Through their onboarding process with the Lewis Group, they both became Osha certified. We are so grateful to the Lewis Group for working with our participants and so PROUD of Bobby and Terrell.

The MWN team encourages our clients to consider taking courses that expand skill sets and knowledge that help obtain employment. Several of our MWN clients have received certifications through the MWN program.

• Tori completed her phlebotomy training to become a certified phlebotomist.
• Anthonya and Seryna both completed their dental assistant training with Contemporary Health Career Institute.
• Rafiq earned his Commercial Driver's License with Smith and Solomon.
• Cameron is in the process of earning her real estate saleperson's license and has competed the first of 2 courses to help her take the Pennsylvania State Real Estate Salesperson Exam.
• Naji started his 9 month carpentry program with Orleans Technical College. We are proud to share that he was Student of the Month this past September.
• Dessiah earned her Commercial Driver's License with the North Montco Technical Career Center.
• Andy completed his OSHA 10 certification training.

We are so impressed by the hard work our MWN clients put in every day to learn new skills and certifications that they can add to their resumes.

In early September, 10 MontcoWorks NOW participants were able to complete First Aid, CPR, AED and Bloodborne Pathogens Training. The training was provided by Cintas and was free for all who participated. This is not only a great skill to add to their resume, but also an everyday life saving skill.

The MontcoWorks★NOW program provides a variety of career exploration activities to help youth and young adults make informed decisions regarding employment opportunities. Our Developer of Workforce Partnerships, Sara Hudson, connects our participants to job shadowing opportunities with local employers. Job shadows provide the participants with an opportunity to accompany a professional during their workday. They get the chance to observe and have a better understanding of a specific career.

Learn about some of the awesome experiences we have facilitated recently:

• Jordan completed a job shadow with Nothing Bundt Cakes.
• Alaysia completed a job shadow at The Birches.
• Bailey did a job shadow with Lower Providence EMT.
• Jimmy completed two job shadows, one with Travel Haus, Inc and one with the MCIU IT department.
• Both Andy and Jack completed a job shadow at R&M Construction.

Thanks to Sara and our worksite partners for making these experiences happen!

The MontcoWorks★NOW (MWN) program held our fifth "What Employers Want" discussion panel in October. Employers were onsite from the MCIU HR team and Tru Vine Home Health Care. They answered questions developed by Sara Hudson, our Developer of Workforce Partnerships. After the Q&A, MWN clients and team members were invited to ask additional questions. Participants were then invited to speak one on one with the employers about potential opportunities in their organizations. Each employer had direct hire opportunities available and the participants were encouraged to connect with the employers if they were interested in submitting an application.

The MWN Career Counselors work together with their clients to support them with their career goals which includes working to find employment opportunities. We are so proud of our clients that are working all throughout Montgomery County filling roles in all types of career fields. Check out some of the awesome jobs our clients were hired for:

• Jihad started a job with Arby's.
• Michael started a job at the local Tractor Supply store.
• Alexa gained employment at Game Stop.
• Anthonya is working at Morning Side in their dietary department.
• Trey is working with the Norristown Public Works team.
• Joey is working at Classic Game Junkie.
• Destini is employed with True Care Home.
• Rachel started a job with the Elmwood Park Zoo.
• Ifraah is working for CVS Pharmacy after completing her paid work experience with their team.
• Guysha is working at Lamala Boutique.
• Dessiah is working with Western Express.

The MWN team works with over 100 worksite partners to connect MWN participants to a paid work experience (PWE). See below for current clients who are placed at organizations throughout Montgomery County.

• Destini is completing a PWE with Image Studio's 360 KOP.

• Elijah is completing his PWE with Triumph Counseling Group.

• Jordan completed a PWE with Nothing Bundt Cakes and is currently in a PWE at Play and Learn.

• Shania is in a PWE with Once Upon A Time Boutique.

• Terrell completed a PWE with the Lewis Group.

• Bailey is completing a PWE with the Birches.

• Teagan is completing a PWE with Expressive Path.

• Isaac is completing his PWE with Be ReZilient.

• Alaysia is completing her PWE with PJ Whelihan's.

• Anthony, Guysha and Noah are completing PWE's with Habitat for Humanity's Restore.

• Rachel and Josh are in PWE's at the Blessing Shop.

• Lily is in a PWE at the Elkins Park Library.

PWE's are a great opportunity to gain experience in the participant's field of choice and to learn if that career path is to their liking. We appreciate all of our worksite partners and are excited to support so many unique work opportunities for MWN participants.

Over the summer, we hosted our third cohort of interns through the Montgomery County Real-World Internships Skills and Experiences (RISE) program. We placed 27 interns in varying workplace settings such as county offices, non-profits and private businesses throughout Montgomery County. All interns were able to learn valuable skills in the career field of their choosing during this 6-8 week experience.

In November we launched the MontcoWorks★NOW Inspiration Station which provides an opportunity for our participants to share quotes on how they have been impacted by our program. Our team is passionate and committed to supporting youth as they navigate the workforce world. We often share client success stories but thought you would LOVE to hear from our participants directly. The MWN program provides amazing opportunities and each youth sets their individuals goals to achieve during their time in programming. Check out our quotes below from Amanda and Trevor; they are both doing amazing things in the workforce! Just a reminder to never give up!

The MontcoWorks★NOW team works hard to stay connected with our community and stay up to date on the best practices that will help us serve our MWN participants. Recruitment and engagement are important parts of our program. The team attened several career fairs and information sessions at our local schools. We connected with students at Lower Merion, Norristown, the Anderson School, and the Open Link to talk about our program.

Our partners at the Montgomery County PA CareerLink held PA CareerLink Discovery Day in September. We were able to connect with the local community, and our participants were able to access services such as professional headshots and resume assistance. The county held their annual Careers of Tomorrow event which connects employers with school age youth. Our team assisted with vendor check in, student check in and general support of the event.

Dan and Sara presented at the Pathways to Prosperity Symposium at the Bucks County CareerLink. They spoke to Montgomery and Bucks County workforce community members about our Paid Work Experiences program. Sara took a tour of Pottstown Water Treatment Plant. Sara, Danielle and Paula toured KMM. Kendall, Megan, Paula and Sara attended the 4th annual Reach Conference with the Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce.