How We Work
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We follow a comprehensive, proven model
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Foundational preparation includes restoration of human dignity
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Participants are empowered to achieve stability in employment
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Advancement programs provide skills to connect to higher paying jobs
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Intensive support is provided throughout process
Community Partners
We can't address the challenges faced by our Members alone. So we partner with community organizations to find individuals who could benefit from our program. And we work with organizations that specialize in the issues that have held our participants back, such as addiction and homelessness.
Here's a list of some of our current community partners.
Preparation
Assessment
We take the time to understand where you’re at now, and where you want to go. What are your strengths? Where do you need improvement? How do you
define success?
Barrier Identification and Remedy
During the assessment, we identify what’s standing in the way of success. What are your “barriers” and how can you overcome them? Some common barriers are:
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Drug / alcohol addiction
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Mental illness / depression
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Homelessness / unstable housing
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Spiritual brokenness / lack of self-esteem
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Criminal record
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Lack of education / low basic skills
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Legal issues
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Transportation
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Childcare
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Trauma
Our staff and partner organizations work with you to address these issues.
Life Skills Training
Your past does not have to be your future. During a two-week workshop, we teach participants how to redefine their lives.
They work on building confidence, resolving conflicts appropriately, making and keeping commitments, developing positive attitudes, understanding and meeting employer expectations, identifying and living by a set of values and maintaining personal health and wellness.
They also learn how to complete employment applications, provide references and practice interview skills.
Spiritual Renewal and Motivation
We consider every person to be worthy, entitled to respect, and capable of achieving their goals. But often, chronically unemployed and underemployed people lose hope.
We help them see themselves in a new light, to recognize their dignity and self-worth, motivating them to achieve success.
Stability & Advancement
Entry Level or
Transitional Employment
After the preparation phase, we create a custom Employment Development Plan for each participant.
We assist with the job search, including filling out applications and interview preparation.
They will typically find employment with one of our core “stability” employers. These jobs help build an employment track record and references.
The goal: to keep the same job for at least one year, a key step in achieving employment stability.
Advancement: Skills, Education & Training and Advanced Job Placement
Once they have stable employment, we help them “move up”—to a job that pays at least 200% of the federal poverty rate. This requires additional training and the removal of any remaining barriers.
Post Employment Support
Unlike some workforce development programs, we don’t stop when they get a job.
We hold regular meetings and phone calls with participants and their employers, to check on progress.
Over time, issues might come up that affect their status. We try to predict and prevent them. But should they arise, we’ll help participants and their employers find resolutions.
With several of the anchor institutions in healthcare, and because of the growing need for employees in this field, JobsWork MKE has developed a new program—Pathways to Healthcare Careers—to benefit our participants and anchor partners.
JobsWork MKE places many participants in healthcare jobs. Often, they start in high-demand, high-turnover roles that don’t require experience or education. The Pathways program aims to help these workers transition into higher level employment—from “low skill” to “middle skill.”
The program helps them move up by developing their foundational skills, such as math and reading, technical skills, career readiness and by offering one-on-one coaching. The employers—the anchors in the collective—provide the opportunities for long-term growth and sustainability.
This is not only a powerful way to provide family-sustaining jobs to people in need, but helps healthcare partners meet their workforce demands.
Pathways to
Healthcare Careers
"...that’s what’s changed the most -- how I feel about myself. I just see myself in a more positive light. I’m much prouder of myself. I feel infinitely more confident.
—Jumaane, Program Participant