County residents who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or who are overqualified for the job they hold are encouraged to apply for a new free job-skills program.
Employ Up, a federally funded program made possible through a $8.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, aims to ready potential employees for jobs in healthcare and information technology — two of the fastest-growing industries in the central Indiana area, officials said.
The program is open to any resident who hasn’t been working for 27 weeks or longer or who is considered “underemployed,” working a low-paying or part-time job that falls below their skill or education level while searching for other opportunities.
Employ Up, which runs now through October 2018, offers participants a job-skills coach to mentor them during a five-week career prep workshop covering job skills and training. Coaches work with participants to identify their skills and interests and make sure their resumes reflect their experience.
They’ll also walk job-seekers through the interview process and prepare them for questions about their employment history, officials said.
Following the workshop, job placement services are available for program graduates.
Employ Up has partnered with area companies specializing in information technology, healthcare and life sciences to offer program participants free training, internships and job placement opportunities, a news release states.
“Employ Up is an important program that impacts a specific segment of our population and helps prepare them with the skills needed to succeed again in the workforce,” program manager Marcia Williams said in a news release. “Equally important, Employ Up meets the needs for skilled talent that are especially pronounced in our tech and healthcare sectors.”
Employ Up operates under the umbrella of EmployIndy, Marion County’s workforce development board serving Indianapolis and surrounding counties, according to a news release.
As of June, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated there were two million long-term unemployed individuals in the United States, accounting for 25.8 percent of the unemployed, a news release states.
In addition, about 5.8 million underemployed people were reported as working part time, either because their hours were cut or they needed income while they looked for a full-time job, the department states.
Interested participants may apply online for the five-week workshop at employup.org or by visiting the Greenfield WorkOne office, 836 S. State St.
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A free job-skills program is now available for Hancock County residents who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer or who are underemployed (working a job below their skill or education level).
Training focuses on information technology and healthcare, two of the fastest-growing industries in Central Indiana.
Residents can apply online for the five-week workshop at www.employup.org.
Source: Employ Up
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