Participants Jerimah and Echo have painted, installed flooring, worked on interior finishes, and more at the Habitat construction site.
As part of the Department of Commerce WorkFirst Program, OlyCAP’s Employment and Training program helps TANF recipients find temporary subsidized employment or volunteer work in our community. Tribal, government or non-profit organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, provide on-the- job training, skill building, and experience. In turn, participants build confidence and have a stellar employer to add to their resume.
OlyCAP Employment Specialist Maria Logan states, “This can be especially helpful to someone who may not have a robust work history, recent work experience or strong work skills yet, but hopes to enter or re-enter the workforce. Organizations like Habitat can offer just the boost that a person might need to be able to land that meaningful job in the future.”
This summer, with reduced volunteer participation from both the community and out of state due to Covid19, participants have given the Habitat construction site and store a huge boost. Program participants have worked many hours building in Port Hadlock, repairing a home in Brinnon, and making improvements to the Port Townsend store.
Participants who work at Habitat for Humanity find it particularly satisfying, because there is a reciprocal element: they are able to give a “leg up” to someone else who needs it. Hard and soft skills learned at both the retail store and the construction sites have meant that participants are more marketable when it comes to finding unsubsidized employment.
Habitat works with people of all skill levels. Staff members who supervise job training participants on the construction site and in the stores enjoy providing training that suits each individual. Behind the scenes, Habitat’s volunteer coordinator works with job training participants to help prepare them for the expectations that a future employer will have. Job interviews, communication skills, tracking work hours, accountability to the schedule, and safety training are all a part of what Habitat provides.
“Many of the Community Jobs participants either secure unsubsidized employment in the community before the program ends, or they find employment very soon after. Participating organizations like Habitat for Humanity help make it possible.” –Maria Logan
