Program Description
CareerCatchers has developed an on-going program called Learning Communities (LC) to identify, share, and document Best Practices. These LCs provide a structure for staff in non-profit, career focused, organizations to increase their expertise in helping the disadvantaged find meaningful employment. At the core of poverty is the inability to earn a sustainable and living wage.
Achieving widespread change in helping individuals move out of poverty requires understanding the intricacies of the challenge and then taking actions that affect change across an interrelated set of complex social problems. The Learning Community brings together people in the field who are eager to learn and work within and across organizations and systems to implement best practices, share ideas, and brainstorm solutions together. Participants share a common agenda, develop specific outcomes, and use metrics to guide and evaluate the implementation of their learning. These periodic gatherings enable participants to apply new learning, share results and learn from each other; thereby improving their ability to achieve rapid and significant progress. Progress will be measured by increases from the start of the program and one year out in: the number of clients who are served in a sustained manner, the number of clients completing training programs, the number of client successfully employed, and the community resources to which clients avail themselves.
Learning Communities have been conducted with staff from single organizations as well as for individuals from multiple organizations. The goal is to support a network of community agencies focusing services on assisting the disadvantaged in a move toward self-sufficiency. The results have been to expand and enrich the capacity of the agencies involved, better outcomes for clients, and the identification of areas of overlap and redundancy.
What to Expect
The Learning Communities generally are:
- Facilitated by qualified CareerCatchers staff
- Held once a month, via Zoom, for 90 minute sessions, for six months
- Provide a case study approach so all members can directly participate and share their experiences with clients to the group
Objectives
- Participants will develop, learn, share, and document best practices
- Share resources and information and increase knowledge and use of community resources
- Learn new techniques for successful career counseling
- Develop skills and strategies through ongoing mentoring by facilitators and fellow participants.
Cost
Six-month program is $500 per participant.