Hire253

• Kelly Blucher, Goodwill Industries,  KellyB@goodwillwa.org
• This was a product of the Workforce Development committee
• Trying to find meaningful ways to get people into employment. 
• It has been an amazing year for Hire253 (to put it mildly. –ed.)
• We need to provide employment opportunities for those currently experiencing homelessness
• We brought employers in who are able and willing to serve the most vulnerable clients – they have to be there to interview, hire, and report out their outcomes (the vetting process this group came up with has been key to making this event a success – having the employers ready to hire the population we serve is no small task –ed.)
• April event – 90 employers and community resources
• 636 attendees – 22% of people were currently homeless or had been in the prior few months.
• 30% of attendees got jobs
• Our target is to get 50% of the attendees hired. 
  • We are reaching out to different employees hired
  • We had a lot of folks with disabilities attend the fair
  • Also saw more veterans than previous fairs
  • Attendees are aging – seeing an older population at the fair. 
• Our planning group has dwindled on this project (we can better support this work, oh Great Coalition. –ed)
• I need help to figure out which resources we can put together prior to the event – preparation to be hirable, and supports to stay employed – transportation and childcare are major obstacles (obstacle – from the latin “ob”, meaning against, and “stare”, meaning stand.  So, something that “stands against you”. –ed) Folks who get jobs need childcare right away, and need to figure out how to make that happen. (if we didn’t, we should totally see if Child Care Resources, who came to present in late April, could have a table at the event.  Info on their services at  http://www.pchomeless.org/MeetingMinutes/Details?id=379 –ed.). 
• Next event, focusing less on livable wage jobs, defined as over $20/hour, and more on any level jobs.  Once you hit this livable wage job level, you rather paradoxically lose many supports.  (the benefits cliff sucks. –ed.)
• Career Readiness Class – June 10^th – just show on up.  Info at https://www.goodwillwa.org/cred-career-readiness-program/ - no cost, will help with lots of basic living skills.
• Center for Strong Families (https://www.goodwillwa.org/goodwill-building-stronger-families%E2%80%95and-communities/ ) – trying to integrate into all workforce development.  Integrating financial literacy into all employment programs has value. 
• Financial Literacy Program – partnered with Tacoma Public Utilities – M-F from 10am-12:30am or 5pm-7:30pm.  it is free, as is everything Goodwill does.  Attendees get $80 off their utility bill, and if they do a one-on-one planning session, they get another $80 off their bill. 
• Al – I know Goodwill has a connection with the Chamber of commerce – do they sponsor or help promote Hire253?  Kelly – good question, no, not on the workforce development level.  Goodwill has a position on the Board.  Goodwill also have a position on the Workforce Development Board, but they aren’t involved with the Hire253 project.
• Sheila – can non-English speakers get an interpreter?  Kelly – if they have their own interpreter, that is fine.  Often folks with disabilities come with interpreters.  Theresa – Tacoma Community house does a lot of similar programming in Spanish, so that is a resource that can work well for Spanish speakers.
• Maureen – the TPU $80 has an income restriction.  Kelly – yes it does.
• Al – Since you’re champion of the children, I nominate you to be champion of the adults, too.
• Next event is scheduled in September. 
• June 19^th – from 10am-1pm – having a hospitality job fair – the reason why we didn’t call it Hire253, we didn’t have funding for lunch.  Hospitality typically does not do background  checks, so that is a good option for many of our clients.