By Sandy Meyer
Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO) is pleased to announce a new program called Job for Job, made possible through a grant from Bank of America and a partnership with a national reemployment coaching and training company called NextJob.
NextJob has chosen ECHO to roll-out this charitable job search program in the Brandon area. Participants in the program will receive job search training with cutting-edge software, career coaching and membership in a job club which will focus on networking and soft skills training.
Classes meet on Thursdays at ECHO, located at 507 N. Parsons Ave. in Brandon from 1–2:30 p.m. The class time is broken down into segments for networking, discussing job search topics and working independently on the job training software. After two weeks, clients are paired with a job coach and given one-on-one coaching to work on interview skills, resume building and other job searching skills. The program duration is structured to be completed in 17 weeks however; it is a self-paced program and can be completed in as little as two weeks once the student has received an access code.
“We are honored to be recognized by NextJob as a partner site and so thankful to Bank of America for making this program a reality. While we are committed to providing immediate relief to families in need, our true passion is to create opportunities for our neighbors to provide for themselves,” said Executive Director at ECHO Eleanor Saunders.
The program currently has six students registered with room for more. Fontaine Fosco is enrolled in the new program and feels it has already had an impact.
“This program has helped me create a better resume and helps me stay motivated to look for a job,” she said.
Classes are on a rolling schedule so they can be started on any Thursday by calling to register. Contact Sharmaine Burr at 685-0935 ext. 8003 to register. Additional classes sponsored by ECHO include GED, Basic Computer, and Financial Literacy, Healthy Living and Mommy and Me. For more information on ECHO, visit www.echofl.org. For more information on NextJob, visit www.nextjob.com.
