VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Supported Employment assists Syracuse citizens with finding jobs
Alex Rubinson: Syracuse Northeast Community Center is Home to an Employment Program that helps people get jobs. Director Donna Moore explained that about 90% of their clients rely on the SNAPS Program. The community center does provide a food pantry. I spoke with Moore to discuss how she helps Syracuse citizens secure a career.
Rubinson: The Supported Employment Program has helped over 2,000 people get jobs since it started. The center offers a GED program and ESL classes. Moore takes pride in the personal attention each client gets.
Donna Moore: Our program has been successful because we one-on-one coach people. People aren’t in big groups getting lost, so people come to us and they may have other issues. You know we work with people that are trying to get out of the domestic violence situation. They may not be comfortable talking about that to some agencies, but because they are one-on-one with us, we close the door. I’ve had people in my office crying, telling me their story.
Rubinson: Moore cited Micron and the number of advanced manufacturing jobs as a major reason for optimism. She believes that business will be booming. Moore cites a woman who came to her after getting out of federal prison as why she loves her work.
Moore: She really showed me the tenacity of an individual that wants to make their life better, and any suggestions that I gave her to help her to move on that path she took, and we ended up getting her a really good job. She’s moved up twice since she’s gotten that job. She currently is making more money than I make, and I can say that so proudly because she’s now saving up to buy a house for her and her son.
Rubinson: Moore said the key is one should not always look at the numbers, but they need to invest in people. She believes that is what has led to their success stories.
Rubinson: One of the big obstacles the program is hoping to attack is transportation. Moore explained that too many times buses drop people off too far away from their home or job.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) –The Syracuse Northeast Community Center is the home to many different programs. One of the programs is built to help people in Syracuse find a job and jumpstart their careers. The Supported Employment Program reviews resumes and meets with its clients to help them pursue the type of job they want. Director Donna Moore runs the program. She has worked in nonprofit organizations for over half of her life. She explained that the personal coaching each person gets helps open them up.
“Our program has been successful because we one-on-one coach people,” Moore said. “People aren’t in big groups getting lost, so people come to us, and they may have other issues. We work with people that are trying to get out of the domestic violence situation. They may not be comfortable talking about that to some agencies, but because they are one-on-one with us, we close the door. I’ve had people in my office crying, telling me their story.”
In addition to sitting down with the clients, Moore is very proud of the initiatives the program provides. They also have a GED program and conduct ESL classes to help open up new opportunities. Moore explained that it is very difficult to get a job without an English background. The state said that the SNAP program that provides people with food aid will be put on hold starting Nov. 1. Moore explained that about 90% of the program’s clients rely on these resources. She said that the community center has a food pantry.
In a recent Associated Press poll, it was reported that 47% of people were not confident they could find a good job if they had to. On Monday, Nationwide Career Fairs was expected to hold a career fair at the Syracuse Inner Harbor, but the event was postponed due to the government shutdown. Despite some of these concerns, Moore was confident that Syracuse would be home to a healthy job market. She cited Micron and the new wave of advanced manufacturing jobs it will bring to the city.
Moore meets with the other specialists often. The meetings are meant to go over clients and the next steps towards helping them achieve their goals. Over the course of the program, it has helped over 2,000 people find jobs. Moore enjoys seeing some of the success stories. She will always remember helping a woman who had been released from prison.
“She really showed me the tenacity of an individual that wants to make their life better, and any suggestions that I gave her to help her move on that path, she took, and we ended up getting her a really good job,” Moore said. “She’s moved up twice since she’s gotten that job. She currently is making more money than I make, and I can say that so proudly because she’s now saving up to buy a house for her and her son.”
Moore believes the key to making an impact is investing in people and not just crunching the numbers. As the program continues to grow, she hopes that they can improve the public transportation system. She believes that too many times, the buses will drop people off too far from their job or where they live. Even with more still to do, Moore is proud of her body of work that has taken shape over the years.