Job Training Program Gives Hope to Families

A revolution has been quietly taking place in northwestern New Jersey over the past 20 years.  More than 700 women have successfully completed an intensive office skills training program at Project Self-Sufficiency, and landed new jobs at area employers.  Most of the program participants were women who were out of work due to layoffs or other factors.  Many had left the workplace voluntarily to care for their families.  Years later when they wanted to return, many of these women discovered that their job skills were obsolete.  Faced with bleak employment prospects, they turned to the “Higher Opportunities for Women” training program at Project Self-Sufficiency, an intensive 16-week course that combines computer skills training, classroom instruction and on-the-job experience in a one-of-a kind job skills boot camp.  Women graduate from the program armed with the skills and confidence necessary to land a job in the current marketplace.  In fact, several have fared so well during the program that they managed to secure employment before their coursework was even completed.

Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency explains that HOW program is more than just a job-skills program.  “The Higher Opportunities for Women program offers participants the opportunity to gain the skills and confidence to compete in today’s job market, and that in turn, helps put food on the table, pay the rent, and ultimately turn around the prospects for the entire family.  Project Self-Sufficiency is in the business of changing lives.  Giving our participants the tools necessary to become economically self-sufficient makes families stable and helps the entire community.”

Over the years, Project Self Sufficiency has partnered with a variety of local businesses, non-profit organizations and government entities to provide HOW participants with externship opportunities.  Participants gain real-life work experience while honing the computer skills they have received as part of the HOW training program.  Participants are also encouraged to take advantage of the other programs offered at Project Self-Sufficiency, including counseling, life skills classes and other support services.

Former participant Linda Barry came to the HOW program after 18 years at home raising her children.  “I had no recent experience and I knew I needed to brush up and learn new skills.  I felt as though I was not qualified for any good jobs.  It was a very depressing time and I didn’t know where to begin,” she remembers.  “I attended the classes and ended up doing my externship at Sussex County Community College.  From that, I got an opportunity to interview with the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce where I ultimately landed a job.  The HOW program and the people who work at Project Self-Sufficiency helped me tremendously and showed me that I still had plenty to offer an employer.  It was a positive experience for me and I would recommend that women take advantage of these wonderful opportunities.”

The comprehensive HOW program prepares participants to seek entry-level office administrative positions.  In addition to 80 hours of computer skills training, the HOW Program includes 40 hours of classroom instruction and 120 hours at an unpaid externship at a community employment site, which further prepares participants to successfully venture into the job market.   Classroom time is devoted to careering instruction, life skills training and interviewing strategies.    While the Higher Opportunities for Women program runs during the Fall and Spring, Project Self-Sufficiency offers an abbreviated “Summer Office Skills” course during the warmer months.  Both programs incorporate computer skills training with classroom instruction and on-the-job experience.

“I learned a lot from this program.  I am confident in my updated computer skills and continue to practice them.  I am really thankful that Project Self-Sufficiency gave me such a great opportunity to get the education I needed to compete in today’s job market,” noted recent HOW graduate Kristi Rowan who entered the HOW program after being out of work for more than a year.  

Participants in the HOW program are encouraged to take advantage of the other services available at Project Self-Sufficiency such as support groups and life skills classes.  Kristi Rowan valued the support she received from her fellow classmates just as much as the instruction she received.  “My classmates helped in my growth process by sharing their experiences and encouragement.  Their input has made a positive difference in my life which I will always remember.  I gained confidence in myself through activities and discussions in class about self-esteem, goal-setting and time management.  I continue to use those skills both on and off the job.”

Dawn Sanford approached Project Self-Sufficiency in 2006.  “I was coming out of an abusive marriage.  My ex-husband left me, and our two children, who were 8 and 2 years old at the time, and I had no idea what I was going to do.  I was scared, lonely, and afraid, with no self esteem, and very little self worth.”  Dawn registered for the agency’s “Higher Opportunities for Women” program, and gained the confidence to return to college.  “I learned new skills and sharpened some rusty ones in Project Self Sufficiency's ‘HOW’ program.  With the support and encouragement I received from Project Self Sufficiency, I went back to college and sat in classrooms with a bunch of 18-year-olds.  I graduated from Sussex County Community College on the Dean's List and as a member of Phi Theta Kappa, with a High Honors Associates Degree in Criminal Justice.  Recently, I started a career within the Superior Court.  My children saw their Mom go from just surviving to thriving.  Without the support and encouragement I received from Project Self Sufficiency, I can assure you, I would have accomplished none of what I have.”

Participants in the current Summer Office Skills program at Project Self-Sufficiency are busy gearing up for their externships at local job sites.  Externships are offered at government and non-profit agencies in Sussex County, and the workload typically encompasses administrative tasks that participants would encounter at a paid work site.  Bristol Glen’s Volunteer Coordinator Caroline Silva has employed HOW participants at the elder care facility for several years.  “Project Self-Sufficiency does a wonderful job teaching basic computer skills, so I don’t have to spend a lot of time training.  The HOW participants help with the input of data into the volunteer database, create flyers to promote events, handle filing and other clerical work in the wellness center and in the marketing department,” commented Caroline.  “Project Self-Sufficiency also does a great job of matching somebody who would work well with older residents.  They are dependable, and they are kind and outgoing to the elderly.”

The agency is holding Open Houses for the Fall Higher Opportunities for Women program at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 4th, Monday, September 10th and Thursday, September 13th, as well as at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 6th and Tuesday, September 11th.  The new program will run from mid-September to mid-January.  To register for an Open House, or to find out more about the programs and services available at Project Self-Sufficiency, call 973-940-3500 or visit the agency’s website, www.projectselfsufficiency.org.