Program spotlight: JFS Employment Services
Last year by the numbers . . .
1,840 clients received employment support through our various employment programs.
38 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities were provided job placement services, on-the-job training, vocational skill development, and real-world work experience.
Whether an individual is unemployed or looking for a career change, our Employment Services department can help! We offer a variety of workshops, trainings, and support groups to help job seekers re-enter the workforce or find new opportunities.
Our professional and dedicated staff make a tremendous impact throughout our community in many ways.
Career Services provides virtual and in-person one-on-one career counseling, resume building, interview coaching, skill building trainings, and support strategies. We have connections with employers in the community to assist with job placement, and we operate under a Language Access Plan, which allows non-English-speaking clients to be served through 1:1 career coaching services using an interpreter or translator.
Individual Supported Employment supports individuals with disabilities through 1:1 career exploration, situational assessments, job development services, on-the-job training, vocational skill development, 1:1 support within vocational training classes, long-term job coaching, and connections to employers for competitive, integrated employment opportunities.
Our Vocational Training program provides participants with vocational training in high-need fields, such as AutoCAD and Administrative and Customer Service, so they can earn nationally recognized certifications in these fields and provide targeted entry into these industries. This program also provides a Foundations in Digital Literacy course, which offers the opportunity to earn an internationally recognized certification to help those with minimal technological knowledge gain basic computer and technology skills and experience. These programs support job seekers in obtaining the skills that lead to livable wage jobs in the Denver workforce without a college degree. All participants of these programs receive support from our Career Services team to assist them in securing and retaining employment.
Together, a JFS case manager and client collaborate to set specific, measurable, and attainable goals within the 60-month lifetime limit of Colorado Works (CW)/TANF participation. (TANF is a program where income-qualified families receive temporary monthly cash assistance payments and help with emergency expenses.) Participant goals, activities, and plans are uniquely based on each individual and their uniquely difficult situations. Staff asses each participant’s strengths and abilities, overall stability, mental health, housing security, academic history, vocational skills, basic computer skills, career interests, job-readiness, and any challenges that impact their goal of becoming less dependent upon CW/TANF. JFS case managers excel in discerning when participants need space and time to seek stability on their own terms and when it is appropriate to challenge participants to step outside of their comfort zones and participate in activities that will accelerate their progress. This discernment process, in collaboration with JFS’ holistic services, is a key to JFS CW/TANF success.
What’s Next
The Employment Services Department is launching Benefits Counseling services. Clients on disability benefits can receive benefits counseling through JFS’s in-house credentialed Workforce Incentives Practitioner.
In spring 2024, Career Services will begin virtual career workshops for job seekers in recovery from addiction. JFS has offered in-person career workshops to this demographic of job seekers in partnership with organizations, such as Mile Hi Sober Living and The Aid Center and will launch virtual offerings to mitigate transportation as a barrier to attendance. An employment specialist with lived experience in recovery and a current addiction counselor candidate will facilitate these sessions.
Our refugee employment specialists have received an influx of refugee job seekers this year. These specialists support refugees with intensive 1:1 career coaching, employer outreach and connection, interpretation coordination, and ongoing retention support for both the JFS client and employer.
Visit our site today to learn more our Employment Services opportunities for job seekers and employers!