YSEALI PFP Day 26: Employment and Employability

15 May 2019

Made a request to learn about how Financial Opportunities Centers (FOC) help job seekers in employment and employability, so Cristy managed to slot me for a visit to Metropolitan Family Services FOC at Kennedy-King College, a public community college. A community college provides vocational education and college transfer academic programmes. 

Chinatown. You are always so near yet so far.

Arrived at 63rd station

While waiting for Cristy to pick me, I went in a petrol kiosk to get breakfast. It was quite a challenge.

A fortified barrier between kiosk staff and customers

Hard to get healthy breakfast, but these were available

My breakfast

Kennedy-King College

I had the chance to meet staff, one after another, who were working on various programmes available at the FOC. 

The FOC runs a free Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) Training Program for job seekers who are keen to take up a career in the medical field. In the publicity leaflet, it mentioned that the sector had "29 percent job growth over the next 8 years" and the certification would allow one to work in "medical offices: dental, nursing, homes, rehabilitation centers, etc." Understand that the starting salary would be in the range of USD30,000 and above.

The CMAA Training Program lasts 14 weeks, and training includes areas such as soft skills, vocational training, digital literacy, and medical classes. Participants earn a stipend at various intervals of the training. Upon completion, they sit for the certification test by the National Healthcare Association. Participants are mainly high school students who do not intend to further their education.

The FOC provides a bundled/wrap-around service for job seekers as well. Clients also gain access to the whole suite of support services from Metropolitan Family Services. For instance, clients could get free clothing to attend to job interviews, and childcare services could be facilitated. Metropolitan Family Services follows up with clients up to 5 years from the point they get employed.

A career coach shared that her role was to be with the client from the beginning, to understand what motivates the client and to visit the client at his/her workplace to find out how he/she is settling in. Job seekers usually start with a 2-week job readiness programme. Employers are invited to share their experience in hiring with participants of this programme. The career coach helps the client to get his/her support group (e.g. family) ready for his/her employment; and works with second-chance employers to hire job seekers.

Charise Flowers shared about the Families in Transition (FIT) programme. Beneficiaries of the programme are referred to Metropolitan Family Services by Chicago Public Schools. They could be low-income households; broken families or any other displaced families. Charise conducts monthly house visits to the beneficiaries, and organises quarterly life-skill workshops to assist the beneficiaries to reach their goals. Metropolitan Family Services also assists in housing issues, i.e. liaising with landlords.

Dominic shared about his role as a Communities Partnering for Peace (CP4P) Career Coach. Outreach workers may refer former gang members to participate in the 2-week job readiness training. After that, they could either 1) sign up for a 14-week programme to be accredited in the construction sector; 2) undergo General Education Diploma (GED); or 3) 14-week programme at Chicago Food Depository to obtain the ServSafe food handling Certificate. 

Each of the staff who sat down with Cristy and I shared passionately about their work. I quipped that it was an irony that the people, who are helping others gain employment, can lose theirs any time when the state/city funding for the programme ceases.

With the passionate Metropolitan Family Services Financial Opportunities Center team

 

We were grossly overrun with our schedule, thanks to accommodating staff who gladly shared about their work and answer all sorts of questions.

Back at Metropolitan Family Services HQ, I managed to join in the Legal Aid Society Advisory Board meeting before it ended. 

Lunch for the Legal Aid Society Advisory Board meeting

A Chicago Tribune article caught my attention. Rivals - Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot vs Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle

Next meeting was with Illinois State Treasurer at his office at 100 W. Randolph St.

Flags on half-mast again at Daley Center. And it was College Signing Day.

View of 100 W. Randolph St from inside:

Illinois State Treasurer's Portrait

Some of the things that the Treasurer does:

We were greeted by the bubbly Paris Ervin, Director of Communications, Illinois State Treasurer's Office, whom we met when we visited Illinois State Capitol, before entering the Treasurer's Office.

Treasurer Michael Frerichs, an alumnus of ACYPL, shared with us how he decided to run for the Treasurer's Office, and how he had expanded the role of the Treasurer's Office during his term. He shared some of the challenges of the State, which include balancing the needs of the urban and rural communities. We also learnt that he could speak Mandarin conversantly!

With Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs, aka 203 (he's 203 cm tall!), aka 方仲华

Photos taken on our way down the lift

There was about an hour or two before our next meeting, so I decided to do some window shopping instead of returning to our corporate housing.

Disney shop at Block 37

Meanwhile, Singapore's Foreign Minister was in Washington DC

Photo Credit: Reeve Seah

  
Met My back at the corporate housing and headed to N Milwaukee Ave via the "L".

Busking in subway stations requires a valid permit too

We met Chris Meyers, President, Chicago Young Republicans and learnt more about the structure of the Republican Party and how messages were cascaded from the Republican National Committee to the grassroots activists. We also spoke about the fundamental beliefs of Republicans, namely, the view that government should be kept small and confined to diplomacy and defence, while leaving other matters to the local governments.

And then we walked over to Clover Sports & Leisure at 722 W Grand Avenue, where the Chicago Young Republicans was holding its regular Happy Hour gathering.

Met a Republican who quipped that the best to the left go to politics, while the best to the right go to work. Also met an African American Republican and learnt his reasons in affiliating himself with the Reds. It was great to be able to learn the perspectives and opinions of Americans from both ends of the spectrum.

Here's My posing with the Shuffleboard Table

In the game of table shuffleboard, each player stands at each end of the table.

3-points zone

Each player pushes his/her weighted pucks and tries to get them into the various points zones.

You could also use your pucks to knock away your opponent's to deny them of their score

Jillian explaining the game of shuffleboard to Ivy

And then we had a game between team US and team Southeast Asia (Singapore and Malaysia).

And we did Southeast Asia proud :D

We also invited other Professional Fellows who were based in Chicago. Here's Ante Medic from Croatia!

Saw this on the way back. So this is how we get to Navy Pier :)

Late night supper with Ivy's secret garlic recipe