Students gearing up to go into the workforce often have access to school resources around employment skills such as interviewing techniques and resume writing. But students aren’t the only group that might find themselves in need of a refresher course in work-related topics.
Thanks to a grant from Google, the Cobb County Library is offering free job training programs specifically for people with special needs and disabilities. The funds also enabled the library to purchase new computer tablets, ergonomic mice, page magnifiers for those with visual disabilities and other tech aids to help with job searches. But any Cobb resident who meets income guidelines is eligible to participate, and plenty of seats are available, said Renaté Elliott, the accessibility services supervisor for the library system.
“We started the program virtually last fall, but since we opened up to in-person sessions in June, and it’s been difficult to get people to come in,” she said.
The program is run jointly with experts from the Tommy Nobis Center, a Marietta-based nonprofit whose mission is to empower people through employment. Named for the former Atlanta Falcon football star, the center has the instructors and content the library needed to deliver the job training.
“They bring different topics each week that focus on things to prepare for as you go into the workforce – preparing for an interview, creating and editing a resume, how to apply for jobs online,” said Elliott. “And participants can go to the Tommy Nobis Center for mock interviews and get help with employment placement. One of the best takeaways of working with the center is that they have links to get our participants hired.”
The center was able to stretch its services into the library through a block grant from Cobb County to provide workplace readiness training, said Tommy Nobis Programs Director Liz Pfennig.
“”We’ll work with participants on workplace etiquette, about being in the workplace, about knowing their digital footprint and technology rules for the workplace,” she said. “And we’ll go through mock interviews to practice.”
The sessions are held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and continue through the end of September. After that, Elliott hopes the collaboration can continue to offer retraining to those who need it.
“We are committed to continuing a partnership with Tommy Nobis and will have them here to host workshops as they’re available,” said Elliott. “And we’ll refer our patrons there if they need help beyond our scope, especially when it comes to job placement.”
To register for the free sessions, call the Tommy Nobis Center at 770-427-9000, or go online to tommynobiscenter.org.
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