RENO -The state of Nevada, Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) is pleased to announce that Platform to Employment (P2E), a nationally recognized program addressing the specific needs of long-term unemployed workers has opened its on-line application for residents of the Carson/Reno/Sparks area. The program kicked off with the first cohort in Las Vegas in September.
The program is accepting applications from individuals who have been unemployed 27 or more weeks or have exhausted their unemployment benefits. Those who meet the criteria are encouraged to apply immediately as seating is limited and applications will not be accepted after Jan. 5, 2015. The course is free and is scheduled to begin mid-January.
Those interested in the program can apply at the Platform to Employment website, www.platformtoemployment.com and click on the Platform to Employment Nevada Application button on the right side of the homepage.
Nevada was among 32 states to be awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to assist Nevada's long-term unemployed jobseekers in reentering the workforce. The grant totaling $1,830,497 was awarded through the Job-Driven National Emergency Grant program.
"This is a very important opportunity for Nevadans who are experiencing barriers in returning to work. Through this program, the Employment Security Division is addressing the urgent need to provide additional assistance to the long term unemployed," said Renee Olson, administrator for DETR's Employment Security Division. "Jobseekers who have been unemployed for extended periods of time find it even more difficult to return to the workplace. This program will address a variety of needs to help improve their ability to find work."
DETR is partnering with The WorkPlace, southwestern Connecticut's regional Workforce Development Board, to bring P2E to the Carson/Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Olson said. The P2E program offers individuals a five-week preparatory program, including skills assessment, career readiness workshops, employee assistance programs,
coaching and more. Upon program completion, P2E assists participants in finding open positions at local companies.
Placements are made on a trial basis, and are paid for by the program. The expectation is that if the company is satisfied with the performance of the candidate, a full-time job will ensue. Platform to Employment subsidizes the wages of the job candidate for up to eight weeks, providing employers a risk-free opportunity to evaluate the candidate and determine if a good match exists.
P2E, which began in Southwest Connecticut in 2011 and has been featured on "60 Minutes" and other national news programs, combines job readiness training, personal support services, and financial counseling said Joseph Carbone, President and CEO, The WorkPlace. The program in Connecticut has placed nearly 80 percent of its participants into work experience programs with local employers. Ninety percent of these participants subsequently moved to full-time employment.
"We are pleased to be partnering with the state of Nevada on this important initiative," Carbone said. "This is a highly successful program that has yielded positive results in other markets."[[In-content Ad]]
