If you attended BerkshireWork’s recent Job Fair, you may have noticed
the Berkshire United Way table and wondered what we were doing there. My
colleagues, members of our Economic Prosperity Impact Council (EPIC) and I were
surveying employers and job seekers to
gather data that will inform our Economic Prosperity work.
One young woman spoke with us about the barriers she is facing in
finding a job, because she doesn’t have a college degree. We know there are many people in our
community just like her.
Julie Singley, Program
Manager of Community Impact at Berkshire United Way attends BerkshireWorks’
annual job fair on Wednesday, October 18, 2017.
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That’s one of the reasons Berkshire United Way held its first EPIC meeting on September
22, 2017. There were 20 individuals in attendance, representing for-profit
businesses, health, government, education, and non-profit organizations.
EPIC is
a countywide, coalition led by Greylock Federal Credit Union, Guardian Life
Insurance Company of America and Berkshire United way, which aims to build
pathways to sustainable incomes for individuals and families in the community. Over the next six months, consultant Brittany DeBarros, will work with
EPIC to identify shared goals and clear action steps as coalition members work
together to:
- Develop
and implement strategies to get more people to work and fill vacant jobs
- Create
strategic work groups as needed based on additional data collection and
mapping/identifying existing resources
- Develop
collaborations and partnerships to change the way we work to successfully
reach our goals
- Identify
additional resources
- Assist
in developing investment recommendations for final approval by Berkshire
United Way Board of Directors
- Develop
and monitor performance measures with reports from community partners on:
- Employment Match Maker
(Family Sustaining Employment/Pathways)
- Adult Work-Based
Experiences
I invite you to email me at jsingley@berkshireunitedway.org or give me a call
at 413.442.6948 x32, if you are interested in sharing your time and talent to
create economic prosperity for all.
I look forward to hearing
from you!
Julie
Program Manager, Community Impact
Program Manager, Community Impact