Village Vans Customized Job Skills Training Participant
Fall 2006 — Kristal, a former Village Vans Customized Job Skills Training participant symbolizes the impact the WorkFirst program is having on the lives of so many. This is a picture of Kristal, her son and Governor Gregoire.
Kristal enrolled in V. V. through South Puget Sound Community College WorkFirst Department. She had quite a few significant employment challenges but it became clear quite soon that she had many valuable job skills, particularly an extraordinary ability to solve problems and learn new skills. Work skills are easily identified during the work experience component when students begin driving and performing other related tasks. Kristal was dependable, took responsibility and demonstrated accountability for her work.
Through many teaching sessions, Kristal learned how to write and talk about her skills and created an impressive resume. During an appointment with Jeannie House at WorkSource Kristal learned about an open position as Copy Clerk for the Washington State House of Representatives during this year’s session and, based on her resume, was encouraged to apply. She did. She had many apprehensions centered on a total lack of knowledge about government and politics and going into a totally strange environment. We began addressing her fears by studying the Olympian Guide to the Legislature 2007 and improving job interview techniques.
She was invited to interview for the position on a Friday afternoon with four interviewers for 1 hour, 45 minutes. She raced back here right after and said it may have gone OK. That night she was offered the job and asked to start Monday morning. Kristal kept in contact with us and after only a couple weeks she was incorporating new language in her speech – “caucus”, “Speaker”, “Senate”, “roll call”, “subcommittee”, etc. One day, she even got a glimpse of the Governor across the lobby! They all hope Kristal will come back next year if she doesn’t have something more permanent.
For Kristal, an impossible dream became a reality. Much thanks to South Puget Sound Community College and Jeannie House of Employment Security, WorkSource Thuston County, for playing such an important part in this success story.
