Personal and Career Development has been HopeWorks’ key program since we opened more than 35 years ago. PCD is still around, but there are some exciting changes happening on Summer Avenue when it comes to our workforce programming. If you haven’t already joined us for a PCD class, then you may benefit from our Employment Essentials programming.

Meet HopeWorks’ Employment Essentials program

To help meet the varied needs of people engaging with the workforce, HopeWorks has shifted its on-site workforce education programming. Now, students have the opportunity to enroll in a new class – Employment Essentials. Similar to personal and career development, the coursework covers:

• ​Identifying personal interests, abilities, work values, and personality, and how that fits with career satisfaction.
• Job search strategies.
• Managing employer expectations.
• Interview best practices.
• Professional resume development assistance.
• Workforce communication skills.
• Emotional management.
• Character development.

All students in our Employment Essentials course will also connect with a case manager. This professional can help you identify and address any challenges you’re facing that aren’t related to work, but might impact your ability to be a good employee – like transportation, addiction management or childcare. We also have a workforce specialist ready to help you find openings and navigate the hiring process. The class meets in person at our Summer Avenue site, but students now have access to Google Classroom where they can find extra resource materials and submit homework assignments.

The best part? Employment Essentials is on a condensed timeline compared to our 12-weeklong PCD model. Students enrolled in Employment Essentials will complete the course after attending six three-hour-long sessions. This means that you can be out of the classroom and into the workforce more quickly than ever.

Am I a good candidate for Employment Essentials?

If you’re wondering whether or not a workforce development class is right for you, think through the following
questions.

1. Do you want to find fulfillment in your work?
2. Do you want to shift from working jobs to having a career?
3. Do you want to create opportunities to move up at work?
4. Do you want to make a meaningful wage?
5. Do you want to take pride in your profession?
6. Are you able to pass a drug test?

Do you want to have better relationships with your coworkers and boss?
If you answered “yes” to any of these, then Employment Essentials is a great course for you! We have classes
coming up, and we would love to welcome you as a student. You can get started by enrolling here.

Wait, what happened to PCD?

If you’re a donor or a longtime follower, you might be sad to hear that we’ve shifted from PCD to Employment Essentials. But here’s the good news: we are still offering PCD at Shelby County Division of Corrections. The PCD timeline and process is much better suited for our neighbors in prison, as it allows them to more meaningfully connect with educators, work through course curriculum and shape the employee they will one day become. Employment Essentials is just a shift we’re making to meet the needs of students in our community – students who need to graduate and enter the workforce quickly.