PLATFORM TO EMPLOYMENT opens applications for long-term unemployed
Florida SBDC at USF partner, CareerSource Tampa Bay, is partnering with The WorkPlace to bring Platform to Employment (P2E) to Hillsborough County. P2E) is a national program that addresses the specific needs of unemployed workers age 50 and over. Online applications have been opened for residents of Hillsborough County.
Those interested in the program can apply at the Platform to Employment website, http://www.platformtoemployment.com and click on the Platform to Employment Application button on the right side of the homepage.
The program is accepting applications from those who are unemployed and have exhausted their unemployment benefits. Applicants must be 50 years of age or older. If you meet these criteria you are encourage to apply now as seating is limited and applications will not be accepted after March 28, 2014.
Classes are scheduled to begin April 14, 2014.
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 and family support services, and financial counseling. 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.
P2E has expanded to nine other cities including San Francisco, Detroit, Denver, Minneapolis, Newark, Chicago, San Diego, Cincinnati and Dallas. The program is funded by grants from AARP Foundation and Citi Community Development.
The P2E program offer individuals a five-week preparatory program, including skills assessment, career readiness workshops, employee assistance programs, coaching and more. Upon program completion, P2E provides participants assistance with their job search activities to find open positions at local companies. Placements are made on a trial basis, paid for by The WorkPlace. The expectation is that if the company is satisfied with the performance of the candidate, a full-time job will ensue. The WorkPlace 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.
