Opportunity Chicago Participant Finds Security in Home and Work

Since March, William Moss has been working as a security guard at the downtown Marriott Hotel on Michigan Avenue where he works five nights a week, punching in at 11:30 p.m. and clocking out by 8 o’clock each morning.

“He’s a good worker,” said Chief of Security and supervisor George McDade. “We really appreciate and support the program that connected us to him.”

Moss’s placement at the Marriott is a result of the Career Advancement Network transitional jobs program. CAN is a job development firm that works in conjunction with the Partnership’s collaborative workforce development initiative, Opportunity Chicago.

Participants engage in a three-week course that offers on-the-job training at the hotel, with the possibility of being hired at completion. Moss, who had been looking to break into hotel maintenance and management, knew the program would be an opportunity to help him get a start in the profession.

“In the long run I could see this was a good career move,” he said. “The program had training sessions to help me on the job and long-term employment afterward is almost guaranteed. There was just too much room for advancement to pass it up.”

The hours his job requires are a perfect fit for the single father, who has joint custody of his eleven-year-old daughter. During the school year, Moss leaves work with enough time see his daughter off to school and get enough sleep to meet her at home in the afternoon.

Last October, Moss relocated into the mixed-income development West End – a familiar location for the lifelong Chicagoan who lived in the neighborhood when it was the Rockwell Gardens housing projects.

“I was really excited to move back in,” Moss said. “I got the keys on my birthday and moved in the following day. I couldn’t have asked for a better present.” When reflecting on his thirtieth year, the CHA resident says that his life has changed significantly because of the initiatives and developments launched with the Plan for Transformation.

“I love my job. I love my home,” Moss said. “To know where I came from and see where I am now is proof that I am truly blessed.”

August’s Connecting Opportunities event will focus on connecting retailers to openings in mixed-income neighborhoods.

For more information on the Career Advancement Network’s transitional jobs program, visit their website at www.careeradvancementnetwork.org.

(Story courtesy of The Partnership for New Communities.)

ServiceWorks Strengthen Siblings' Talent in Service and Hospitality

Siblings Andre, America, and Kevin Little* all have a talent for service. Recognizing their interest early, the brothers and sister – all high-school aged residents of Chicago Housing Authority developments – tapped Chicago ServiceWorks for job training. Together they completed ServiceWorks’ weeklong customer ser­vice training workshop titled, “Getting Started as a Service Professional,” which helped prepare them to be successful in the service industry. ServiceWorks also provided the Littles with case management, job readiness training, tutoring in basic skills, employment and re-employment services and career exploration.

As a result of their involvement with ServiceWorks, America and Kevin both held numerous service positions during high school. Kevin has worked for a variety of employers, including Ben and Jerry’s, Home Depot and Chicago Alderman Walter Burnett’s office. He is now employed at Macy’s.

ServiceWorks supported America as she faced social adversities, and has worked closely with her on becoming economically self-sufficient. Through ServiceWorks re-employment services, America has held positions at Rainforest Café, AirServ, Marshall Fields, Pompeii and, at present, Così. Andre, too, faced adversity in high school. After a brush with violence, ServiceWorks reached out to Andre with employment and support services, and ultimately placed him in a position at Famous Footwear. By his senior year, Andre had received two promotions, eventually becoming assistant store manager. Today, Andre works in a management role at Family Dollar.

Despite their young ages, Andre, America, and Kevin Little are gaining solid work experience in an industry with room and opportunity for advancement. ServiceWorks’ ongoing engagement with the Littles provided a range of supportive services that helped the family overcome barriers to employment success.

Chicago ServiceWorks is a Chicago Workforce Center that helps meet the workforce needs of employ­ers by preparing city residents for careers in hospitality. In 2009, ServiceWorks became an Opportunity Chicago partner that collaborates with the initiative’s providers to ensure that public workforce programs and services are offered to CHA residents.

(The names in this article have been changed for privacy purposes.)