Anti-Poverty Project Yields Mixed Results

  A while ago, Mayor Michael Bloomberg started a project called "Opportunity NYC", which primarily focused on rewarding poor families for good behavior. The program offered up to $14 million to about 2,400 families around the NY area. Families would get money if they stayed employed, get medical insurance, get dental checkups, & maintained their savings accounts. Even high school kids got money for passing Regents exams! Unfortunately, the results of the project have been pretty mixed. Some families did well, some didn't. I wonder why.
  The results showed there wasn't much differentiation between those who under the program and those who weren't. A few more families saw the dentist twice a year and only 1% more had health insurance. Regarding students, the ones under the program were 8% more likely to pass the Regents than those without money. This comes to show that money doesn't always motivate everyone to be successful. There are probably a lot of problems when it comes to this program. Was it communicated effectively? Was it easy to understand? Were the goals reasonable? Didn't Bloomberg think this through before starting it? Another thing to point out is that Opportunity NYC had VIRTUALLY NO effect on elementary & middle school kids whatsoever.
  Here's the thing: poverty cannot simply be eliminated by spending money. No matter how much money you try to give people, they may not have the mindset to achieve the goals needed to earn that money. You really can't assume that ALL people in poverty are smart enough or care enough to do the things that you want them to do. People sometimes do things for quick cash and that's it. Are you providing any further incentives, like earn more while you do more? Though the long-term problem with this is that the government will have to be "obligated" to provide for poor people and end up adding even more to their own budget crisis (alas the MTA). That just leads to more suffering for New Yorkers in general.
 The bottom line is this: there needs to be a re-focus on education. Education is one of the main solutions (if not, the main) for poverty. Education helps us to critically think for ourselves and enables us to live better lifestyles. Why isn't there a proper investment in education? You want to know why we're lagging behind other countries? Because we never bothered to put our investments back in education for the next generation & beyond. Education & also job creation helps to eliminate poverty. Invest in human capital and in return, they can do wonders for you & the country as a whole. Someone needs to step up and take a stand for a huge educational intervention in New York (and the U.S. in general). Poverty is a very serious issue and it's not something you can get rid of with monetized incentives.
 ParentJobNet will do what it can to help parents living in poverty. We believe in education & its wonderful ability to enhance people's lives. Let's hope certain officials realize the same.

- Tony

Job Resource Website Recommendation: Joblirious

Hey folks, just want to give a heads up on a good job resource website I've come across recently. It's called Joblirious and it is a website that provides advice on career change, job searching, online career training, and interview preparation.
They have a team of experts that have researched all parts of the HR process to help ensure job seekers get the job that they need. There's also a variety of great articles written by the owner, Jonathan Ciampi. Some of my personal favorites to read were:

"All You Need Is Me - Job Interview Preparation"
"9 Ways To Get into 2010's Hottest Jobs"
"Job Search Techniques That Work - The 8 Step Plan"

If you are interested or are working in these fields (Accounting, Graphic Design, Automotive, Business, Computers, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Culinary, Dental, Engineering, Fashion, Paralegal, Medical, Nursing, and Teaching), then Joblirious has ways to help to land jobs or provide further advancement in those areas. They have a list of free training programs with their reviews on each of these programs.
All of these features are why I believe that Joblirious is a great resource to aid you in the job search process. Hey, it doesn't hurt to have an extra card in your deck, right?

You can visit the site at: http://www.joblirious.com.

Best of luck in your job search, everyone!

- Tony

March 23rd Cosi Networking Photos Are Up!

Pictures from our Community Networking Event at Cosi this past Tuesday are now up at Facebook! Here's a peek.

For the rest of the photos, you can check out the Facebook album at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=210730&id=340358058153

PJN New Website Press Release & Other News!

http://www.parentjobnet.org will be relaunched soon! Here's our press release.

Coming in April 2010!  ParentJobNet is proud to announce a website redesign, which will introduce an exciting new look and feel!  In addition to the new visual design, we will also have access to modern Web 2.0 features such as a calendar of events, integration with Google Maps, built-in feeds for Twitter, and a job posting discussion board are among the tools that we can use to support our family of parents and supporters. And our website support staff here at ParentJobNet are certainly looking forward to how easy it is to update this website, which means that we can provide news to our website visitors even faster than before! Stay tuned and look for the new website in the next few weeks!

In regards to the Cosi Networking Event this past Tuesday, the event was a success! A huge number of people came and everyone got a chance to shine. It's amazing to see the power of networking when you're actually there witnessing it. The event generated a positive reaction among those who attended. A special thank you goes out to Sara Sloves for helping to organize the event & Connie Gemson for giving a great presentation! ParentJobNet is working on another networking event in May! Stay tuned for that!

The Cosi Networking Event photos will be up soon via our Facebook Fan Page! If you haven't been to the Fan Page yet, do visit the Fan Page and become a fan!

See you soon!

"Job Generation" Trailer

Ladies & gentlemen, regarding Job Generation, this is the trailer to the series. Enjoy! This could be the start of something big if you ask me.

- Tony

"Job Generation": Bringing Execs & Start-Ups Together

   I was skimming through the news and found something that might be interesting to you guys. There was a show in Midtown Manhattan recently entitled "Job Generation" this past week. The show brought high-level executives that are out of work to meet up with start-up companies looking for experienced talent. Entrepreneurs got to show off their vision to those out-of-work executives and in return, executives had a chance to offer their expertise in carrying out entrepreneurs' ideas. The premise behind "Job Generation" is simply:

"Job Generation helps senior executives find jobs while simultaneously helping start-ups attract the talent that they need to make the big leap forward."

  In a sense, the program helps to bring experienced leadership to start-up companies that really need it. The idea was started by business networking guru Alan Brody, who believes that young people should have a chance to let their ideas shine. Brody argues that it's about time that the economy gets a kick-start from the growing number of young entrepreneurs in this country. I say it's a good start.

 Sure, there are a lot of start-ups out there. Some succeed, some fail. Why do some fail? Simple. Sometimes there's no leadership. You may have a vision, but you may not know how to carry it out. "Job Generation" helps to bring people with experience to those who need help in that area. It's important to be connected to those people. Small businesses tend to succeed if they have a variety of great connections and know how to use them. High-level execs have a chance to show off to the kids how it's done while the youngins' have great talent to help them out. 

 Brody plans to make "Job Generation" in a huge phenomenon. He's even planning to make a reality show based on the idea. Forget the HIRE Act, this is what will create jobs. I applaud Brody for thinking about the younger generation. Times have changed and people need to realize that the world isn't the same as it was 30-40 years ago. It's time for the kids to shine onto the stage since they may have a better idea for what's next than the older generation. The age of the Internet has allowed us to come up with ideas and possibilities that we probably would have never considered back then. This is not a fad, this is becoming reality every day, every minute, every second.

 If you want to find out more information on Alan Brody, you can read more about him at: http://www.ibreakfast.com/about.cfm. A video on what "Job Generation" is all about can be found here. Who knows, we could have him at one of our networking events in the near future. :]

- Tony

MTA Delaying Vote on Cutting Student MetroCards

 

  Parents, do you have children that go to schools that are reasonably far? If they have student Metrocards and the MTA stops providing them, will you have enough to provide transportation costs for them? As you all know around late last year, the MTA has proposed a variety of budget cuts. The biggest cut out of all the cuts is the axing of student MetroCards. All students will have to pay full-fare every time they go to & back from school starting around September 2011. Families have cried over this and students have been complaining. Multiple hearings have been held and even people got arrested for going over the edge during these hearings. It's really getting out of hand.
  MTA Chairman Jay Walder recently decided to delay the vote on cutting student MetroCards. He cites that with enough time, the MTA could change their mind on this serious issue. Of course, this depends on the city & state governments and their views on it. The MTA wants the government to pick up their almost $214 million tab. The city, state, and MTA have all been equally paying the costs for student transportation. Unfortunately, the MTA is now in huge debt. Oh yeah, the whole city is in debt in general. Walder has been meeting with student leaders and the students have declared that it's not just the MTA's problem, it's EVERYONE's problem. I highly agree. If something's not done, New York might not ever be the same again.
 Look, we've all had crazy commutes in our lifetime. Do we have to blame everything on the MTA? With all due respect, you can also blame our government. Ever since the Giuliani administration, have they really done anything to help the MTA whatsoever? Yeah, adding a few new lines and newer trains, but that's about it. The subways are still dirty & filled with homeless people. I went to China & Hong Kong and rode on their transit systems. Good grief, the subways are so much cleaner and they spray disinfectant EVERY HOUR. Security seems better over there too. It makes me wonder why New York hasn't caught on with the world. Then again, our lovable mayor, Mike Bloomberg, is too busy catering to his rich posse to even care about city/state matters. It's just ridiculous why people voted for him again when he's most likely going to do more harm than good.
 Getting back to the topic, there have been arguments on why kids should get free MetroCards when people suffer everyday to pay for them. Adults have argued that kids are too spoiled and that parents are too irresponsible. Let me say this, do you think parents have time to drive their kids to a school in the Bronx if they lived in Brooklyn? Not every parent can do that. Are you in a family? Do you have one? What the hell do you know? Talk to me when you have one or know what it's like from experience. Parents are doing their best to help their families. There are a lot of families in poverty. I live in an area where we have the 6th highest rank in hungriest U.S. districts (East New York, Canarsie, Brooklyn). Of course, I do agree that a certain number of kids act as if they have a sense of entitlement. Parents need to teach their kids better about personal responsibility. This is one reason why U.S. education is lacking behind other countries because American kids, for the most part, act like complete brats. Some parents just don't do a good job in raising their kids.
 If students don't have student MetroCards, then they are probably more likely to not go to school or go to their zone school. Their zone schools might not be the best. I mean, if you had a choice of your kid of going to Brooklyn Tech or Sheepshead Bay (zone school), then what would you prefer? My thoughts exactly. If student MetroCards are completely gone, then kids might not even be develop the necessary skills needed to make themselves better in life. Our unemployment rate might get even higher than it already is. The next generation workforce could be much worse off than we are. Online speak & being ghetto aren't what you call great job qualifications. I think all sides (MTA, city gov't, & state gov't) need to step back and take a look at the long-term ramifications of the situation and not just the immediate effects. This affects not just you and me. It affects the whole state of New York.
 Contrary to popular belief, not every kid is spoiled. There are kids who do have part-time jobs and want to be independent. However, they are still kids. They should have a chance to enjoy childhood and life in their teenage years before adulthood. Student MetroCards help to limit their burden. To those critics, stop taking it out on children. What have they done to you? You should be better off concentrating on your own lives and improving them. Mark June 2010 on your calendars because that's when we'll hear the final word on this whole fiasco. Let's hope that in the end, there won't be chaos.

- Tony

A Quick Reminder: March 23 Networking Event at Cosi!

Hey everyone, just a quick reminder that next Tuesday, March 23, 2010 will be ParentJobNet's Career & Community Networking Event at Cosi!

ParentJobNet is partnering with The Computer School, one of our fine hosts for a few of our programs, to make this event happen! A short presentation by Connie Gemson, Professional Career Counselor will be our feature highlight of the event. She is also a lecturer at LaGuardia Community College and a published writer on a variety of occupational issues. PJN & The Computer School are pleased to have her speak at our event.

The event will be at the Cosi on:
2186 Broadway (between 77th & 78th St.)
New York, NY 10024
Train Stop: 79th St. Station - 1 Train

If you're looking for a job, want to network, or just want to mingle, please stop on by! Did we mention that the event is FREE and we'll provide refreshments? Our networking events have been praised as a great resource to meet new people and find new opportunities.

You can RSVP for the event here. Click here for the flyer and spread the word. We'll see you there!

Job Opportunities at HCCI, Inc.

Folks, we would like to give you a heads-up about two job opportunities available at Harlem Congregations for Community Improvement, Inc. The following positions are:

- Construction Trades Instructor Assistant
- Intake Coordinator/Case Manager

If you have any questions regarding these jobs, feel free to contact Beverly Lydeatte at blydeatte@hcci.org. You can visit HCCI's website at http://www.hcci.org.

Jobs Bill Won't Help NYC's Unemployment

  


  Hey there, everyone. I'm sure you all know about the House of Representatives (more like the House of Democrats) recently passing the $15 billion job bill to help save companies & unemployed workers all across the nation. The main theme of this bill is that every company will get tax breaks for hiring new employees. Of course, not everyone is thrilled with this idea. New York small business owners and economists don't seem to believe this bill won't really have any impact whatsoever on the unemployment rate.
  Nancy Ploeger, president of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce (and a great supporter of ParentJobNet), recently spoke about the bill being passed around. She said it best in an article from the New York Post. "To be blunt about it, we would like to see the bill go a hell of a lot further. It's really just a starting point. It costs many thousands of dollars to create each job and this bill does not do enough for that." She's right, although Senator Chuck Schumer has pointed out that the bill is not meant to be a "panacea" in a sense. Unfortunately, New York & small business owners in New York do need a panacea. A lot of people are still unemployed in New York and that number probably won't fluctuate that much at all.
 Does anyone seriously believe this bill can solve anything in the long run? Companies still will be cautious about hiring. The problem is that costs are high (and worse, rising) and companies can't seem to do anything about it. You want to know why they have to resort to cutting employees, outsourcing, and multitasking? That's your answer. Seriously, how much of a tax break are they going to get? It might not mean much if certain companies' business isn't doing so well to cover all their costs. The U.S. will be in further economic hell if costs just keep rising. $15 billion is not a whole lot of money to work with in a large country such as a the U.S. Which brings me to my next point: government spending.
 The Democrats have been REALLY aggressive in terms of government spending and in a sense, a majority of that money should go to small businesses. Small businesses are what makes this country go. I don't see how tax cuts can create jobs. Tax cuts seem to only benefit the truly rich people. Not everyone here is rich. Small businesses provide multiple opportunities for people out there who are unemployed, just out of college, and/or never had a job before. I'll give you an example and it relates to me. I never had a proper job until I joined ParentJobNet back in 2005. I met with the founder, Pat, one day back in June 2005 and she gave me a chance. I took the ball and I rolled with it. Now, here I am, part of something that's growing and making a difference in the community. I'm a PERFECT EXAMPLE of how small businesses provides opportunities for a lot of people. This is why I'm for small businesses. Small businesses = opportunities + ample growth.
 This "job bill" still has to go through more approval, but there's already talks about another bill coming out soon that is catered specifically to small businesses. This better sound good and it better really help. Nancy Ploeger said that employers need more access to capital to create jobs and damn it, they need it more than ever. New York (and the U.S. in general) can really be saved if the government helps small businesses flourish. I mean, weren't all the big companies once small businesses at one point? The government needs to be reminded of that if we're going to get out of this economic rut.

- Tony

A Message From Our DOE Partner to Parents

Parents, you might want to take a look at this opportunity from the OFEA (Office for Family Engagement & Advocacy).


Citywide Special Elections

Calling NYC Parents: Applications for parents interested in serving on the Citywide Councils on Special Education and English Language Learners are now available. Applications will be accepted through March 19th.

For more info, please visit www.powertotheparents.org. If you need paper applications, contact the Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy at 212-374-4118 or email ofea@schools.nyc.gov. Feel free to come to our office, which is located at:

49 Chambers Street
Room 503
New York, NY 10007

Citywide Special Elections

English Language Learners & Special Education

http://www.powertotheparents.org/

March 2010 Events at Booker T. Washington Middle School

ParentJobNet would like to inform everyone of upcoming events at M.S. 54 Booker T. Washington Middle School on the Upper West Side this March. M.S. 54 is one of the best middle-schools in New York City today. Their DELTA Honors & CORE programs are both top-notch and really help students excel in academics. They are also known as a school that helps to build a great community within it. The events are listed as follows.

March 2010 Events at Booker T. Washington Middle School
Bring your family, friends and dancing shoes for an eventful evening of Salsa music, performances
and dancing. Salsa Social is given its 4th annual an HCZ Event. Salsa Social Specialist, Milo Baptist
will be hosting the event. The celebration will be located at Booker T. Washington Beacon 54 on
Friday, March 26, 2010 from 6:30pm-10pm. All are welcomed to attend this free event. Refreshments
will also be provided. For more information, please contact Emmanuella Aristil at (646) 539-5941 ext.
1024. Click here for the flyer.

The Hippity Hop Lane is an Easter Extravaganza that will be opened to the public for free. The event
will be on Saturday March, 27, 2010 at 10am-3pm, held at Booker T. Washington Beacon 54 at 103
West 107th Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam). All ages are invited to this event. In
addition, we will be providing arts and crafts, food, games, music, and raffling off gifts. For more
information, please contact Denise Coram, Rochelle Ross, or Diana Borrell at (212) 866-5579/ (646)
539-5941. Click here for the flyer for this event.

Since the tax season has started, our Single Stop staff at the Booker T. Washington Annex has
been preparing clients’ taxes for free. If clients are inquiring about a larger refund, the Booker T.
Washington staff will also find out if clients qualify for The Earned Income Tax Credit, The Child Tax
Credit, and the Savers Credit. The tax preparation is offered Monday-Friday from 5pm-9:30pm and
Saturday 10am-3pm. For more information on tax preparation at the Booker T. Washington Annex,
located at 123 West 110th Street (between Lenox and 7th Avenue), please contact Katrina Blue,
George Whitehurst, Luchy Disla, Charles Trimble, or Cherry Reid. Download the flyer here and spread the word.

The Booker T. Washington Beacon 54 program is welcoming parents to register their children for the modified program. The modified program starts March 29, 2010 to March 31, 2010. The program for that week will be opened from 9am-3pm. We are providing breakfast, lunch, trips, and academic activities for
students. For more information, please contact Katrina Blue or James Buckhanon at (646) 539-5941.

You can visit the school's website at http://www.ms54.org/dr/

Times, HuffPo Expand Unpaid Workforce

    Welcome back, folks! Hope everyone is enjoying the early Spring weather. There seems to be a rise in unpaid labor these days. The New York Times has recently expanded its unpaid workforce (after buying out 100 writers) and is now starting a new project with New York University on a new blog. The Huffington Post is doing the same thing too with their new college vertical. As much as these sound nice, there really isn't a bright future for current & future journalists.

   Honestly, journalism is one of the toughest professions out there. If your articles aren't that good, you're not gonna get paid. You can't expect to be a top-notch journalist overnight. And these days, the world of print media is dying. We're all getting most (if not all) of our information through the Internet. Blogging has become so popular that it's almost equivalent to journalism. Not every blog is great, but the point is, the Internet is where you want to be to write & post articles.

   Regarding being unpaid labor, it's only good for a while. Everyone needs money to survive. That's the way the world works. Sooner or later, those interns/unpaid workers are going to realize that they should be paid for what they do. Especially if they do a lot and their work is highly praised. They expect some compensation for their work. Also, do those programs at the NYT/Huffington Post offer any idea of career advancement? It seems like they don't. It's like saying "Hey, come here and let us use you while you hang on to the idea that it provides "good experience" on paper." Although, the Huffington Post is working on the compensation part and is hoping for the best.

  The reality in journalism is that no matter how much experience you have, publishing companies still might not hire you because why should they pay for you to write good stuff when they can get the same quality writing but for free. Using students and other interns is a sign of what's to come. One quote really bothers me and it's a quote from the director of NYU's journalism institute, Brooke Kroeger. She said that NYU will have "ever-replenishing pool of student and faculty talent backed by the vast research resources of a distinguished university." It's like she's saying they have an army of robot slaves at their command who will just write and not complain at all.

 A good point to point out that if you do unpaid labor most of the time, how would you respond to the "salary requirements" portion of a resume? You can't just tell the interviewer that you been doing so much unpaid labor. People want to know how much you're worth in your own eyes. If you can't figure that out, then tough luck. It's important to have a paid job. You might as well stop doing unpaid jobs and start going into another field that's actually consistent in pay. Getting fame & recognition is important, but that doesn't beat the number one need: your physiological needs. 

 However, if there is an internship that possibly can net you a full-time job or become part of staff, then by all means, take that opportunity. The idea of internships are seriously flawed. Internships at big companies don't really teach you anything. Doing courier boy errands doesn't make you a better worker. Most people who take them only do it to look good on paper. Companies need to re-evaluate their standards when it comes to internships, but unfortunately, the idea of free labor just goes well with certain companies' thought processes.

 My final question to the New York Times, NYU, & The Huffington Post is this: Are you prepared for a possible backlash from your own creations if you're not able to feed them regularly?

                                                                                                                           - Tony

Ponyo Day at Kinokuniya Bookstore NYC

Parents, did your kids see and love Ponyo? Are you and/or your kids a fan of Ponyo and other works from famous animation director Hayao Miyazaki (i.e. Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle)? Then, stop on by to Kinokuniya Bookstore this Saturday, March 6 for Ponyo Day, where Kinokuniya & many other guests will pay homage to one of the greatest Japanese animators of all time.
There will  be kid-friendly table activities and panels regarding Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki. There will be also be a big raffle with tons of prizes to give away, courtesy of Walt Disney Home Entertainment & New York Anime Festival.
One of our staff members, Tony Yao, will be co-hosting a Miyazaki-themed game show for Samurai Beat Radio, where contestants answer questions related to Ponyo & Miyazaki's other works. Contestants can sign up and enter the show & win prizes. So parents, if you think you know it all about Miyazaki films, come on down and show off your knowledge to everyone!
Kinokuniya is offering a special deal right now. If you buy Ponyo (on Blu-Ray or DVD) and either a choice of "Kiki's Delivery Service", "Castle in the Sky", or "My Neighbor Totoro", then you will receive $10 off your total purchase.

Kinokuniya Bookstore is located at:
1073 Ave. of the Americas
New York, NY 10018
Trains: B, D, F, V 42nd St. - Bryant Park, 7 to 5th Ave.

See you there!

Working Women & The Recession: Prospects for Success in the Workforce

   I don't know if you heard this on the news, but a recent study has shown that in 2009, for the first time ever in U.S. history, women outnumber men in the workforce. They just reached past 50%. Is this a good thing? Of course. It's about time that women have some control on what's best for the economy and the world as a whole.
   Some critics argue that the only reason that women have more jobs is because of the recession. Once the recession is over, then men can get back on top. The recession has really crippled men in terms of cuts to male-oriented jobs (i.e. manufacturing & construction) all over the U.S. Jobs for women (i.e. teaching, nursing, and social work), on the other hand, are growing and expanding as time goes by. I think it's about time that men start focusing on using their brains to go along with their brawn.
   Women will still prosper even after the economy is all well and good. Face it, a lot of those manufacturing jobs are not coming back. Most, if not all, manufacturing companies are using automation to do their work. Companies don't seem to care about human capital anymore when it comes to production of goods. As I noted in earlier blog posts, companies are about making the quick buck while not spending a whole lot of money for it. Another thing is construction jobs tend to be seasonal. Even if men find jobs doing that, they are only temporary. Once they're done, they have to find something else immediately. Men have to learn how to become freelancers and how to market themselves. This might not be easy if they don't know how to create a "personal brand" for themselves and are not catching up with the times. 
  Women, on the other hand, know how to create a "personal brand". They do so much more than men can & go through much more scrutiny. Women are able to juggle multiple priorities and tend to make the most decisions in families. They also know how to adapt to certain conditions as time goes by. You can say that women are able to reason and rationalize situations better than men. Right now, women have 57% of the Bachelor's Degrees and 58% of Master's Degrees in the U.S. Seriously, women are better educated and are more likely to receive better opportunities. That number is not going to change anytime soon. Times are changing. The future of jobs will involve healthcare, science, information technology, and green jobs. More emphasis will be made on education beyond just the high-school diploma (which can be bad for men). Another trend is the rise of dual-income families. More & more women are working instead of just staying home to take care of  their kids. Housewives are going to be a dying breed, so take that, all you crazy housewife-themed reality shows.
  Speaking of women, I would like to promote one of PJN's partners, the New York Women's Foundation. They are a wonderful organization that is focused on improving the lives of women and their families. The NYWF supports a wide variety of programs across New York City and provides grants for women-led organizations. They encourage women to help each other and act as activist philanthropists. The NYWF also has events & seminars from time to time to discuss issues concerning women and celebrate women's achievements in the NY community. You can visit them at: http://www.nywf.org/index.html.
  With the support of the New York Women's Foundation, ParentJobNet hopes to empower women even further. After all, it's a new day, a new generation.

- Tony

A Special Message From Our Executive Director, Pat Craddick

Friends and Colleagues:
As we continue forth in 2010, we have begun to see renewed hope and optimism as the economic indicators are starting to show some improving trends. However, some of us continue to struggle to maintain economic balance as a direct result of the unemployment situation, which has left thousands of low-to-middle-income families in our own communities in dire need of basic economic assistance.
The economy has lost 8 million jobs since the recession began in 2007, so unemployment remains the number one challenge for most of us. Recent data show a significant increase in unemployment in December – 96% worse than analysts had expected. There is no doubt that in these very difficult and challenging economic times our programs and services are needed more than ever before to help educate, prepare, and connect parents with jobs and economic opportunities to empower them to build financial security and peace of mind for themselves and their school-age children.
2010 marks our 5th anniversary! Since our inception, ParentJobNet has connected New York City public school parents with jobs and economic opportunities. The organization knows the important role that employment and financial success play in building a stable home to support school-age children in their studies and their lives. At a time when government agencies and other service organizations scramble to seek waysto support families in this drastic economic downturn that continues to leave many working families behind, ParentJobNet is already delivering by providing New York City public school parents with job readiness workshops, ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, computer classes, financial literacy workshops, job referral services, job networking events, and a host of other key economic benefits.
Thanks to our many collaborative partners, including the New York Women's Foundation, Consortium for Worker Education, Workforce1, Starbucks, TD Bank, Department of Education – Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy, Easter Seals, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, JPMorgan Chase, APA International Placement Consultants, Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center, New York University and some 20 other business partners. Additionally, the support of PS 84 and a host of other public schools who daily facilitate our ability to connect our constituents have proven indispensable.
We are delighted to be a second-year grantee partner of the New York Women’s Foundation. The NYWF knows just how increasingly challenging it is for low-income women and families in our communities and the important role our organization plays in providing economic resources and empowerment for women and families in New York City public schools. That is why the foundation has increased our grant award by twenty five percent (25%) this year! In addition, for over four years, the Consortium for Worker Education has funded our workforce training programs and will continue to provide the necessary funding to facilitate our workforce training programming needs.
Similarly, we are proud to partner with JPMorgan Chase to offer financial literacy workshops and PS 84 and the French Embassy to provide French classes for parents. We are delighted to continue our partnership with TD Bank and Starbucks to provide job networking events throughout the school year and our partnerships with New York University and CRM to redesign our Web site and back-end functionality.
We invite those of you who are unemployed, underemployed, considering changing careers, and those developing new businesses to continue to take full advantage of our school-based workshops and classes, connect with job opportunities and build your clientele at our networking events. Don’t hesitate to contact us at 866-541-3994 or 917-546-9104 for an appointment to see our job referral specialist who can assist you with your needs.
We look forward to sustaining our progress and success with your continued support. In this New Year, may we continue to flourish in community with each other and manifest peace and sharing, so that we may work to make our children’s lives and their school communities a little better and a little brighter in 2010 and in the years beyond.
The members of ParentJobNet and I look forward to another fruitful year and embrace the opportunities and challenges ahead.

                                                                                                                     

Best Wishes,

Pat Craddick

Executive Director/Founder

ParentJobNet, Inc.