Montco Career Connections

We are honored to share that MontcoWorks★NOW (MWN) participant, Destini Steele, won the youth Governor's Individual Achievement Award. She was invited to the PA Workforce Development Association's (PWDA) Award Luncheon to receive the award. Destini is currently working as a Medical Assistant with Mian Line Health's OB/GYN department. We are so proud of all her hard work and dedication towards building a future for herself and her kids. Congratulations to Destini and all of the award winners!

In April, the MWN program hosted CVS for an informational session for our youth participants. Youth learned about the history of CVS Health and were introduced to different career pathways available at CVS. They discussed important skills needed for a successful career in healthcare and retail environments. Youth were also able walk through the application process. As a worksite partner, CVS has hosted several MWN participants at various locations across Montgomery County. We appreciate their continued support of the MWN program.

The MontcoWorks★NOW (MWN) team encourages our clients to consider taking courses to expand skill sets and knowledge that help obtain employment. We are proud to share some incredible updates below:

• Jaden completed the Electrical 2 course at North Montco Technical Community College (NMTCC).
• Jack completed the Electrical 1 course at NMTCC.
• Sophia completed her Dental Assistant training at the Contemporary Health Career Institute (CHCI).

We are so impressed by the hard work our MWN clients put in every day to learn new skills that they can add to their resumes.

The MWN Career Counselors work together with their clients to support them with their career goals which includes working to find employment opportunities. We are so proud of our clients that are working all throughout Montgomery County filling roles in all types of career fields. Check out some of the awesome jobs our clients were hired for:

• Ashlyn was hired by McCaffrey's Food Markets as a cashier.
• Sara was hired by Nothing Bundt Cakes after a successful PWE.
• Cameron B. started working with the team at CADCOM after a successful PWE.
• Cameron H. was hired by Keller Williams Real Estate after a successful PWE.
• Shannon joined the team at Bucks County Orthopedic Specialists.
• Andy is working as a laborer with Pro Cut Concrete.
• Jalyn is working as an Applied Behavior Analyst with Medical Staffing Inc. Her current placement is Easter Seals.
• Sebastian is working with the team at Boyd Machine Company.

The MWN team works with over 100 worksite partners to connect MWN participants to a paid work experience (PWE). See below for current clients who are placed at organizations throughout Montgomery County.

• Danny started a new PWE with the Blessing Shop.

• Andrew is in a PWE with the Garden of Health Food Bank.

• Sylest started a PWE at Mishock Physical Therapy as a PT support team member.

• Zaeon is working at the Family Promise Food Pantry.

• Darius started with Care and Share Thrift Shoppes as a furniture donation assistant.

• Angelica is working as a front end team member with CVS.

• Shyla is working as a pharmaceutical tech with CVS.

PWE's are a great opportunity to gain experience in the participant's field of choice and to learn if that career path is to their liking. We appreciate all of worksite partners and are excited to support so many unique work opportunities for MWN participants.

The MWN team attended the annual PA Workforce Development Association Conference: Driving the Future Forward. This conference brings together workforce professionals, community partners and businesses all across PA and beyond. We learned about resources and opportunities available for our youth participants. Some workshop highlights included The Bubble Gum Gamble and Bridging Generations in Career Coaching. What a great opportunity to expand our knowledge and resources for our youth.

The MontcoWorks★NOW team works hard to stay connected with our community and stay up to date on the best practices that will help us serve our MWN participants. Recruitment and engagement are important parts of our program. We are always connecting with youth and potential partners at job fairs, schools, events and more. Danielle visited Harriton and Lower Merion High Schools to talk to their seniors. Paula visited Upper Moreland High School to speak with their seniors. Jon visited Abington and Wissahickon High School to speak with their students. Sara and Jon visited business math classes at Norristown High School.

Sara joined the REACH Committee and is now a member the Montgomery County Community College Business Programs Advisory Committee. Jon and Sara volunteered at the Careers of Tomorrow STEM Expo. Megan and Danielle volunteered at MCIU headquarters for Earth Day. Sara, Danielle and Paula attended the REACH luncheon. The MWN team joined fellow youth committee members for a tour of Allan Myers headquarters.

RISE has officially launched. We held our first participant orientation on May 11th with 21 youth in attendance. This year, we will have 36 interns participating in the program.