Agenda - 1-5-15 Reg. Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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t333 Johnston - Lee -Hamett Community Action, Inc. Agency Strategy for Eliminating Poverty (Continued) 3. Employment: With the lack of good paying jobs especially those with benefits in our service areas, it was not surprising that employment was one of the top priorities for persons completing the questionnaires. Many of the STARS participants enter the program without the qualifications /skills necessary to command high wages and their salaries reflect that fact. Some of the likely culprits may be a lack of education ( academic /vocational), transportation and criminal backgrounds, etc. Many people with college degrees are finding it difficult to find a job and even harder to find a job with benefits. Competition is fierce and jobs are few or require specific skill sets. Many of the participants only have a high school diploma or a GED, which makes their prospect for employment dismal. Participants without a diploma are finding it very hard to find a job. Employers are increasingly concerned with the skill level of both their current employees and potential employees. Employers have to be cognizant of the type of skills necessary for their businesses to thrive in today's global economy. According to the North Carolina Career Readiness Certificate Consortium, more than 80% of all jobs were projected to require skills beyond high school. The CRC is an assessment- based credential that gives employers and career seekers a uniform measure of key workplace shills. As a result, both job seekers and incumbent workers are increasingly called upon to demonstrate a more advanced set of skills or at least the ability to develop those skills through on-the -job training. North Carolina's Career Readiness Certification (CRC) is designed to meet the needs of both employers and job seekers in this transitioning economy. For employers, the CRC offers a reliable means of determining whether a potential employee has the necessary literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills to be "job ready. To countermand these barriers, the STARS program will place more emphasis on programming which incorporate activities that will enhance job /skills development, coaching participants on job - readiness endeavors which include the Career Readiness Certification. It is imperative that STARS participants are equipped with this certificate because for job seekers, the CRC serves as a portable credential that can be more meaningful to employers than a high school degree or a resume citing experience in a different job setting. Unemployment figures reflect those persons still unemployed and drawing benefits, so the actual figures are usually higher than reported. Some people don't have any reserve of time to draw down from. The latest unemployment figures for 2014 are as follows: Johnston County- 6.9%, Lee County — 7.9% and Hamett County 6.9% b. Identify the segment of the population experiencing the problem. The segment of the population that is experiencing the problems outlined above includes low- income unemployed and /or underemployed and persons without a diploma, certification or degree. There has been an increasing number of people who were not low- income until the uncertainty of the economy created a negative impact on their finances mainly due to the loss of employment. c) Quantify the number of persons experiencing the problem. Currently these percentage reflect the number of people living below the poverty level in Johnston, Lee and Harnett County: Lee - 17.4 %, Hamett-16.4% and Johnston -15.1 %. d.). Clarify how the persons are adversely affected. Low - income persons in Johnston, Lee and Harnett Counties are negatively affected because many of them do not have enough money or resources to meet the most basic of needs. Since many low- income individuals rely on unemployment benefits as their main source of income (amounts were reduced and length of time they can receive benefits were lessened), trying to maintain a household, provide a nutritious meal for themselves and their family and keep utility services connected is almost impossible. Many low- income persons seeking services are living on SSI benefits for their child (ren) or child support from absentee dads or moms. There has been an increase in the number of people contacting the agency seeking Foreclosure Preventions and requesting Reverse Mortgage assistance. That fact alone is an indicator of the scope of the problem that exists in our service areas. It has affected all age groups as the Reverse Mortgage Program requires that the homeowner must be 62 years of age or older. Fiscal Year 2015 -16 Community Services Block Grant Application Page 19 of 49