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| "Will someone give me a chance to succeed? I'm a good worker with some skills and a family to support" |
"Mark" and his family's hope for a brighter future was the United States of America. After winning the emigration lottery in Albania and relocating with his wife and children, he was anxious to find employment. After three months and no real job prospects, he was discouraged. Fortunately, Mark had family members who were familiar with local employment services and he decided to ask for help.
Mark wanted to find a job that would allow him to use his mind, since he was not accustomed to physical labor. He had earned a bachelor's degree in Albania and had worked primarily as a translator and English instructor. He was fluent in English, Albanian, Italian, and Romanian. Although he was already registered on the Michigan Talent Bank, Jackie, The Information Center's One-Call Employment and Training Specialist, thought he might be eligible for additional assistance through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), an employment training program. She helped Mark fill out an application/intake form and directed him to various employment services. Mark was later certified for inclusion in the Jobs Training Program, attended an orientation, and planned to enroll in computer classes. However, a unique situation developed that was beyond anyone's control and he was not able to follow through with this course of action.
Mark did not give up. He continued to access The Information Center's Information and Referral services many times for a variety of reasons including finding medical care for his children, obtaining a U.S. equivalency for his Bachelor's degree, utilizing the unemployment system, identifying the type of computer training that would be most helpful to him and then locating that training, understanding some of the terminology used in employment advertisements, and even locating local holiday activities for his family. With help from ACCESS, a One-Stop Service Center, Mark began investigating employment through a refugee resettlement program and successfully constructed a professional resume. Mark received individualized assistance with his job search including information about schools that offer foreign language classes, agencies that provide translation services, etc. These contacts clearly helped him and his family to adjust to their new culture.
Mark found a job and is now working the midnight shift. Although he is earning somewhat less than he would like, the work is not physical and he is eligible for health insurance for himself and his family. He has not completely given up the idea of improving his employment and knows he can return to the One-Call Service System when he is ready. For now, he feels that his employer took a chance on him when no one else would and he feels some obligation to that employer.
Mark and his family are now proudly living their American Dream.
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