This is a weekly job skills training class in Snohomish County and monthly training class in Skagit County at the Skagit County WorkSource Center. Job Skills Training Class consists of a discussion group lead by two Employment Specialists of Washington Vocational Services. The purpose of this class series is to learn and practice skills necessary to get and keep a job. The meeting times vary please contact the office you are interested in visiting. The classes are free, but you must pre-register to attend.

Job Class Participants will learn the following:

• Career Exploration
  Discussion about skills and aptitudes, present labor market, and ways of identifying personal strengths that employers are looking for.
  
• Interview Essentials
  How to conduct a successful job interview. Class participation is encouraged in group exercises.
  
• How to retain a job
  Getting a job is just the first step, keeping the job and advancing to better position are the next steps. Class participants will be given information on how to be successful in a new job, and how to become a participating member of their team. Personal stories are shared and discussed.

For more information on the Job Skills Training Class Series please contact:

Dan Rutten , Employment Specialist at (425) 774-3338
Shari Sennett-Kelly , Skagit County Program Manager at (360) 419-0910
Bretta Williams, Snohomish County Program Manger at (425) 774-3338

Person-Centered Planning

Person-Centered Planning is based on the premise that everyone has strengths, gifts, and talents, and it is through the identification of these characteristics, and the support of others, that goals become achievable. Our Employment Specialists work with each job seeker individually.

The first step is to plan a meeting at which friends, family, and other supportive relations come together for one to two hours to discuss the job seeker’s strengths, work history, and steps necessary to make the job seeker’s goals become a reality. It is much like a group putting together the pieces of a puzzle: each person has a different piece to present about the job seeker. The discussion is led by an impartial facilitator and graphically recorded in words and pictures. The record of this meeting becomes the “blueprint” for the career path of the individual. Meetings are individualized and tailored to the needs and desires of the job seeker, and the focus is on finding positive solutions for overcoming obstacles. The job seeker chooses the time of day and environment that is most convenient for the meeting, and the employment specialist works with the job seeker to assist in implementing the steps needed to achieve the desired outcome. For more information on Person-Centered Planning, please contact our Program Coordinator, Jan Engelhart, at (425) 774-3338, ext. 207.


Helpful Links

The following are some resources on the Internet related to our services:

• ACCESS
• Alaska's NEW Job Bank
• Alaska Job Center Network
• Job Accommodation Network
• Disability Resource Center
• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Washington
• Division of Vocational Rehabiliation Alaska
• Hearing Speech and Deafness Center
• Everett Transit
• CARF
• WorkSource Washington
• Zephyr-TEC