TRUSTEE’S OFFICE HELPS CLIENTS STAY ENERGIZED – Voice Of The Township

When I was growing up, my family taught me the importance of hard work, as well as the importance of getting an education. I learned from my family a strong work ethic which I still follow today. In my position as Wayne Township Trustee, I make every effort to impress upon our clients those same principles.

Some members of our staff recently attended an Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) meeting which recognized some of the hard working EOC students. I am very thankful for the partnership my office has forged with EOC, and all EOC does for Wayne Township clients. A high priority of our office is to move our clients from assistance to independence. The Educational Opportunity Center has been instrumental in helping our clients make that move. Located at 3000 South Wayne Avenue, EOC offers free educational and career counseling, and assistance.

My staff and I recognize the importance of helping our clients remove barriers that prevent them from getting jobs which pay enough to support the clients and their families. Not having a high school diploma or GED is a huge barrier for some of our clients. Most employers won’t even consider hiring a person without a GED or high school diploma. Once they receive their GED, EOC takes the next step by helping and encouraging clients to go on to college or a vocational-technical school.

Another barrier to employment is not having a resume and not knowing how to prepare one. Lack of confidence using computers, especially for adults, is a barrier. Our office refers clients to EOC to get assistance in creating a good resume for their job search, for free computer classes on topics from Basic Keyboarding to Excel and Power Point, and for career assessments to help them select the right job or career. We even sent a client to EOC for a math class because the client needed to brush up on math skills for a job the client was seeking. We have learned that having a resume is helpful even if an employer requires an on-line application. The client can fill out the on-line application quickly and efficiently when he or she can refer to the information in his or her resume.

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Representatives from EOC regularly make presentations to our Wednesday employment training classes, speaking with clients about the services the agency offers. We are very fortunate to have EOC in Wayne Township, and my office is fortunate to have a community partner that offers so much to help our clients meet the goal of moving from assistance to independence.

The job market is tight. Obtaining a job in a tight market, especially if you don’t have a college degree, can be challenging. Our clients often get very discouraged, as anyone would, when they have tried and tried and have been unable to find a job. Part of our job here at the Trustee’s Office is to help our clients stay energized to continue their job search. I would like to invite employers who have jobs available to contact our Director of Employment, LeRoy Page, at (260) 449-7000, so that we can refer clients for interviews.

Before I close, I want to remind everyone to make sure to exercise your right to vote. Be sure to bring a picture ID with you. You can either vote at your precinct on Election Day, November 4, or vote early. Early voting can be done at the former City-County Building or Rousseau Centre located at 1 E Main Street, Fort Wayne IN 46802. Early voting is currently taking place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and on Saturdays October 25 and November 1, from 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The last day for early voting is November 3, from 8:00 a.m. to noon. You can contact the Allen County Election Board with questions by phone at (260) 449-7329, or contact them by email at electionboard@co.allen.in.us.

Richard A. Stevenson, Sr.
Wayne Township Trustee
www.waynetownship.org