Workforce Development Archives

NVFS CARE Awards with Stephanie Berkowitz and George Lane

(Oct. 31, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Stephanie Berkowitz, Executive Director of Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS) along with George Lane, chair of the NVFS CARE Awards Advisory Committee. They discuss the 23 year history of the NVFS Care Awards, what makes an employer eligible for an award, along with the upcoming awards event in November.

Dating back to 1992, the NVFS Care Awards have been given to employers in the Northern Virginia region who demonstrate a great deal of emphasis on investment in employees, as well as best practices regarding making work “family friendly”. NVFS noticed an increased level of work related stress, and wanted to raise awareness amongst employers that their work policies could have a direct impact on employees and their families. NVFS also had the goal of promoting the fact that it is more profitable to invest in employees and retain them, as high employee turnover can be costly to the bottom line.

When the awards were established, many of the policies revolved around flexible work schedules and telecommuting, which was new thanks to the advent of the Internet. Over the years other goals have been added, such as low cost health insurance, flexible work schedules, strong work/life balance, and new this year corporate social responsibility. Studies have shown that employees really want their employers to be good corporate citizens, and give back to the community and are socially engaged.

Additionally, now that the workforce employs people from multiple generations, a flexible work schedule can mean more than just working from home. A millennial might want to leverage technology to get their work done remotely, a baby boomer might want to work four, ten hour days and have an extra day off and a Gen X-er might need more flexibility to come in late or leave early for their children’s activities at school, or to accompany an elderly parent to the doctor. It is important for employers to remain flexible and understanding to their employees’ needs, while still maintaining business and ensuring that work is able to get done in a timely manner.

In order to be eligible for an NVFS Care Award, an employer must go through a rigorous 3-part process. First they must submit a written application, then their employees take a survey, and finally someone from the NVFS Care Awards advisory committee will do a site visit. Where they used to only award one winner to each category of business, the awards have evolved over time and NVFS now grants awards to all employers who meet the objectives.

This year there are 23 companies receiving awards, and the winners will be recognized at the NVFS Care Awards Breakfast on November 8^th at the Sheraton Premier in Tysons Corner. The morning will begin at 7:30am with a networking opportunity for businesses, where they can talk and discuss best practices. They will then get down to business with the recognitions. Berkowitz and Lane are thrilled to award 13-time winner National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and 10-time winners Custom Ink and Consumer Technology Association their awards, along with the other 20 companies who will be getting called up. They will also host an Community Engagement Panel discussion moderated by Charlie Niebauer of the Washington Business Journal, and featuring Charles Kuhn of JK Moving and Storage, Sheila Murphy of Flex Professionals, and Darcy Smith of Custom Ink.

by Rachel Simon

From Prison to Paralegal with Kelly Hebron, Esq.

(Sept. 10, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Kelly Hebron, Esq. founder of From Prison to Paralegal, a recidivism reduction program that offers incarcerated individuals a path to a professional career via training to become paralegals. There are many openings in this field, with a variety of jobs that are well paying and stable. This six week training program, coupled with an internship opportunity, gives hope to individuals who are looking to forge a new path for themselves after they have paid their debt to society.

The first pilot class of this program was launched this past summer at the Fairfax Adult Detention Center. After collaborating with Sheriff Stacey Kincaid, Hebron identified 8 students who would be good candidates. The students needed to have basic reading, writing and comprehension skills equivalent to an 8^th grade education. After the six week training, her program is designed to teach the students how to complete legal research, use critical thinking skills to analyze the cases, and then summarize their findings with proper legal writing. Hebron mentions that even if these students do not wind up with jobs as a paralegal, the skills they are learning are transferable and can be applied to a variety of positions, such as executive assistants or court clerks.

Hebron’s program is designed to be a gateway for students to move themselves forward. Her ultimate goal is to identify employers who have openings, and pair her students with the employers once the students have transitioned back into society. Before that happens, however, there are often many obstacles that these students may face. Some do not have any clothes to wear to an internship or even an interview. The student may lack resources for transportation to get to the job, especially if they do not have help from family or friends on the outside. In one instance, Sen. Tim Kaine’s office offered a full time opportunity for a work-release internship, but the candidates was restricted from traveling outside of the county so the job went unfilled. However, as the program grows and more opportunities arise, Hebron is confident that they can overcome many of these obstacles by partnering with other nonprofits who can help support the students.

Hebron strongly believes that the purpose of incarceration should be rehabilitation, as opposed to a lifetime of punishment. The cold, hard reality that exists for most people when they are released from prison is that they do not have very many opportunities to turn their life around. They often have no money, no job, no voting rights and limited education. This makes it exceedingly difficult for them to secure housing, a good paying job, and the ability to take care of themselves. They often turn back to the old habits they had that put them in jail in the first place. It is the reason why the recidivism rate in this country is so high. Hebron strongly believes that education is the key to giving hope and the confidence to believe that they can make a better life for themselves.

In the second segment Catherine speaks with Mohammed, a graduate of the From Prison to Paralegal program. Mohammed admits that he made some very bad choices when he was younger, and was serving his time for his crimes. He admits that there were not very many opportunities to do anything productive while in prison. When he noticed the flyer posted about the program, he spoke with his Mom who encouraged him to apply. He enjoyed the classes, which reminded him of the work he did in high school, and said that attending the classes were the highlight of his day.

Upon gradation, he landed an internship opportunity with the American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) office. He absolutely loved going to work at their office, noting that the people he worked with were respectful, kind and warm. He never understood that work could be so enjoyable, and that working for a higher purpose could be so meaningful. Working at the ACLU has opened up his eyes to the many opportunities that await him. This program was transformative for Mohammed, and gives him hope for the future. He understands that his education cannot be taken away from him, and he envisions himself as gainfully employed once he is released.

As Hebron looks ahead to the future, she is encouraged by the success that she has had in Fairfax. She hopes to be able to bring this program to more students in the near future. The program lives under the social enterprise umbrella of Rising Tide, designed to bring opportunities for building a variety of skill sets for incarcerated individuals. Hebron is in the process of applying for grants and securing funding in order to grow the program. If you are interested in supporting her efforts, you can visit the website for more detailed information about how to get involved. She is looking for employers who are willing to hire individuals, along with donations to support the nuts and bolts of delivering the 6-week program, including money for textbooks and instructors. Hebron envisions endless possibilities, and hopes to grow the program in order to give hope to more incarcerated individuals.

by Rachel Simon

Ellen Graham – Cameron’s Coffee and Chocolates – Every1CanWork

(July 11, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Ellen Graham of Every1 Can Work and Cameron’s Coffee and Chocolates. Every1 Can Work is a non-profit dedicated to providing permanent employment opportunities for young adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Over 84% of young adults with cognitive disabilities are unemployed, but not unemployable. Graham and her husband Jim founded Every1 Can Work because they wanted to change the narrative around this issue. If given the proper training and supervision, they believe that these young workers can succeed and fulfill their potential. They understand the importance of dignity and that having a job means more than just a paycheck; it means self-esteem and a purpose in life.

Graham found inspiration in her daughter Cameron’s love for baking so she and her husband Jim launched Cameron’s Coffee and Chocolates in October of 2013, the first business enterprise of the Every1 Can Work Foundation. When they opened their doors they had a small storefront in the city of Fairfax and sold hand-dipped chocolates. Five years later, they have grown to employ 20 workers; they have expanded their kitchen to offer a variety of baked goods, coffees and jams, and now even offer catering options. The goal of the Every1 Can Work Foundation is to earn enough money to pay their employees.

The store is run in a cooperative environment, where all of the employees learn to do all of the different jobs. Cross training is good for both the business and its employees, as workers can help one another, step into any task that needs to be done, while also providing variety in the day to day employee schedules. Glass windows look into the kitchen, so customers can see the work being done both there and in the chocolate room. They look to engage with their customers – you can like their Facebook page to and follow them on Twitter (@CameronsChoc) to see their daily specials.

Before opening their doors back in 2013, Ellen and Jim conducted quite a bit of research to learn about different models of what worked best for employing individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (IDD) and Developmental Delays (DD). They visited businesses in Richmond (Daylight Donuts), Charlottesville (Bread Works) and even traveled to Martha’s Vineyard to Chillmark Chocolates. They observed best practices, took away pieces of each business that made them successful, and used that knowledge when founding their own enterprise. The best piece of advice that Ellen received throughout the entire process was that no matter what you do, always make sure that you are producing a superior product, and to not assume that customers will patronize your store if you don’t deliver a superior product and client experience.

In the years since Every1 Can Work and Cameron’s Chocolates were founded, Graham has been an active member of the Workforce Development Board in Fairfax County. She advocates for opportunities for those who have intellectual challenges and for job coaches who are trained in the concept of cooperative parallel work. This type of job coach is trained to do the work side by side with the employee, being both a model and a co-worker. In the past, Ellen’s experience had been that job coaches would verbally direct the employees, but not do the work with them. Her observations are that when job coaches are working side by side with employees, the experience for the employees is much more positive and the work product improves. One of her goals it to work with the Workforce Development Board to create a certification program for job coaches that teaches the cooperative parallel work model.