Job training program hopes to expand, helping underpaid and unemployed residents secure a better future
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) -The Community Services League is working to help residents who are unemployed or underpaid reach their goals.
CSL’s New Skills program is only a few years old, but has already been a vital resource for hundreds of community . The program helps people get into job training for things like nursing, transportation, technology, construction and more. These careers are not only in high demand, but are growing industries.
This program is exactly what Courtney Nichols said she was looking for. Now, she’s in training as a certified nursing assistant.
“Since starting the program, a lot of opportunities have opened up for me,” she said. “I’m getting all my clinical hours and experience and I am actually one of the top students in my class.”
Courtney said she always wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse one day. But not having full-time access to a car prevented her from making that dream a reality -- not only with the free education, but also making sure she had a way to get to class.
“They stepped up by helping me get Uber vouchers or gas cards,” she said.
Courtney’s adviser at CSL is Kelly Koeneman. She’s a career development coach with CSL who works with the students to find a career path and make sure it’s achievable.
“As they go through the program, we are here with a bunch of wrap-around services to make sure if there are any barriers that they experience, that they can get through those,” Koeneman said.
In 2024, over 200 students graduated from the program and they’ve had up to a 93% success rate in getting students hired after the program.
“We’ve had people come in and cry, we’ve had people come in with their certificate saying ‘look I did it!’,” she said. “It’s just an incredible feeling to be just a small, little part of someone’s success.”
To be eligible for the program, you must be 18 years or older, make less than $45,000 a year and be a resident of Jackson, Platte, Clay, Cass, Johnson or Wyandotte counties.
You can learn more information or sign up for the program here.
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