Putting More Tools in Their Work-Skills Toolbox

Putting More Tools in Their Work-Skills Toolbox

September 29, 2011 |

31-year-old Dwayne Bennett is driven to find a job to support his 7 year old son and his 4 year old daughter. In March, this single father was laid off from a fast food restaurant in Winston-Salem. But his unemployment check only brings in about $300 a month. Dwayne says family and friends are making up the difference. 63-year-old Linda Batts is also getting help from family friends. Linda is from Ypsilanti Michigan and is a trained nurse of 40 years. Last year her father died, and she got a divorce. So last June, friends convinced her to move to Winston-Salem. But starting over has been more difficult than she imagined.

Linda and Dwayne are among Forsyth county's 17, 730 residents currently searching for work. August of last year, the county's unemployment rate was 9.9%. Last month, it was 10%. So Linda and Dwayne are in career tracks at the Urban League in Winston-Salem to make so they will be more marketable. Dwayne's in the general job readiness program that focuses on portfolio development, financial and time management, interviewing skills and dressing for success. He says the one area that's helped him most is resume development.

Meanwhile, Linda wants a new career in mental health. The Urban League is helping her get licensed in North Carolina. She's also in the agency's senior program that prepares people 55 and older for jobs. Friday, September 30, they'll join hundreds of area residents at a Winston-Salem job fair. The Urban League and Forsyth Technical Community College are hosting it. More than 60 area employers are expected, 20 nonprofit agencies and about a dozen colleges and universities. At the job fair, there will also be a food drive to collect nonperishables for individuals in need. The job fair runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Forsyth Tech's West Campus on Bolton Street.