James Wood: Starting Over with New Skills
James Wood is a retiree who wanted to go back to work. After searching the classified ads and talking to prospective employers, he found that computer skills are a necessity in today's job market. James had several years of good work experience but lacked computer skills. Through his involvement with the Commission on Aging and Retirement Education (CARE) at the Baltimore City Waxter Center, he heard about a special program at LINC for which he was eligible. Funded by a grant from the Mayor's Office of Employment and Development, the Cyberseniors program at LINC trains senior citizens with varying degrees of disabilities in computer and office skills so that they can increase their employment opportunities.
After 20 weeks of training in word processing, creating spread sheets and general computer operations, as well as a short course in job hunting and interviewing skills, James had a fresh resume that he created on the computer.
When the training ended in August, James began a 12-week internship in the accounting department at the CARE office in Baltimore. He hopes to continue in his present position when the internship program is complete.
Cyberseniors was the name given to LINC's computer training program for Baltimore City senior citizens with varying degrees of disabilities. From December to August, four seniors were trained in basic computer skills that included Microsoft DOS, Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Word for Windows. The training program also taught resume writing and offered counseling on effective job search and interview practices. When the program was completed, the seniors were placed in internships or permanent employment.
The four seniors who participated in the project were: James Wood, profiled above; James Wychgram, a graphic artist who wanted to transfer his existing artistic talents to the computer, also working as an intern at the CARE office; Katie Jackson, an intern at the Waxter Center; and Princetta Seward, now employed with the Social Security Administration in the Office of Hearing and Appeals. All four seniors successfully completed the training and are now putting their new computer skills to good use. Funding from the Mayor's Office of Employment and Development has been awarded for continuation of the training program for another year, and the participants have already been identified by the Baltimore City Commission on Aging. ® (Winter 1997)
|