Training Program Helps Adults Reach Their Potential, With Grant From USA Funds

When Shiron, who has dyslexia, began her work with Training Inc.,  she would not make eye contact with anyone. During her first week of the Training Inc. curriculum, she became frustrated, called herself stupid and quit. But after speaking with instructors, Shiron came back to class and completed the curriculum. She found she had many skills — and realized her potential.

“Shiron had a broken spirit when she came to us,” says Peggy Frame, executive director of Training Inc. “She was so shy and had no self-confidence, from a lifetime of being told she was stupid.

“One of the final steps in our program is a mock interview. That day, Shiron came in, and the first thing she said was that she was smart. It was a great moment, because I knew she finally realized how valuable she is.”

Training Inc. in Indianapolis provides career and life-skills training to disadvantaged, unemployed or under-employed men and women, and works to equip people to become self-sufficient by preparing them for full-time employment or to continue their education.

Students do not pay any fee to receive training from Training Inc., and funding, such as a $30,000 grant from USA Funds^®, helps to offset costs.

Eleven-week program
Training Inc.’s Career Track is an 11-week skills-training program that prepares clients for the technical aspects of a job and the life-management skills necessary in the work environment and in retaining employment.

During the initial three weeks of training, students focus on job-readiness skills such as resumes, job applications and customer service. Life-management training includes topics such as communication skills, academic remediation, money management, learning diversity, conflict resolution, time management, teamwork and workplace culture. Students also learn about goal setting, and career and higher-education options.

During the next five weeks, students move into skills training, learning basic computer and office skills. Students have the option to focus on medical-clerical or Microsoft Office training. Individual evaluations and career counseling help determine which program is right for each student.

Practical experience
After completing the skills training, students spend three weeks in internships with local businesses to give them practical experience. Internship hosts provide feedback to Training Inc. regarding areas in which the students may need further assistance. These internships often lead to full-time employment or a valuable reference for the student.

Students then create job-search plans. Training Inc. helps the students develop the plans, but works to give students the skills to find their own jobs. After graduating from Career Track, clients are encouraged to continue their education or seek employment.

“Our training is very intensive and is made to replicate an office atmosphere,” says Frame. “Participants are here from 8:30 to 3:30 Monday through Friday, and are asked to dress in business-casual attire. It helps to transition our students into the mind frame of a corporate environment.”

More than 4,000 Training Inc. graduates are in the Indianapolis area today. In 2005, 94 percent of Career Track graduates were placed in jobs. After 12 months, 93 percent of those graduates still held those jobs. Ten percent of graduates go straight to higher-education programs; many others become settled in their careers and seek higher-education while working.

Today Shiron works for a local housing group and is active in her neighborhood association, serving as the secretary and taking notes for the meetings. 

“Students like Shiron exemplify what an impact career training can make,” says Frame. “It truly can change a life.”