North Carolina Program Proves That There Is Hope for the Long-Term Unemployed

North Carolina Program Proves That Therbeie Is Hope for the Long-Term UnemployedMiranda Hairston is the marketing director for KP Consulting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Shes been in the position since January of 2014, but for a long time she was afraid that she might never find another job, having absinken victim to budget cuts that eliminated her job with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system. She had no prospects, and no networking connections, having moved to Charlotte to care for her ailing mother.Charlotte WorksMiranda found support from Charlotte Works, a public/private-sector entity that provides career counseling, job search assistance, and education through federal grants. Its been recognized by the White House as one of the most effective programs of its kind, and Charlotte Works volunteer manager Julie Paul is hopeful that there will be federal funding for similar programs.Paul herself was unemployed for a year and a half before finding full-time employment at Charlott e Works. She understands what program participants are going through, because shes been there herself.Program participants work in the Charlotte Works office, and can also take training in classrooms that are outfitted with computer equipment donated by Microsoft. Free Internet is available so that participants can create resumes and conduct job searches.KP ConsultingKP is one of several hundred businesses that have partnered with Charlotte Works in an effort to find positions for the unemployed. Paula Harvey, KPs CEO, stresses that the program shouldnt be considered a job placement service. Rather, it offers people ways to develop their skills and acquire the training that employers require. It also serves as a means for employers to access a talent pool that they didnt have previously.Harvey met Miranda Hairston at a training session, and was impressed by her work ethic and her attitude. After she completed a course in HR Management that Harvey taught at CPPC (Central Piedmont Com munity College), Harvey hired her for a contract position, and ultimately offered her full-time employment.More Needs to Be DonePaula Harvey stresses that there are programs like Charlotte Works that can connect motivated workers with HR professionals. She believes, however, that HR professionals should be proactive in making connections and getting their decision makers involved in the process. There is still a prejudice in some quarters against hiring the long-term unemployed, but its a prejudice that shouldnt be difficult to overcome. It is, she says, the right thing to do. Certainly, Miranda Hairston would agree.