advertisement

Arlington Heights library says job program a success

Thousands of people have attended programs aimed at jobseekers through a partnership between the Arlington Heights Memorial Library and Arlington Heights Rotary over the past few years.

Jason Kuhl, executive director of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, told Rotary members Thursday that their Jobseekers program continues to be a success.

Since 2009, the Rotary Club of Arlington Heights vocational grant has funded 82 Jobseekers programs attended by 2,600 people, he said. Rotary has donated about $15,000 to fund the program since it started.

“This partnership came about because of something that isn’t happy, people out of work,” Kuhl said.

“But I am happy because we’ve been able to have such an impact through the program.”

The effort started because of the economic downturn, but Kuhl said the programs have not seen an attendance decline as the economy tries to rebound.

“We saw floods of people coming in who had been at their company for 20 years. They didn’t even know where to begin,” he said.

Programs address the needs of older workers, including training on new technology and resume writing, as well as those of recent graduates.

Kuhl said their work has been a model for other libraries as well.

Julie Kittredge, the library’s director of business services, said the library also offers classes each month for residents and small business owners to help answer their questions and bolster their skills.

Later this month Jobseekers will offer free professional headshots for people looking for work.

The photography session will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23.

While there are similar programs offered by Harper College, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 Community Education and others, Kuhl said the library’s programs serve as an introduction to help people figure out where to go next.

“There is still a large need, unfortunately,” he said.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.