District 214 co-hosting summit for unemployed professionals

With the economy continuing to struggle, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 and Village Bank & Trust of Arlington Heights will help those who have been unemployed for an extended period rejuvenate their job search and handle their finances.

The Professionals in Transition Summit will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12 at the Forest View Educational Center, 2121 S. Goebbert Road, Arlington Heights.

The event will target those who were making good money before losing their jobs, said Nelia Bernabe, District 214’s community education program supervisor.

Bernabe said the idea came from the district’s Community Ed Advisory Council, which saw a specific need to help former middle and senior management employees for whom unemployment is a new experience.

“This is a great opportunity for the community to get together and help people in this difficult time,” she said.

The summit will have two keynote speakers and workshops on how to write a resume, embrace change and handle financial stress. A panel with human resources professionals will talk about what managers are looking for in employees.

More than 70 people have registered for the free event so far, but with walk-ins welcome, Bernabe said they expect more than 100.

She hopes the summit will help people who have been out of work for an extended period re-energize their job search.

“Sometimes when you’ve been unemployed for a long time you lose the motivation to keep looking,” she said. “So hopefully this will help them get back on their feet again.”