Five MassHire Lowell Career Center staff were recognized for their exceptional efforts in workforce development at the annual MassHire Awards.
The MassHire Awards were presented by Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones at a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House on Wednesday, November 19.
Winning the Job Seeker Collaboration Award were MassHire Lowell Career Center staff Nicholas Campbell (Computer Instructor), Myrlande Emanuel (Employment Counselor), Emmanuel Senat (Career Advisor), and Zaris Huerta (Career Advisor). These four staff members were honored for their work at Lowell’s Emergency Immigration Shelter.
The Modernization and Innovation Award was won by MassHire Lowell Career Center Workshop Facilitator, Jim Foley. He won the award for his videos that demonstrate career center customer and staff success stories.
MassHire Awards are a yearly event that recognizes individuals throughout the state that best demonstrate MassHire principles. Individuals are nominated and winners are selected by state’s Workforce Board.
Job Seeker Collaboration
The Lowell Career Center staff won the Collaboration award for their commitment to working hand-in-hand with other organizations at Lowell’s Emergency Immigration Shelter.
By building positive relationships with other city organizations, MassHire staff were able to assist the new arrivals in a comprehensive manner addressing more issues than simply employment.
The program results in hundreds of immigrants finding employment, obtaining vocational skills, and experiencing wrap-around services that allowed the new arrivals to overcome the many difficulties they faced.
Participants in this program struggled with many obstacles to employment including language, occupational skills, transportation, and childcare. Being located at the shelter each day, MassHire Lowell Career Center staff become vital daily resource for the residents.
Staff members worked with other organizations such as Commonwealth Care Alliance, Abisi Adult Education, Community Teamwork Inc., the City of Lowell’s Heath Department, Middlesex Community College, and other local organizations to address some of these issues.
The program developed occupational training courses that included English language assistance for the workplace. Training was offered in electronic assembly, nursing assistant, and computer basics.
By the end of the program 266 individuals had found employment and were on their way to success with partner organizations.
MassHire Lowell Staff winning this award included: Nicholas Campbell, Myrlande Emanuel, Emmanuel Senat, and Zaris Huerta
Modernization & Innovation
Jim Foley won the Modernization and Innovation Award for his videos that tell the success stories of career center customers and staff.
Through his creative storytelling, Jim’s videos bring success to life. The videos demonstrate how using MassHire services can change one’s career and life.
By interviewing customers, trainers, and career advisors, Jim’s stories document an individual’s struggle to find a career path or sustainable employment and how the career center guides the process. The stories unveil the real emotion that customers feel upon overcoming their obstacles to finding a new job or career.
The videos are used to promote MassHire career services to new customers. No amount of written testimonials can match the emotional impact of these videos.
In addition to customers, Jim also documents the success of staff members. These videos allow the career center to celebrate notable skills and achievements.
MassHire Programs & Services are funded in full by US Department of Labor (USDOL) Employment and Training Administration grants. Additional details furnished upon request.