No ideas, no problems, no rules or anything that I don’t need to know. What’s in it for me? Information.
What is in WIA? Is there a guide to help me get to the career I need so that I can get my dream job? Can they help me pay for my college or training? Can they help get a baby-sitter, transportation, housing, food, and other things I need that will not hinder my education?
What does OVR have? Assisitive technology for my ability to do work, perhaps career counseling, special transportation, etc.?
What does NMC have? Training, courses or education I need for getting a job, financial services for my tuition, directions to where to get other needs, and so on?
Employment Services: maybe the list of jobs available, other services WIA, OVR and NMC don’t have and directions to where I shall find them.
OPM. Same thing and the board of directors appointed by the governor perhaps can help us identify needs for each types of services not met.
After the first meeting the facilitator will compile all this information and put it together and then present it in the next meeting where everyone will sit down and come up with a plan to present on our first Career Day. Everyone is ready to tell me, “This is what I have and the others that you’re looking for are over there with my partner agency which also have these for you.”
Then a plan date to initiate the Big Day for me. The logistics will be what other agency can we invite to make a display, and vendors to sell food and drinks to raise funds for our annual events. This event is very essential for everyone, so it should be held for at least three days or more.
After this day another meeting should be in place, in which the agenda will be our first annual Job Fair.
On these days, employers will take applications for on the job training and everyone will be there to provide me with all the assistance available that I need to pursue.
After this event another meeting should take place, and this time everyone knows what career I want and to review my application if I qualify for the position, and if not, what training do they need to provide in order for me to meet the qualifications and what other needs do I have that they can help me with or show me where to get.
Once they finish reviewing my career development plan of work, the last portion is notifying me and letting me know what on my part do I need to do next.
Many times I go to useless meetings where no plans were made to accomplish anything. The only meeting I go to that doesn’t waste time is when we are going to plan an event for a particular topic. Like for cancer walk, workshops and party and so on. And during all these meetings they have something for us and that’s why we show up. So, I take these ideas and put it with my career development plan and there I dream of it every day, hoping that someone is out there for me. Do you have the same dream?
In my next letter I will share with you some experiences that my children and I went through with the present system and how it failed us.
WINNIE ATALIG
San Jose, Tinian
