Workshop helps moms re-enter the workforce

Bridget Faria put her career on hold for five years to be with her two children. A successful customer service representative who become a full-time mom after her daughter was born she willingly chose diapers and story time over phone calls and meetings.

Although she doesnt regret staying home, Ms. Faria is ready for a new challenge. With both children enrolled in Project Head Start, the work world now beckons. But shes nervous.

If I go for an interview, they might ask what Ive been doing the last five years. I feel like Ive lost some skills. I think Im a little behind, she said.

Ms. Faria hopes to begin catching up next week at a free job search workshop in Warren. Two Bristol Warren Regional School District groups the Child Opportunity Zone and the Title One Family Involvement Program are working with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training to sponsor this event for parents, or anyone interested in re-entering the work force. Models for Dress for Sucess pose wearing business attire in Roxies Consignment Boutique in Bristol. From left: LeeAnn Thorpe, Maggie Brannick, Claudia Rayier, and Tracey Mulvey. Participants will learn how to qualify for up to $4,000 in job training services from the state. And representatives from the Womens Resource Center and the Literacy Volunteers of East Bay will explain what their organizations have to offer. A Dress for Success fashion show will spice up the morning. Workshop organizers will also provide baby-sitting vouchers and refreshments.

The first thing I tell stay-at-home moms is they should never be intimidated because life experience is as valuable as a formal education, said Ed Lombardo of the labor and training department.

Mr. Lombardo plans to give parents a pep talk. He believes that household management experiences translate into marketable skills and hopes to help moms and dads make this connection.

Being a stay-at-home mom is a noble and valuable thing, he said. Dont be ashamed to tell an interviewer that youve enjoyed being with your children. But emphasize that youre ready to apply your management skills to new tasks.

While Mr. Lombardos words will give parents confidence, his departments services will arm them with the tools they need to find a job or embark on a new career. Workshop participants will meet at the departments netWORKri office on Metacom Avenue, which provides one-stop shopping for job seekers.

Ms. Faria and other potential employees can take advantage of core and intensive services from the netWORKri office for free. The East Bay facility offers career counseling, online job banks, resume writing classes, and much more. Job seekers can also qualify for tuition reimbursement in some cases.

Im really looking forward to starting something new, said Ms. Faria. Im thinking of becoming a phlebotomy technician or a nursing assistant.

And netWORKri is the spot to get started. A counselor will help her figure out if these jobs are a good match. After she settles on a new career, the state may even pay for some training.

Dress for success

The March 22 workshop will introduce participants these services, but it will also give them an opportunity to network and have fun. Consignment store owner Roxie Lavoie organized a fashion show to demonstrate the dos and donts of dressing for an interview. She invited several customers to model suits and other outfits at her Bristol store.

Were going to show them how to dress appropriately, she said. You dont wear low-cut jeans and a belly shirt to an interview.

Ms. Lavoie said it was difficult to pull together suits for the fashion show, as her store Roxies Consignment Boutique does not specialize in conservative fashion.

I usually sell fun and funky clothes, so it was challenging, she said.

But some of the models will not wear suits. Ms. Lavoie explained that a suit is not appropriate for every interview. Hence her models will wear different styles to prepare the women for a variety of situations.

The workshop will blend hands-on activities, such as the fashion show, with informative presentations. Child Opportunity Zone coordinator Myra Webster plans to discuss some of the services her group provides to families in the district. COZ runs a before and after school program for elementary school students to help working parents. COZ also organizes an all-day summer camp.

Ms. Webster credits Betsy Ose, a Title One family involvement coordinator, with recognizing the need for a work force reentry workshop. Ms. Ose reached out to COZ and other groups that provide services to adults who are searching for jobs or struggling to balance work with family.

We get more bang for our buck by working together, Ms. Webster said.

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