Ladders to Success - Connecting the Community with Jobs

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

The Ladders to Success program connects Chesterfield County residents with local businesses and organizations that have open employment and volunteer opportunities. Partnering with various county departments and non-profit organizations, we provide our citizens with a direct path to job and volunteer openings in the community. By targeting neighborhoods with an identified disparity between workforce characteristics and positions the residents can pursue, CCPL’s Meadowdale Branch positioned itself as facilitator of truly life-changing outcomes. In 2014, staff at CCPL focused on the need to link job seekers with hiring employers which was becoming quite noticeable during day-to-day operations. The process of locating job openings, using email, creating professional profiles and navigating expectations for new technology skills in the workplace has changed the landscape for job seekers over the past several years. Staff developed Ladders to Success programs, workshops, job and volunteer fairs to bring opportunities to the patron at the place they already identify as the trusted and valued community hub where nonjudgmental assistance is readily available at convenient hours. CCPL frequently facilitates learning sessions covering resume creation, job searches, technology skill attainment and research. Because of Ladders to Success, Chesterfield residents may now count on job skills programming and annual job and volunteer fairs at the library to connect them with real opportunities.