OPERATION A.B.L.E GETS GRANT TO DEVELOP GREEN JOBS FOR MATURE WORKERS

A.B.L.E. Alumni: 


If you or someone you know who is a Mature Worker is seeking new job opportunities and has an interest in the developing field of "Green" (Ecologically-Sustainable) Technologies, check out Operation A.B.L.E. 's current participation in our nation's Green Jobs Initiative:

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February 15, 2011



Contact:Katherine Mainzer, kmainzer@strategygroupinc.com, 617-263-3344
Loh-Sze Leung, Loh-Sze.Leung@tbf.org, 617-338-4377

OPERATION A.B.L.E GETS GRANT TO DEVELOP GREEN JOBS FOR MATURE WORKERS

 February 9, 2011 (Boston, MA) - SkillWorks, the local funders’ collaborative that has invested over $18 million to date to equip area workers and employers with competitive skills for the 21^stcentury,  today announced the second round of job training awards in the Green Jobs Initiative.  The grants will be used to create pathways to middle-skill jobs in green manufacturing, hazardous waste management, recycling and deconstruction industries in Massachusetts.

“We are pleased to make these awards to support job creation in green industries,” stated Loh-Sze Leung, Director of SkillWorks.  “By working with local businesses and training organizations, we can develop good paying middle skill jobs that are good for the environment.”

The SkillWorks Green Jobs Initiative awarded $10,000 to Operation A.B.L.E. of Greater Boston to work with employers to build upon the ABLE Weatherization and Energy Auditing Training Program (WEAT) and develop an Energy Efficiency Administrative Support Skills training program.   Operation A.B.L.E. is the leading non-profit provider of employment services and training programs for mature workers age 45 and older in metro Boston.

“This generous gift from SkillWorks will help us strengthen our WEAT green jobs training program,” said Joan Cirillo, Operation A.B.L.E. of Greater Boston Executive Director.  “The funding will provide us with an opportunity to bring in more partner employers and training providers, update and strengthen the WEAT curriculum to include training for energy efficiency administrative support jobs, and identify the necessary credentials and certifications.  This grant will help A.B.L.E reach its goal of good jobs for all program graduates.”    Existing partners include Next Step Living, ICF International, Sustainable Construction, HeatSpring, and Everblue Training institute.   For more information about this effort contact Mark Gyurina,mgyurina@operationable.net, 617-542-4180.

SkillWorks awarded $75,000 to Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) for their GreenSTREAM Training Initiative. GreenSTREAM will create pathways to middle-skill jobs in green manufacturing and related fields by providing Boston residents with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) training, on-the-job skill development, and certification opportunities.   The Roxbury Technology Corporation, Save That Stuff, Inc., and MassCOSH will also partner in this project.  

 SkillWorks also funded the Environmental Business Council (EBC) to research and report on the workforce needs of the recycling and deconstruction industries in Massachusetts. The study will include a description of the skills, competencies, and training needs for job titles such as crew chief, crew member, and coordinator.  The project will also improve the capacity of the EBC and the Massachusetts Recycling Coalition to work with employers in the growing green job community.  For more information on this effort please contact Amy Perlmutter,amy@aperlmutter.com, at 617-354-5456.

 SkillWorks is a ten-year, $25-million investment partnership among local and national foundations, the City of Boston, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts designed to create opportunities for people to gain skills needed to be successful in the MA economy.  SkillWorks does this by investing in training programs, preparing people for and connecting them to post-secondary education, working on public policy efforts to create better pathways to post-secondary training and education, and prioritizing growing sectors in our state’s economy. For more information please contact SkillWorks Director Loh-Sze Leung at 617-338-4377, Loh-Sze.Leung@tbf.org or visit www.skill-works.org.

Operation A.B.L.E. is named a "CHAMPION IN ACTION" by Citizen's Bank

Those of us who are graduates of one of OPERATION A.B.L.E.'s vocational programs recognize the value and the impact of the work the staff does to keep us mature workers competitive and contributing to Boston's workforce.

Even so, it's always great to know that others outside of the folks being served can recognize the importance of the agency. That in mind, I'd like to congratulate everyone at A.B.L.E. for being recognized by Citizen's Bank, and being named their first "CHAMPION IN ACTION" for 2011!

Each quarter, Citizen's Bank designates A "CHAMPION IN ACTION", acknowledging a non-profit that has been doing valuable work in serving the human service needs of the Boston area community. The award includes marketing support in the form of profile brochures about in all Citizen's Bank's branches. In addition, a broadcast profile of the organization is regularly screened on New England Cable News during the quarter year of the recognition.

"Props" to everyone at A.B.L.E. for all the hard work you do. You are worth it!

Some Inspirational Quotes about Maturity

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been."

-Madeleine L'Engle, author, 1918-2007

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 "A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and in all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity." 

 - Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat and writer, 1884-1962

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"Old age is fifteen years older than I am."             

- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Supreme Court jurist, 1841-1935

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"Imagination grows by exercise, and contrary to common belief, is more powerful in the mature than in the young."

- William Somerset Maugham, author, 1874-1965

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“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.”

- Henri Bergson, philosopher, 1859-1941

Mature and Looking for a New Job in 2011? Come to January's MATURE WORKER JOB FAIR!

Happy Holidays from everyone here at Operation A.B.L.E.!

As the new year approaches, its very common for you to take stock of where you are in life and resolve to make changes:  lose weight, get more sleep, spend more time with family. It's also very common to find yourself taking stock of your career life and making some decisions on what you might like to change, from changing your role within an organization, to finding a whole new line of employment.

Well, if you are  looking to "jump start" a job or career change in 2011 and are 40 and over, Operation A.B.L.E. has an event tailored just for you! The agency is hosting a Mature Worker Job Fair on Tuesday, January 11, 2011, From 9am to 1pm  in the Arlington Room of the Radisson Hotel in Theater District Boston. Representatives from over fifteen leading Greater Boston businesses from all job sectors with positions to fill will be available for you to introduce yourself to and network with. These are "Real Jobs With Real Employers" who recognize the wealth of talent and skills that mature workers can bring to their organization. Breakout sessions covering topics of interest to the mature job-seeker and help stations for resume & cover letter review will also be available.

Are you an Operation A.B.L.E. Alum seeking to retool your career life again? Even if you have graduated from one of the agency's progams, your relationship with A.B.L.E. is not over! Operation A.B.L.E. wants to be your continued resource for keeping a vital career going. members of this new Alumni Association project will be on hand to welcome you and find out how you've been faring in the Greater Boston workplace.

So get that Power Outfit pressed, and brush up your resume. Time to get a new and rewarding emplyment in 2011! Participating employers to date and further details on the event to date can be viewed at http://www.operationable.net/ .

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Did you know that the agency that helps us to stay competitive in the workplace has a presence on YouTube? If you have friends that need to develop their skills, and have access to the Internet, direct them to this profile of our "Alma Mater"!