Platform to employment opens applications for long-term unemployed

Las Vegas — Platform to Employment (P2E), a nationally recognized program addressing the specific needs of long-term unemployed workers has opened its on-line application for its class for residents of the Las Vegas area, announced Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR).

The program is accepting applications from individuals who have been unemployed 27 or more weeks or have exhausted their unemployment benefits. Those who meet the criteria are encouraged to apply immediately as seating is limited and applications will not be accepted after April 8. There is no cost and is scheduled to begin in late April.

Those interested in the program can apply at the Platform to Employment website, www.platformtoemployment.com and click on the Platform to Employment Nevada Application button on the right side of the homepage.

Four workshops have been completed statewide, since the program began in 2014. The Platform to Employment program has been successful in both Reno and Las Vegas with 79 percent of the first group of participants in Las Vegas returning to work and 81 percent of the first Reno group finding employment.

Nevada was among 32 states to be awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to assist Nevada’s long-term unemployed jobseekers in re-entering the workforce. The grant totaling $1,830,497 was awarded through the Job-Driven National Emergency Grant program.

“This is an exciting opportunity for Nevada residents who have found it difficult to return to work in wake of the recession. The Employment Security Division has worked tirelessly to create opportunities for the long term unemployed, recognizing the dire needs of this population,” said Renee Olson, administrator for DETR’s Employment Security Division. “Jobseekers who have been out of work for an extended period of time have a difficult time finding employment. This program will provide them with the support they need to re-enter the job market.”

DETR is partnering with The WorkPlace, southwestern Connecticut’s regional Workforce Development Board, to bring P2E to the Las Vegas metropolitan area, Olson said. The P2E program offers individuals a five-week preparatory program, including skills assessment, career readiness workshops, employee assistance programs, coaching and more. Upon program completion, P2E assists participants in finding open positions at local companies.

Placements are made on a trial basis, and are paid for by the program. The expectation is that if the company is satisfied with the performance of the candidate, a full-time job will ensue. Platform to Employment subsidizes the wages of the job candidate for up to eight weeks, providing employers a risk-free opportunity to evaluate the candidate and determine if a good match exists.

P2E, which began in Southwest Connecticut in 2011 and has been featured on 60 Minutes and other national news programs, combines job readiness training, personal support services, and financial counseling said Joseph Carbone, president and CEO of The WorkPlace. The program in Connecticut has placed nearly 80 percent of its participants into work experience programs with local employers. Ninety percent of these participants subsequently moved to full-time employment.

“We are pleased to partner with the state of Nevada on this important initiative,” Carbone said. “This is a highly successful program that has yielded positive results in other markets.”