October 6, 2010
Minority & Small Business Week
Page 7
Job Support for Challenging Times
PCC Cascade’s
Pursuit of
Employment
Hundreds o f local job seekers
convened at the Cascade Campus
o f Portland Community College in
north Portland for something much
different from a job fair.
PCC's Workforce Development
Program recently held its second
Pursuit o f Employment at the cam­
pus' Moriarty Arts and Humanities
Auditorium. The event, which oc­
curs each term at the campus, is
designed to bring inspiration and
motivation to job seekers who may
have hit a roadblock in their search
for work and need encouragement.
Attendees get to hear from local
m otivational speakers who con­
veyed their experiences.
One o f the speakers was Ken
Berry, a 40-year teacher and admin­
istrator for Portland Public Schools
and a product o f Portland Commu­
nity College.
"W eallneedaboost," said Berry,
iracee wells (trom left) and Rita White, employment specialists with Portland Community College’s
Workforce Development Program, meet Joyce Phelps, one of the participates at a ‘Pursuit of
Employment’job fair.
who runs the annual Martin Luther
King Jr. communitywide celebration
through Portland Public Schools.
"One thing I try to share with the
group is that we all have resources
around us and regardless o f what
our challenges are, our goals are
attainable. A lot o f people are going
through challenging times, but the
more individuals surround them­
selves with others that are motiva­
tional and provide support, the bet­
ter."
Bennie Hill, in her 60s, attended
the PCC employment event and said
it indeed gave her a boost. Hill, who
works as a hairdresser and is inter­
ested in becoming an entrepreneur,
has explored PCC to get more ad­
ministrative skills and wants to learn
more about business plans. She's
been to both Pursuit o f Employment
get-togethers and has seen a tre­
mendous growth in the concept.
Tracee Wells, who is an employ­
m ent sp e c ia list w ith P C C 's
Workforce Development Program
and is a certified life coach, trainer
and career placement specialist, said
the Pursuit o f Employment fair gives
job seekers a way to build relation­
ships and find support.
There were plenty o f connec­
tions at the recent event. Commu­
nity leaders and speakers included
Roy Jay o f the African American
Chamber o f Commerce and Project
Clean Slate; Melissa Ballard, a sup­
portive employment coordinator;
Eddie Lincoln, PCC's Workforce
Network and Project Enterprise
Coordinator, April Johnson, a PCC
alumna; and Frank Harris, an asso­
ciate facilities manager.
"Many times we limit how much
effort we put into ourselves when
we are working on a project yet we
expect a different outcome," Harris
told the crowd o f nearly 200." Know
the true value o f time. Be prepared.
Make every opportunity count. So,
in everything you do, be committed
to yourself and give it your best
shot."
Ken Berry, the 40-year veteran of
Portland Public Schools, emphasized
the power o f having an education in
that preparation for finding a job. He
worked at KGW radio as a disc
jockey while taking classes at PCC.
conneci wun us
City of Portland
Multnomah County
P rocure m e nt S ervice s
Sophia Cavalli, Procurement Supervisor:
Greg Wolley: 503.823.6860, greg.wolley@portlandoregon.gov
503-988-5111 x 26106,
Loretta Young: 503.823.6850, loretta.young@portlandoregon.gov
sophia.cavalli@co.multnomah.or.us
Gene Jackson: 503.823.9166, gene.jackson@portlandoregon.gov
h ttp ://w w w .c o .m u ltn o m a h .o r. us
w w w .p o rtla a d o n tin e . c o m /o m f/p u rc h a s e s
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