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Career Mentors helped one hundred twenty-eight participants begin the journey to a brighter future! SWIFTStart is funded by a grant awarded to the Roanoke and New River Valleys by the Department of Labor. New River Community Action and Total Action for Progress (TAP) have partnered to target a large service area, positively impacting a sizeable population. Using career pathway development with short-term and credential-focused training, SWIFTStar t helps participants qualify for employment in the specific workforce fields of Advanced Manufacturing, Health Care, and Information Technology. SWIFTStart is currently serving Floyd, Giles, Montgomery and Pulaski Counties, and Radford City. One full-time and one part-time Career Mentors cover all five jurisdictions. SWIFTStart collaborates with programs within New River Community Action, as well as other programs in our service area. NRCA Head Start and TAP Early Head Start parents receive priority in the referral process. Other SWIFTStart referral sources include the NRCA Children’s Health Improvement Partnership (CHIP), Department of Social Services, Women’s Resource Center, Workforce Development, Goodwill, Good Care, Health Department, and local churches. Referral sources are continually increasing due to efforts made by Career Mentors to collaborate and network with other local programs. The effective partnerships utilize one another’s expertise to decrease participants’ barriers without overlapping services. Partnering with Head Start has benefited clients greatly. The continuum of care that helps individuals reach maximum self-sufficiency can be seen in Mr. Rick Johns. This gentleman first came to NRCA through Head Start, where staff referred him to Responsible Rides. The next referral was to SWIFTStart. This type of collaboration helps solidify permanent change through bringing together a variety of services.

Due to Mr. Johns’ determination to provide for his family, he has overcome many obstacles since being medically discharged from the military in 2010. In a recent conversation, Mr. Johns stated, “All that matters to me is being able to take care of my wife and sons.” He went on to say, “Because of SWIFTStart, my dream of becoming a certified welder is coming true, and someday my goal is to open my own welding business.” It is easy to see Mr. Johns knew what he wanted, and what he needed to be self- sufficient. He simply needed the resources and someone such as a Career Mentor to provide encouragement.

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