How NDCC Is Making a Difference

Those of you who know me know how passionate I am about our work at New Directions Career Center.  Not a day goes by that there isn’t something I see or hear from a client that inspires me and helps me to feel like what I’m doing is worthwhile!  How many people can say that about their work?  In particular, we get powerful feedback from the women who complete our 105-hour New Directions Program wherein participants work through an intensive and holistic self-analysis of their interests and skills as well as how to overcome barriers to their education and employment. The goal is to empower women to change their situations for the better, and achieve economic self-sufficiency.

Most of those we help are struggling financially. Some do not have a GED, others have a lot of education and strong professional experience, but are living at or below the federal poverty guideline. The thing these women have in common is that they are scared – afraid they will not be able to support themselves and their children. They may be dealing with issues of self-esteem after a divorce or an abusive relationship, or they may have a spouse who has suffered an injury that rendered them incapable of providing for the family. They may have let their professional experience lapse to be stay-at-home mothers. Whatever the life transition they are experiencing, at New Directions Career Center, we help women set goals and create a step-by-step plan for meeting those goals. Then we put people in touch with relevant resources, such as opportunities for scholarships, work-study programs, loans, and paid internships.

For our clients, our focus is not just on getting a job but in having a career that fulfills each woman professionally as well as providing financial stability for her and her family. The most common feedback I receive from program participants sounds something like: “I went through the New Directions program and it changed my life! It really helped me to have realistic career goals for myself, and to believe in my ability to achieve whatever goal I set for myself.  It helped me to know how to get from where I am to where I want to be, to map out a realistic path for myself, and to know about the resources available to help me achieve it.”

After completing a program, we continue to be part of our clients’ lives. After graduation, we follow-up and actively track the progress of each participant for 18 months. Then we encourage them to check in with us and let us know how they are doing. It is extremely satisfying to see women take these skills, knowledge, tools and resources, make them their own, and put them to work to achieve financial independence.

Lives get changed here!