Josette Scott: An Atlanta Workforce Development Agency Success Story
Atlanta resident Josette Scott, an out of work executive assistant, found gainful employment and a new career direction through the employee development programs at the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA).
Before she came to AWDA, Josette had searched in vain for employment after she was laid off from her job. Finding the market for executive assistants oversaturated, she decided she needed a career change.
Josette attended AWDA’s weekly job fair, which is held every Tuesday, where she shared her resume with several companies. Encouraged by their services, she returned to the agency a few days later to work with an AWDA employment specialist.
Within a week, Josette was contacted for an entry-level marketing position with telecommunications firm, TDC Systems Integration (TDC SI). TDC-SI provided on-the-job training and hired Josette as its Marketing Coordinator. The entire process, from the time Josette first visited AWDA to her hire at TDC-SI, took just three weeks.
“I will always be grateful to AWDA for giving me this opportunity,” said Scott. “I highly recommend their services to anyone who is in the same position as I was just a few short months ago.”
Said Annette Melvin, TDC SI Director of Operations: “AWDA has an excellent employment placement process. We have very specific needs and AWDA has helped us fill those job vacancies adequately. Josette is a great team player and has taken a proactive role in understanding TDC SI business methodology and marketing aspirations.”
AWDA is located at 818 Pollard Boulevard SW, Atlanta, 30315. For more information, call 404.658.9675, or visit www.atlantaworkforce.org
After being laid off, Josette Scott (above) found a job and embarked on a new career path through AWDA’s employee development programs. |
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City Hall Greenroof Garden Featured in Multi-City Ecological Tour
The Planet Smoothie Good for You, Good for the Planet ecological tour paid a visit to Atlanta yesterday to highlight the City Hall rooftop garden.
Atlanta joins 20 other cities for this first-ever tour to highlight cutting-edge, environmentally-friendly projects across the country. Atlanta’s greenroof, the Southeast’s first on a government building, is both aesthetically-pleasing and serves important environmental functions.
Built in 2003, the greenroof garden has 35 varieties of vegetation. Greenroofs have been proven to reduce temperatures in a city’s center, clean the air by increasing greenery in the urban core, lessen the stormwater load on sewer systems, and create a peaceful retreat from traffic and noise.
“This is a demonstration garden,” said Bill Brigham, garden designer and principal landscape architect for the City of Atlanta. “This garden is open to residents, employees and stakeholders to see the potential to use space and impact the environment in a creative way.”
Click here to see a short video documentary of Atlanta’s Greenroof.
The City of Atlanta was the first governmental organization in the Southeast to construct a greenroof on one of its facilities. |
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Public Night at Dream Jamboree College Fair Open to Parents
Parents of metro Atlanta high school students are invited to attend the 25th Annual Dream Jamboree Public/Parent Night on Wednesday, March 28 from 7 – 9 p.m.
Dream Jamboree is one of the largest college and career fairs in the Southeast. More than 150 colleges and organizations from across the United States will be available to answer questions.
This year’s event will be held at the Atlanta Braves/Turner Field – Lexus Level. Parking is free and MARTA will have extra buses on the routes to and from Turner Field. For more information, contact the Mayor’s Office of Constituent Services at 404.330.6023 or e-mail saspencer@atlantaga.gov.
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Women’s History Month Feature: Female APD Officers Share Experiences with Foreign Recruits
Female members of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) recently shared their experiences with 12 women who are in the process of integrating the Yemeni Army.
The visit provided an opportunity for international exchange between women in law enforcement and military organizations. APD’s first female Chief of Staff, Major Pearlene Williams, led the discussion. Topics included mastering life-work balances for mothers and wives, and rising in rank in a male-dominated industry.
Atlanta has a history of promoting equal and fair access to women globally. In 2006, Mayor Shirley Franklin joined over 30 international leaders for a global workshop on Gender Equality for National and Local Governments. Promoting gender equality was identified as one of eight (8) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the United Nations to assist countries reduce poverty, promote sustainable development and build good governance.
“These women are trailblazers,” said Major Williams. “It is so important for them to be able to have free exchange, both formally and informally, with other women who have risen in rank in a predominantly male industry.” The Yemeni visit was arranged by Fort McPherson as part of its military-to-military partnership program.
Female members of the Atlanta Police Department recently met with 12 women who are preparing to integrate the Yemeni Army (pictured above in camouflage). The visit was designed to show the Yemeni women examples of women succeeding in a male-dominated industry. |
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The City of Atlanta premieres a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) promoting the Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. exhibit at the Atlanta History Center. In the PSAs, the City features interviews from people who knew King and were a part of Atlanta’s civil rights movement. Click here to go to Video On Demand (VOD) webpage to watch the PSAs.
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Rave Reviews!
- For the second year in a row, the City of Atlanta has received the Outstanding Blood Drive Coordinator Award from the American Red Cross for leading the area in minority blood drive donations. Representatives from the Department of Human Resources (DHR) accepted the award at the recent Sixth Annual Minority Recruitment Luncheon, where Mayor Shirley Franklin was the keynote speaker. During her remarks, Mayor Franklin highlighted the City’s commitment to support the American Red Cross. The City’s next blood drive will be in the City Hall Atrium on Friday, April 6, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.
- The Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs (DPRCA) recently celebrated almost a century of serving residents and visitors with best-in-class recreation at the re-opening ceremony of the Piedmont Park Tennis Center. The Piedmont Park Tennis Center, which opened in 1913, recently underwent a $225,000 renovation as part of the department’s Opportunity Bonds enhancement program. In addition to updating its equipment, the Center has a new mosaic, created in partnership with Grady High School students. Recreation programming at the Center includes “30/60” a youth development program that teaches kids the game of tennis. For more information on the Piedmont Park Tennis Center, please call 404.853.3561.
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Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
- Mark your calendars for the return of the 30th Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival, May 2007! The Atlanta Jazz Festival boasts a 31-day schedule of events that features internationally-renowned jazz artists and activities throughout the metro Atlanta area. The festival culminates on Memorial Day weekend, May 26-28, with a 3-day festival of show-stopping performances at Piedmont Park. Many events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.ocaatlanta.com
- The Atlanta History Center is offering free visits to the I Have a Dream: the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection for Georgia school groups now through May 13, 2007. To schedule a school group tour, call 404.814.4110. For more information on the Atlanta History Center, visit www.atlantahistorycenter.com.
- The City of Atlanta Department of Procurement (DOP) will celebrate National Purchasing Month on Thursday, March 22 from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. with “Coffee and Contracts” in the City Hall Atrium. On Thursday, March 29 DOP will host “Now That You Know,” a complete overview of the current procurement process and a peek into the future of procurement-ERP. Both events will be held in the City Hall Atrium, 55 Trinity Ave, Atlanta. For more information, call 404.330.6204.
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Job Announcements
With the City of Atlanta’s online application system, you are able to create an account and select a Username and Password and then log in to your account.
After your account has been established, you can create an application by clicking on the “Build Job Application” link. Once your application is completed, it will be stored in the system and can be used to apply for future job openings. To get started by viewing current open positions, click here.
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Weekly Features
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