Area Groups Work to Help People Gain Job Skills

Columbia Crossroads Church and Veer Community Development are partnering with Mexican Restaurant Ventures, a Midlands area Taco Bell franchisee, to help raise awareness and funds to help local groups assist the poor through the Jobs for Life program.

Participants in the program also will learn how to sell themselves in 60 seconds, develop a vocational plan, learn how to write a resume and tips for an effective interview, among other job skills.

Chris Gerlach, mission pastor at Columbia Crossroads Church's St. Andrews campus, said the program is a way for them to teach someone how to fish, rather than just give them fish.

"This program helps individuals become more marketable to employers,” Gerlach said. “They learn practical skills individuals need to succeed in the work force from a Christ-based perspective.”

Gerlach said those who host the program become advocates for those seeking employment and help make connections with potential employers.

Crossroads' Jobs for Life program will launch in January and will be held at the church’s main campus at 1215 Calhoun St., Columbia.

To get the program going in the Midlands, the group held an open house Wednesday at the Taco Bell on Decker Boulevard to raise awareness about the program and the group's goal of trying to raise $12,500 to help assist those churches or local organizations in starting a Jobs for Life program in their communities.

Bo Batchelder, founder and chief executive officer of Batchelder & Associates, and a Taco Bell franchisee, said he and his partner Fred Kotoske, owner of several Midlands Taco Bell locations, decided to bring the program to the area because they wanted to be proactive in addressing unemployment in the community.

"It's very beneficial for people to learn the soft skills that they may not have been able to learn in the past," Batchelder said. "By taking this course, it gives them the opportunity to succeed in the job market."

Donations are being made through the Columbia's Day for Dignity website. The program will receive 100 percent of the proceeds.

So far, $2,155 have been raised, according to the site.

Gerlach said while the program is Christ-based, there are no pre-qualifications for anyone to participate.

The Jobs for Life program would be an extension of the church’s current program, the Hope Project, Gerlach said. The Hope Project is an opportunity for volunteers to help pass out food, clothing and pray with individuals in need.

"We’re just trying to help in any way that we can," Gerlach said. "We're helping them move beyond the emergency situation that they’re in and get into a situation where they’re able to become successful citizens."

The strategy behind the Jobs for Life is to equip churches and organizations with Biblically based tools and materials in order to prepare individuals for work and life in general.

The program is made up of 16 sessions and teaches participants the “principles they need to overcome roadblocks in their lives” and gain employment.

Each session covers lessons learned from the lives of such Biblical characters as Joseph, David, and Ruth, the teachings of Jesus’ parables, and examples of real world heroes.

For more information, visit the Jobs for Life.