STakeholderS' - Doczine

herlife | spotlightWomen’sEmployment& ResourceCenter (WERC)by ann e. butenas | photography by joan hefflerThere is something so inspiring about women helping women tosucceed. We are typically each other’s natural support group, upliftingone another in the challenging times and championing eachother in the best of them. One Albany organization is doing just that inphenomenal leaps and bounds. The Capital District’s Women’s Employment& Resource Center (WERC) has been helping women succeed fornearly a quarter of a century.A state-funded program established in 1978, and 10 years lateropened as the Albany Displaced Homemaker Program, WERC ultimatelyevolved in 2000 into the non-profit organization it is today, allowingthem to exponentially expand their services to the women who needthem. It is 1 of 21 centers statewide that help displaced homemakers findemployment and transition back into the workplace, assisting over 4,500women statewide annually and over 300 women locally. Since 1988, over5,800 Capital District women have been helped to find or improve theiremployment. Sadly, many of these women do not qualify to receive otherservices including unemployment insurance or social services, and couldlose their homes, vehicles and their pride if they do not find work.Executive Director Beth Miller, PHR, has been with WERC since1996, and was originally hired as the Training Coordinator, developingthe employment network still used today. “We are here to providewomen who have lost their source of income due to the death of aspouse, divorce, separation, disability, dislocation of a spouse or thosewho are single mothers with the tools, options and resources to get backinto the workforce,” explained Beth. “We serve both Albany and Rensselaercounties and assist approximately 300 women annually. However,we will happily serve anyone who can get to our center. We are small innumbers but huge in impact.”When women are faced with the turbulence of unexpected transitionin life, they often experience a loss of self-esteem and confidence. AtWERC, they are given a boost in that regard and are given the necessaryguidance to find jobs. These women receive more than 2,700 free servicesincluding career readiness and computer training, job search and placementassistance, and ongoing supportive services.With an 85 percent placement rate of women who graduate fromWERC’s intensive training programs, WERC has a proven track record ofhelping women in the Capital Region by improving economic opportunitiesand providing excellence in workforce development. The womenleave the program with enhanced qualifications, skills and self-confidence,as well as the motivation to achieve excellence within their chosenwork place.“We teach our women how to use the Internet to find jobs and toconnect to our employer network. We teach them to use the computerto create résumés and cover letters, and even to make their own businesscards as a way to promote themselves and their marketable skills,” notedBeth. “Many of these women have been out of the workforce for manyyears and we assist them in transferring skills from an earlier job or role inlife to help them find something today.”40 HERLIFEnewyork.com