We need you!  If you have a desire to make a difference in your community- we need you! If you have a drive to impact those around you-we need you! More specifically, there are 435,000, one in two adults, in Cuyahoga County challenged to understand a job application, or directions for taking medication, or the best routes and times to catch public transit. They need you!  There are more than 120,000 adults over age 18 that do not have a high school diploma. They need you! There are 80,000 adults in Cuyahoga County that make less than $13 per hour with 50% making minimum wage. They need you!

NEO Skill Corps provides individuals opportunities to serve their communities through the AmeriCorps program, http://www.serveohio.org/programs/americorps/. When you become an NEO Skill Corps member you will be working with adults 18 and older in the Cleveland and Lorain communities. NEO Skill Corps Members assist adult job-seekers and entry level employees to advance their literacy and workforce skills by providing direct services in financial literacy, workforce development training, and basic skills instruction, including adult literacy. These are adults, who because of their low-literacy skills, have a difficult time finding and maintaining stable employment. The ultimate goal of this position is to help these adults find stable employment or to encourage them to further their education. There are a number of ways you will help achieve this goal, a few of the main ones are by helping them raise their skills scores that increase employment opportunities, teaching financial literacy to help create budgets and learn about credit scores and savings, assisting adults to find stable employment for themselves and their families.

We are currently recruiting for our 2016-17 NEO Skills Corps year.  The program year runs from August 2016 through August 2017. The positions are either full-time or part-time. Members are matched to host sites that are mutually agreed upon by the member and the organizations. Once assigned you will work at that host site for the entire year. Currently there are positions available at the following host sites: Towards Employment, Seeds of Literacy, West Side Catholic Center, Migration Services, Council of Economic Opportunity of Greater Cleveland and Lorain County Urban League.

To become an NEO Skills Corps member it is preferred that applicants have a Bachelor’s degree, or at least some college education; current college students are encouraged to apply. Those applying to become members should be able to work in high pressure environments, have some experience working with adult learners, and are able to work with a diverse population. Members needs to be organized and are able to consistently meet deadlines. Responsibilities include implementing and recruiting for a training program that focuses on financial literacy, adult literacy, and the connection to the workforce. Those applying should also have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, more specifically Microsoft Word and Excel. Some data entry is also required. But the most important thing a member needs is a desire to help their community and the drive to help low-literate adults to improve their literacy skills, employment status and lives.

AmeriCorps benefits include a living allowance, medical benefits (for full-time members), student loan deferment, training, and eligibility for a Segal AmeriCorps Education award equal to the maximum amount of a Pell Grant.

If becoming an NEO Skills Corps member and helping low-literate adults in your community to gain skills to help them gain stable employment sounds like a position that is right for you then please email your cover letter and resume to sbuckner@universitysettlment.net. Those you help as well as your community will be grateful.