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FRESH STARTS
Tempe Works program: ‘About so much more than a job’
(City of Tempe)
Launched in 2018, Tempe Works has assisted roughly 80 unsheltered men and women in finding employment.
Posted
INDEPENDENT NEWSMEDIA
Tempe is looking for more local employers to put people on a path to self-sufficiency - a path that Jeffery Wessell and Monica Rodriguez say works.
Launched in 2018, Tempe Works has assisted roughly 80 unsheltered men and women in finding employment.
Wessell, a former truck driver sidelined by an injury who fell into homelessness, found housing and now works 40 hours a week for the city through the program and because of his "self-determination," city officials said in a release.
Rodriguez, who works as custodial team leader for Housing Services with the city, asays the program “helped me to be successful, which I never thought I would. Without Tempe Works, I wouldn’t have been where I’m at today.”
Partnering with more local employers is the key to more success stories, Mayor Corey Woods said.
"Tempe Works is about so much more than a job,” Woods said. “It’s about supporting people from all walks of life, giving someone a fresh start and connecting them to resources that can help end their homelessness.
“At the city, we see how Tempe Works changes lives every day. Our business community plays an incredibly important role in that transformation too,” Woods said.
Tempe Works participants hold various entry level jobs with the city’s Municipal Utilities and Parks and Recreation. Others are hired through partners like Corporate Job Bank or find their own employment.
The city is seeking local employers who have:
Temporary and permanent positions available.
Daily supervision processes in place.
Consistent mentorship strategies for Tempe Works participants.
Opportunities for promotion for Tempe Works graduates.
Tempe Works participants stay in the program for 90 days. Some are then hired for city jobs; others have gone onto work for employers such as Arizona State University and Walmart.
“It is extremely gratifying to watch them grow and progress in their career,” said Patrick Saros, who supervises participants in city solid waste jobs. “Businesses have a great opportunity to be part of that.”
A a new round of graduates was recognized last month during the city’s Workforce Readiness and Livable Communities Council Committee, chaired by councilmembers Berdetta Hodge and Randy Keating.
Keating brought the idea for Tempe Works forward in 2017.
“Tempe Works is a first-in-the-nation model,” Keating said. “Participants start building skills and experience on day one, and we’re with them every step of the way as they work toward self-sufficiency. This program is absolutely a path to a better future.”
