Presentation on Queens Library's Job & Business Academy services for visiting Kenyan librarians (July 22, 2014)

1. Job & Business Academy (JBA)
Tara Lannen-Stanton
Job & Business Academy Coordinator
tstanton@queenslibrary.org

2. Mission Statement
Queens Library’s Job & Business Academy provides
specialized training and learning opportunities, with an
emphasis on technology training, to job seekers, aspiring
entrepreneurs, and business owners. By combining the Job &
Business Academy’s individual counseling, in-person
workshops, and online learning opportunities with
complementary services provided by the library’s Adult
Learner Program and New Americans Program, Queens
residents participating in training will become better
prepared for the modern workforce.

3. Locations
• Full Service (5 to 6 days per week)
– Central
– Flushing
– Rockaways
• Far Rockaway
• Teen Library
• Arverne
• Peninsula
• Seaside
• Broad Channel
• Howard Beach
• Partial Service (1 to 3 days per week)
– Long Island City
– Astoria
– Corona
– South Jamaica
– South Hollis

4. Services at all locations
• Provided in the form of workshops, classes
and individual assistance
– Job Search Training
– Technology Training
– Entrepreneurship & Business Development

5. JobMap
• Online portal to access Job & Business Academy services
– Assessment
• Technology skills
• Job search skills
– Customized recommendations
– Easy registration
– Calendar
– Messaging
– Cloud based storage of job search documents
– Handouts and other materials for classes
– Calendars

6. Job Search Training
• Understanding the Labor Market
• Identifying your Work Skills
• Job Search Tools
– Resumes
– Cover Letters
– Online Applications
– Application Tracking
• Job Search & Networking Strategies
• Mistake Free Interviewing
• Mock Interviews

7. Standardized Technology
Training Topics
• Basic Computers
– Intro to Computers
– Intro to Internet
– Intro to Email
– How to Buy a Computer
• Microsoft Office
– Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced
• Word
• Excel
• PowerPoint
• Publisher
– DIY Business Cards
– DIY Greeting Cards

8. Technology Training Topics
• Online tools
– Social networking
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Pinterest
– Cloud Computing
– Getting More From Google
– Google Drive
– Finding Free (Legal!) Music Online
• eMaterials
• Mac Mondays
– Intro to Macs
– iLife
• iTunes
• iPhoto
• iMovie
• Office for Mac
• Digital Photography & Photo Editing
• Online Job Applications

9. Entrepreneurship & Business
Development
• Key focus for expansion in FY 2015
• Small business workshops & individual assistance
at Central
• Small business workshops, individual assistance
and microfinance loans through a partnership with
Accion at Corona and South Jamaica
• StartUP! Business Plan Competition
• Serving immigrant entrepreneurs through THRIVE

10. Job Training Services at Select Locations
• Job Training
– OSHA 10 and 30 Hour Construction
– Home Improvement Contractor
– 8 and 16 Hour Security Guard
– Home Health Aide
– CPR/First Aid/AED
• Participants must complete required
activities to qualify for job training

13. Other Projects
• Disaster Recovery & Resiliency
Guide
• Where in Queens
• Coding workshops for teens and
adults
• Green Jobs Guide

14. The Results in Numbers
• Over 70,000 customers received over
81,000 hours of assistance.
• Over 2,000 computer workshops
• Over 800 job search workshops

15. The Results in Stories
• Young, a middle aged man, is a frequent user of all JBA services and an engineer looking for a new position. After several
resume appointments and mock interviews, he was offered a position at a major power company in Boston, Massachusetts.
• A customer from the Peninsula trailer who was a Super Storm Sandy victim and came in for resume help stopped by Flushing
because she had been hired to work for a school in Flushing as a teacher’s assistant and brought her students to work on a
project in the library.
• Fidalli was a regular customer. He had never created a resume before and was unfamiliar with online job searching. He came
back to visit this past month to let us know since coming in for one-on-one sessions with multiple staff as well as open laptop
usage he has received multiple short term private catering jobs as well as a permanent sous chef position in the prestigious
Payard Patisserie.
• Henry, a frequent customer of both Flushing and Far Rockaway started working at a Buddhist charity doing Sandy relief work. He
found it much more fulfilling and rewarding than his previous work and was grateful for the help in taking that leap. He is
currently looking for full time work while he continues his part-time temporary job with the Charity.
• Gilberto was a frequent user of BTOP services in the Rockaways and at Daytop Village last year. He has since graduated from
Daytop (one condition of that being employment) moved to the Bronx, and was thrilled to find out we offered services closer to
home. He is currently working refurbishing apartments, and came by for assistance seeking additional employment to
supplement his income.

16. Fiscal Year 2015
• Continuing to build internal capacity for entrepreneurship
services
• Phased launch for standardized computer classes
(presentations, handouts, exercises etc) at all libraries.
• Launching competency-based certificates at JBA locations
for customers in job search training, basic computers and
beginners Microsoft Office
• Launching training program for library staff to become JBA
certified job search trainers