Workforce Challenge 

At 59 years old Maria Jennings was ready for a career change. She was working in the hospitality industry as a housekeeper, but cleaning houses wasn’t her passion.

Workforce Solutions

Maria began her new job search at the Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation (GEDCO) Community Job Hub in Northeast Baltimore. GEDCO is one of three hubs in Baltimore operated in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development to provide workforce development services in neighborhood-based settings. The staff there helped Maria update her resume to include recent work history and create an email address to send and receive employment-related correspondence. 

Outcomes & Benefits 

Early on Maria expressed to her intake specialist, Letitia Sutton, that she wanted to interact with more people and help others. Even though Maria’s current job was in hospitality, she wanted a change of pace. Ms. Sutton performed a detailed assessment of Maria’s career goals and aspirations, resulting in Maria being well-suited for the customer service industry. Maria used the job hub’s computers to search and apply for jobs. New employment was on the horizon, but Maria’s circumstances changed when she had the opportunity to live with her sister in North Carolina. Making sure her job-search momentum continued, Ms. Sutton made a connection with workforce development peers in North Carolina so that Maria could continue looking for a job.

Her new found skills paid off, and Maria is working as a cashier at Harris Teeter supermarket and McAlister’s Deli. She credits the GEDCO Community Job Hub with helping her develop skills leading to her employment.