Workforce Challenge 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, J’Nay Jones, like many others, was let go from her job.  She previously worked in the healthcare industry with positions that included Peer Support Specialist, Activity Coordinator, and most recently a Therapeutic Behavioral Aide. Armed with health-related skills and a dedication to helping others, J’Nay started looking for jobs in the same industry. While scrolling Facebook for job leads, she came across the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) virtual recruitment show. MOED was recruiting for a new initiative focused on training health care workers in response to COVID pandemic needs – J’Nay was immediately excited about this opportunity to continue her work in the health care industry. 

Workforce Solution 

The initiative was Baltimore Health Corps (BCH), a partnership between MOED, Baltimore City Health Department, and other key community partners. Funding is provided by The Rockefeller Foundation and Baltimore Civic Fund. The initiative was launched in June 2020, as a way to recruit, train, and employ more than 300 temporary community health workers (CHWs). Recruitment was targeted to residents who were unemployed, furloughed, underemployed, or those living in neighborhoods hardest hit by COVID-19. In addition to customer referrals and resume review services, MOED’s role included workforce support, financial empowerment counseling, and job coaching to assist with the transition into permanent employment from these temporary positions. 

J’Nay reached out to MOED on October 2, 2020, to request assistance with enrolling in BHC. She was assigned a Career Development Facilitator, Diedre Moore-Durant, who works at the Eastside One-Stop Career Center. Ms. Durant provided virtual assistance revising J’Nay’s resume and enroll her into MOED’s certified job readiness workshop, designed to help with interviewing techniques and soft skills development.  With the help of MOED’s career development MOED has to offer, J’Nay secure the job in November with BHC as a Community Health Worker focusing on Contact Tracing. The training was a step in the right direction towards J’Nay’s continued goals as a health care professional. 

Outcomes & Benefits

Eric never imagined life as a welder and loves his new career. “I will be forever grateful for the opportunity and continue to move forward with starting my own welding business,” Eric said.