Shannon was the “quarterback” of a team at a leading global printer in Pittsburg, CA, where she handled both production processing and accounting. Her company went through a major relocation and consolidation, and as a result, she was laid off.
When layoffs happen, local EASTBAY Works Business Services staff meet on site at the affected workplace to tell employees about the resources available to them. Typically, the “Rapid Response Team,” as it is called, share about the One-Stop career centers, unemployment insurance, and any special training grants employees may be eligible for after their separation.
Coincidentally, one of the facilitators Contra Costa County’s Rapid Response Team had herself worked at the same location years ago under a previous owner, so she really understood the business and staff functions. Shannon enrolled in a Multi-Sector Partnership grant program, which provided her with a case manager/career coach and an employer liaison. This duo collaborated to give Shannon resume help, interview coaching, and connections to employers who were searching for her skill set.
Shannon interviewed for an Operations Analyst position at NuStar Energy, a petroleum manufacturer. (Manufacturing is one of the “strategic sectors” identified in Contra Costa County as having high growth and high demand for skilled workers.) The preparation she did with the EASTBAY Works team enabled Shannon to speak confidently about her transferable skills. Even though the products NuStar made were different from those of her old employer, the interviewers were impressed with her knowledge of accounting audits and material flow. She got the job!
