Services are provided by SCS in partnership with other state and local agencies, utilizing federal and state funding, as well as funding from the Workforce Investment Act. Services are provided at SCS offices and at the NH One-Stop Job and Information Centers. They include career guidance and planning, labor market information, workplace skill identification, resume writing, interview skills, job search and placement. Funds for classroom training/on-the-job training may also be available.

Workforce Investment Act
SCS provides employment counselors at the NH One-Stop Job and Information Centers in Keene, Claremont and Lebanon. General eligibility criteria for the WIA program are as follows:

Adult Workers – Adults experiencing difficulty obtaining or retaining employment to provide wages that lead to self-sufficiency. Eligibility for this category will include federal income guidelines or individuals receiving Food Stamps or TANF. Dislocated Workers – Workers experiencing difficulty finding employment, those laid off due to closures, recent veterans, displaced homemakers and individuals collecting or who have exhausted unemployment benefits.

Families @ Work Program (F@W)
F@W operates in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services – Division of Family Assistance. F@W offers individuals additional support during their transitional period if their TANF cash assistance has closed due to income from employment. General eligibility requirements apply. F@W areas covered by SCS include Keene, Claremont, Concord and Lebanon.

Call 352.7512 or 800.529.0005 X 4129 for more information.

Workplace Success Program
This program is for unemployed or underemployed parents who are receiving TANF cash assistance and who are enrolled in the New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP) and are mandated to participate in a work-related activity in order to continue receiving their cash assistance. Participants are referred by the NHEP counselors for one or more combination of activities:

• Service Bureau – Participants are assigned to various volunteer projects designed to assist organizations with clerical support, facilities maintenance, community support, and community outreach.

• Workplace Success Training – Designed to provide participants with opportunities to increase their skills in the areas of customer service, teamwork, time management, interpersonal relationships, keyboarding, and computer applications.

• Work Experience Program – Works closely with the Workplace Success Training to secure meaningful volunteer work experience for participants within the community and to build current employment references and work experience in a field aligned to their career goals.

Southwestern Community Services provides the full Workplace Success Program in Cheshire and Sullivan counties.

Community Work Experience Program (CWEP)
SCS is a host site for the CWEP Program. This program is designed to give the participants of the
NH Employment Program (NHEP) the chance to gain relevant work experience. SCS provides a vast array of work opportunities.

For more information, please contact:

Betsy Chatman, Director
Southwestern Community Services
63 Community Way
PO Box 603
Keene, NH 03431
Phone: 603.352.7512 ext. 4130
Cell: 603.703.2180
Fax: 603.352.3618
Email: bchatman@scshelps.org

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