Workforce Success: Meet Paula

Paula, a resident of Dodge Country, found herself in a homeless shelter after facing a two-year span of unemployment.  Finding it increasingly difficult to get hired after such a long period of unemployment, she turned to the Central Wisconsin Community Action Council in Beaver Dam for help.  The organization referred Paula to the Workforce Investment Act program, which helped connect her with housing and employment resources in her community.

After enrolling in the WIA Program, she was hired in a temporary position as an Administrative Clerk at the WorkSmart Access Point in Juneau, WI.  Paula brings over ten years’ worth of office experience to her new position, where her primary duties include reception and customer service, which involves helping customers with computer access and job searching.

With the steady income from her new position, Paula has succeeded in finding housing and has since moved into a new apartment.  She is glad that her new housing can give her and her daughter a greater sense of stability and security. Paula’s job is also getting her back into the workforce to close her unemployment gap and build valuable work experience that can help her secure a permanent position in the future.

“I really appreciate how helpful everyone was and how they worked to make me feel comfortable,” Paula said. “It was great how they worked to help me get back on my feet.”