1. Employment conference targets persons with disabilities
An all-day conference March 22 is offered free to job seekers and students with disabilities to prepare them for job search and employment. The employment and technology conference, called Tools 4 Success, will be held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Tacoma Community College.
Sponsored by the Developmental Disabilities Division of the Pierce County Human Services Department, the conference also may be attended by career counselors, employment specialists, parents, and agency case managers. A $20 registration fee is required for professionals and parents.
The conference is aimed at being interactive, and “assistive technology” will be on display. Special sessions will include resume preparation, interviewing skills, career search, jobs in local government, and success stories.
Pre-registration is required. Please contact TCC Continuing Education at 253-566-5020 or 253-566-5319 TDD. Special accommodations or interpreters can be arranged during registration.
2. County seeking youth violence prevention strategies
Pierce County wants to invest $1.3 million next year in programs aimed at preventing, eliminating or reducing violent behavior involving children, youth and their families residing in the unincorporated area.
Two types of grant applications are available:
* For social service or governmental agencies able to operate youth violence related programs within strict parameters. The grant amounts are unlimited.
* For youth groups whose members are between 12 and 19 years of age or are in school grades 7 through 12. Grants are limited to $2,500 or less.
The grants are funded by a portion of the 1/10 percent Criminal Justice Sales and Use Tax which the county dedicates to youth violence prevention. Grant applications are reviewed by the 14-member Allocation Advisory Committee for Prevention Programs, which forwards grant recommendations to the county executive and council. This is the fourth year the program has been funded in this manner.
“Violence is all too common in today’s society, endangering people’s lives, disrupting their peace and consuming large amounts of the community’s financial and other resources. This program is aimed at addressing the causes of violence and reducing or eliminating it in the youngest of our citizens and their families,” said David Shirer, the county’s community development program manager.
The youth violence prevention efforts have produced positive results, and committee members are eager to begin the grant application process, according to Shirer. Since the taxes to fund these programs are from the unincorporated county area, funded programs must serve the same population. Applications can be obtained at http://www.piercecountywa.org/cdev or are available in hard copy at 3602 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, Suite 200.
