A nationwide program has planted a seed in Walker County in hopes of alleviating a few of the stresses and woes accompanying the many unemployed and underemployed persons in the area.

Known as Jobs for Life and sponsored by the local nonprofit Hope for Northwest Georgia, this program currently has seven students participating in a 16-week course designed to clarify the job-seeking process while improving resumes and interviewing skills and building confidence.

Heather Prettyman, founder of Hope for Northwest Georgia, has partnered with Chattanooga Valley Presbyterian Church in Flintstone to host Jobs for Life.

Hope for Northwest Georgia works to alleviate poverty in Walker County and surrounding areas by equipping churches to help serve those in need.

According to the 2000 census, the nonprofit states, 8.6 percent of Walker County children live in households with no job. That figure is estimated to be substantially higher now due to the recession.

Therefore, the Jobs for Life program seemed an appropriate balm to an ongoing problem. There are only about a dozen locations in the state of Georgia currently offering the program.

The free classes at Chattanooga Valley Presbyterian Church began on Jan 4 and will end on May 3. Students meet weekly for two hours each session. Those who graduate will receive a diploma and, hopefully, a better chance of finding a job.

The is the second time that Jobs for Life has appeared in Walker County. Last year, the program was administered in LaFayette and saw a 75 percent success rate.

The Jobs for Life program is structured around a national standard, which maintains that each student must meet minimum attendance and performance requirements. Each student is also assigned a mentor, called a Champion, to serve as a go-to person and a source of encouragement throughout the 16-week process.

The class session on Monday, Feb. 22, featured an inspirational and informational visit from local business leaders and administrators. Cindy Yates and Renee Brown of the Fort Oglethorpe Wal-Mart and Jason Herndon of the Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union advised the students about the application and interview processes in their businesses and gave helpful tips.

Yates pointed out that the Fort Oglethorpe Wal-Mart ranks as one of the top 100 Wal-Marts in the country, having made over $150 million in transactions last year, and is therefore always in need of new employees.

“We’re a huge company but we’re a family company,” she said. “We have a good spirit.”

Echoing this spirit, Herndon pointed out that, unlike corporate banks, the Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union is owned by its members, and not by shareholders, and therefore has a much friendlier feel.

Both companies are fine examples of the sort of business opportunities to which the Jobs for Life students are working to aspire.

The participants showed themselves to be apt and active students, engaging the visiting administrators in so many intelligent questions that the discussion of the week’s homework, including resume drafts, had to be pushed back to the following session.

Ben Grady, the instructor for the first eight weeks of the class, is very pleased with the success of the Jobs for Life program so far. “It’s been exciting to watch it,” he said. “We didn’t know how it would be received.

“This has been just as much a growing experience for the volunteers as it has been for the participants. I would love to follow up on this and do like a round two for both the current participants and for other people in the community.”

Heather Prettyman agrees. Depending on the success of the program when it finishes in May, she is considering starting up another session.

“We’re hoping to do another one,” she remarked.

David Marr, the Champion leader for the Chattanooga Valley Presbyterian Church class, has even more ambitious plans. He feels committed to the Jobs for Life program for the long haul and wants to keep it going for as long as it is needed.

“We see this hopefully after it’s over as a follow-up period. If we find good successes we would be encouraged to do it again as a needed service to the community. We like to think of it as a long-term commitment to the community.”

The seven students currently representing this program still have a long way to go until May 3, but have already begun to feel the effects of the classes at Chattanooga Valley Presbyterian Church.

One student, Kassandra Avery, 22, of Flintstone, is deeply grateful for the Jobs for Life program.

“This program has helped me to open up and trust others,” she said. “It has given me a great sense of pride; it has helped me be confident in myself and in others.” Ms. Avery credits some of her success toward her “great mentor,” Paulette.

“I want to thank all the people who have been here and helped me grow as a person,” Ms. Avery said.

Nationwide, Jobs for Life graduates have a higher employment rate as well as a higher job retention rate. The program hosted by Chattanooga Valley Presbyterian Church hopes to match or improve upon the 75 percent job success rate demonstrated by last year’s run of the class in LaFayette.

7 common interviewing mistakes

· Believing that you must have this particular job

· Misunderstanding the purpose of the question, or answering the wrong question

· Not knowing your own skills

· Not communicating effectively

· Not acting professional

· Appearing indifferent

· Discussing salary and benefits too soon

For more information about the program visit jobsforlife.com.