NeON Works on PIX 11 News at 6:30!

NeON Works was featured on PIX11 News. Read an excerpt below featuring participants at the Staten Island location and click here to read the full article: https://pix11.com/news/local-news/nyc-program-preparing-individuals-for-the-workforce/

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) — A program with the New York City Department of Probation is preparing individuals for the workforce whether they’re unsure of which industry they want to get into or if they’re a recent college graduate who wants to move up in their respective field. NeON Works creates a safe space for those have the same goal – to find a job and keep it.

...Shawn Patterson, who is in his 40’s, is about two months into the program and is learning new things about himself as he hopes to renew his certified nursing assistant license. “I never knew I was a leader, a team leader, expressing myself, facing fears,” Patterson said.

They learn new job skills, build their resume, and earn vocational certifications like for food handling or security jobs. Steven Ildefonso, 19, hopes to land a security job soon and has referred many friends. “This will be the best place for them if they don’t really have too much because it helps everybody get back on track,” Ildefonso said.

It also helps beyond getting a paycheck like how to deal with conflict because if your mind is not in the right place, it may be hard to hold onto a new job. “They give you a plan, a blueprint, or go around it, move about it,” said Anthony Pinkston, a program participant. “Trust me, I know. I’ve been around and things happened to me and they taught me to look at the bright side.”

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