Bible offers guidance to job seekers
By YONAT SHIMRON
News & Observer – November 7, 2005

At a job training class in Durham last week, instructors briefed the students on the basics of landing and keeping a job: show up on time, dress professionally, go the extra mile.

But this job-training class is different from those offered by government or private companies. In addition to giving students practical tips on finding a job, it provides them with inspiration from the lives of biblical figures such as Joseph, David, Noah and Jonah.

Jobs for Life, formerly the National Jobs Partnership, is now selling its biblically inspired kit to groups across the nation. The nonprofit organization, based in Raleigh, is so confident the curriculum works that it has set an ambitious goal: It wants to move 52,000 people into jobs next year.

Already, the organization has caught the attention of President Bush, who is a champion of faith-based initiatives. Bush met with Jobs for Life president and CEO Skip Long in February, and the president is sending a letter of support for the group's official launch today in Raleigh.

The Jobs for Life formula is simple: Give students examples of biblical figures who have struggled, acknowledge the students' own setbacks and use the experience to do better next time.

Feeling down on your luck? Remember Joseph, who was sold into slavery and later imprisoned on a false charge. Made some bad choices in life? So did King David, who committed adultery with Bathsheba, killed her husband and lost his son.

"The point is to develop job skills and use Scripture as a source for character development," said Cassandra Smith, one of the teachers of the class held twice weekly at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Durham.

Tameka Holman, a 24-year-old from Durham, said the biblical approach has taught her a lesson: "No matter where you are, you can come up."

Holman, who works as a housekeeper at Hillcrest Convalescent Center, said she too has been through some rough spots but now wants to work toward her goal of being a youth counselor.

Beyond the biblical examples, the program works because it brings together several constituencies, said Sharon Baker, another teacher in the class.

"It's not just the program that moves them into jobs," she said. "It's the program plus the business community, the faith community and the community at large. The support has to be there."

On Thursday, for example, Mae Mayfield, a recruiter for Duke University, talked to the class about what it's like to apply for a job at Duke. She advised them not to lie about past criminal convictions -- Duke will run a criminal history check -- and to come clean about jobs they were fired from.

"Remain positive, even if you were terminated," Mayfield told the students. "Say, 'I made a mistake. I'm truly sorry for it. I want to prove myself.' "

Bringing in recruiters and encouraging them to hire class graduates is another of the program's strengths, said Sherwood Smith, who teaches the class. Students can be taught how to apply for a job, but if they're already at a disadvantage because they lack experience or self-esteem, their applications often end up at the bottom of the pile.

"Sometimes you have to go to the back door to get through the front door," said Smith, an Allstate insurance agent. "You have to bring the business community in so they open their doors."

The Durham class is the result of a collaboration among Covenant, a mostly African-American church; Westminster Presbyterian, a mostly white church; and Judea Reform Congregation, a Jewish temple -- all in Durham. Each congregation provides teachers and mentors, called "champions," to the nine students in the class.

Jobs for Life is a new name, but the Jobs Partnership has been around for 10 years. Recently, its evangelical Christian approach was modified to appeal to Jewish congregations. Repackaged and revised, it is now available not only to religious but civic and community groups. The tool kit for the 18-lesson course costs $499. The organization receives no government support.

Long, who grew up in Southeast Raleigh and played point guard on Brevard College's basketball team, said he wants to keep track of how many graduates get jobs. Every group that buys the kit must appoint a person who will provide updates to the organization on the graduates' progress.

As for Holman, she said, she already knows that the lessons she has learned in the class will stay with her.

"It teaches you that if you believe in yourself hard enough, you can do it no matter what," she said. "That's going to be with me for the rest of my life."

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