49th Annual Meeting

On Thursday, June 20^th, 2013, members of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce as well as several distinguished guests gathered at the Grassy Hill Lodge in Derby for the Chamber’s 49^th Annual Meeting. The theme? Getting America back to work. This year’s presenter was Joe Carbone, the President and CEO of The Workplace Inc., a nationally recognized leader in creating innovative workforce development programs.

Carbone began his presentation by offering the audience astounding unemployment statistics as a result of the Great Recession. He explained that the labor participation rate has dropped to its lowest point in the last 30 years…11,000 jobs have been lost…in Connecticut, 45,000 people have lost their jobs leaving many of them discourage with the lack of long-term employment.

Carbone explained the “…thinning of the labor force made the road back to employment very different.” This is what makes it difficult for the long-term unemployed to find employment. In the two to three years that they’ve been unemployed, the work force has changed and, after consistently hearing ‘no’ from prospective employers, their self-confidence has understandably been shaken. The ultimate barrier they face is the length of their unemployment, which ultimately denies them the chance to be considered for employment.

Carbone presented his solution—“Platform to Employment: Putting Long-Term Unemployed Back to Work.” This program, featured on 60 Minutes and PBS News Hour, is designed to help in the restoration of the American Dream—equal opportunity for prosperity and success. Platform to Employment strives to give the unemployed a fighting chance. There are five weeks of intensive classes taught by a professional team of people able to help with the issues plaguing the unemployed. “If we did it right, we could give these folks a chance,” declares Carbone.

After the five weeks of classes, the students intern with a business for eight weeks on Carbone’s payroll, effectively eliminating any risk to the business.

Carbone says, “America cannot, and should not, offer everyone a job…” but Carbone looks to offer hope—the underlining secondary theme of the meeting. Platform to Employment is designed to help people compensate for their barriers so they can compete for work—leading back to the American Dream.

Platform to Employment is the embodiment of the American Way. The people who enter the program are severely misunderstood by the work force. They’re not lazy nor are they looking for handouts—“They’re people who feel like they’ve been abandoned…suffering from depravation of hope.” As Americans, Carbone explains, it is our responsibility to “help our brothers and sisters, to give them the necessary tools and services to stand on our own.”

Summer Intern, Noelle Monk

Photo by Fred Ortoli