LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Families in Louisville are struggling to make ends meet, and a lot of times it comes back to the availability of jobs offering living wages.
“They face a lot of challenges on the daily, one with being finding livable wage employment, finding adequate and safe housing, and then finding childcare,” said Johnecia Seay.
Seay said she works with people every day through the Louisville Central Community Center.
She said people want to get the best jobs they can, but they either can't afford to or find the time to search for the right fit, so Metro United Way is trying to bridge that gap.
“A lot of the time, a lot of folks are looking to gain skills and so we promote skills, training programs, that would help them kind of upskill in their current career," Seay said.
Through the Work Solutions Program, the LCCC connects employers with job seekers and helps them prepare for the hiring process through mock interviews, resume building and more. The center also helps train people through the Skill Up webinar series so they can get jobs in high-need, higher-paying jobs in technology.
She stressed that this has to be a community-wide effort to help people make a living wage. She said she’s happy to see businesses in the Louisville area changing what they pay and the benefits they provide to better support their employees.
“I feel like there are some employers that are taking the lead, and are really saying ‘We have to change the way that we are doing our business, we have to change our hiring practice.’ And I think hopefully, for the job seekers, I think that they are now seeing that there are tons of opportunities available,” she said.
Seay said she often sends people to companies who publicly announce their wages and benefits like Amazon and UPS, who offer wages well above what’s considered a living wage as well as offer training opportunities to advance in their industry.
The LCCC also helps people settle their finances with the Money Matters Club. Through the program, people can receive financial coaching on how to save, invest and start spending money in smarter ways, so they can afford to make ends meet.
Seay said external obstacles and things outside of people’s control don’t have to keep them from the things they want.
“That doesn’t have to be a determinant for their lives,” Seay said.
All of the programs with LCCC are free and open to the public. Visit the LCCC website to learn more and sign up.
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