Where There are No Jobs

10 Ways to Help People Get Jobs

1. Job Placement – collect and disseminate information on where jobs are available, with special emphasis on employment openings in the local community.
2. Job Readiness - develop a program to enable participants to be gainfully employed, to be successful in finding and maintaining meaningful employment. This generally involves classroom instruction on topics of respect for authority, conflict resolution, teamwork, perseverance, effective communication, career planning, job search techniques, resume writing, and interviewing skills.
3. Train Mentors – assign successful business people to assist those seeking employment, or also to help with ideas related to self-employment.
4. Local Company Exchanges – create an incentive system for local businesses that add employees from the community program, and that can increase their own sales and profits through networking in the community.
5. Entrepreneurship Training – provide an educational opportunity for those who might consider starting a business.
6. Incubation of Productive Economic Projects -  craft specific businesses that demonstrate a potential for profitability and use them to create jobs, either as wholly controlled ventures or businesses that would later be sold to the employees.
7. Locate Small Business Funding – identify and promote existing programs that assist in new business creation, and help candidates qualify for acceptance into these programs.
8. Create a Venture Capital Fund – promote a pool of funds for starting economic activities that can be provided to worthy projects that may too risky to be funded by others.
9. Internship Programs – search for transitional jobs in local businesses that may help people overcome barriers to employment by providing job experience, even though they may not initially provide financial compensation.
10. Community Related Enterprises – utilize the existing asset base of the organization (community center, church building, etc.) to create income-generating projects for people.

For specific methodologies and cases (in both the U.S. and overseas), email [email protected] or view the website www.wheretherearenojobs.com

Dr. David Befus, Program Director

Dr. David Befus is passionate about sharing good business principles and practices with people in developing countries, enabling them to lift themselves out of poverty. His resume includes employment and entrepreneurial partnerships with Opportunity International, World Vision, the World Bank and the United Nations. He is the author of Where There Are No Jobs: Enterprise Solutions for Employment and Public Goods for the Poor.

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