Library kicks off drop-in job club

Whether you're looking for a job, a book, a movie or help with your homework, libraries in the Sno-Isle Regional Library system have free resources that can help.

And while the Sultan Library (319 Main St.) wants to encourage everyone to utilize the library more frequently, it will soon kick off a new drop-in job club series specifically geared toward teens and young adults.-á

The drop-in job club is a part of the library's local initiative to enhance the level of services available for teens and younger members of the Sultan community. Made possible via a collaboration between Sno-Isle and the Snohomish County WorkSource, the series will be hosted by Library Associate Bryan Schnell and WorkSource Employment Specialist Aldo Nunez. The summer series will kick off at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 14, and will be held every Thursday, from 3 to 4 p.m., in the Sultan Library.-á

The series targets teens and young adults ages 16 to 27.-á

The drop-in job club will be semi-structured, with a large degree of flexibility. Topics lined up for May 14 include GED prep, diploma completion and career assistance. May 21 will feature instruction on how to develop and promote "soft skills,GÇ¥ and May 28 will be focused on strengthening interviewing skills. Refreshments will be served during the drop-in job club.-á

The goal of the program is to engage the youth in the community and provide them with the necessary skills to achieve a successful future.-á

Individuals interested in attending the job club are welcome to stop by and ask questions, whether or not they are directly related to the featured topic. If someone needs resume assistance, Schnell said, but it happens to be GED prep week, they are still welcome to stop by for help. Since Schnell and Nunez are facilitating the job club as a team, Schnell is able to step away from the scheduled curriculum to interact with clients individually.-á

"I kind of look at myself as being the person that's going to have those one-on-one moments with customers and engage them with our Sno-Isle based resources,GÇ¥ Schnell said. "And Aldo will be able to engage them with his WorkSource youth resources. So we've come together to basically have a book-end experience.GÇ¥

"They don't have to stay the whole hour,GÇ¥ he continued. "They can drop in for five minutes and just ask a question or sit and listen to the featured topic.GÇ¥

Schnell explained that the Sultan Library successfully partnered with Nunez during a shorter, three-part series in March. Nunez, who has been an employment specialist at WorkSource since June 2013, specializes in working with at-risk youth. A case manager for youth, age 16 through 24, Nunez said he is able to relate to his clients because was an at-risk youth himself.

"I see a little bit of myself in everyone that I help,GÇ¥ Nunez said. "I love helping people. It's definitely a passion that I found out that I had when I got into this job.GÇ¥-á

A relatable experience

Raised in California, 22-year-old Nunez moved to Washington when he was 15. Raised by a single father, Nunez described his whole family as "at-risk youth.GÇ¥ As a teenager, he continually made poor choices, and eventually, his father decided to move the family to Washington.-á

"There's a lot of gang activity down there,

-áand when you're 16, that's the age that you get initiated. So you either get jumped in or you have to do something,GÇ¥ Nunez explained. "I know my dad doesn't like to admit it, but that's one of the main reasons why he moved us up here when I was 15.GÇ¥

Nunez, who arrived in Washington ahead of the rest of his family, stayed with his aunt for two months while waiting for his father, brother and sister to arrive. But despite the change of scenery, he continued making choices that were problematic.-á

"I got enrolled in the high school and everything, but I still wasn't making the smartest choices. So that's when we found WorkSource,GÇ¥ Nunez said. "They had the YouthBuild program, so it was kind of my last chance.GÇ¥

YouthBuild is a 10-month construction program oriented toward at-risk youth, ages 18 through 24. Participants receive construction training, paid work in housing construction, an opportunity to complete their GED, community leadership training, personal support and advocacy and assistance in locating a job once the program ends. Nunez enrolled in YouthBuild in November 2012 and graduated in June 2013.

"We got mentored in a little bit of everything,GÇ¥ Nunez said. "The goal was that after the program, we could go into the construction field and hopefully make a way for ourselves.GÇ¥

But rather than entering into the anticipated field of construction, WorkSource presented Nunez with a different sort of opportunity: They offered him a three-month internship. A second three-month internship followed the first, and after that, he was offered a full-time position. As a case manager, Nunez works with at-risk youth providing mentorship, life skills, job readiness training, interview skills and resume building.

The last few years have been ones of intense change for Nunez ' all for the better. He currently lives in the Bothell area and maintains a close relationship with his family. He's enjoyed getting to know his baby nephew, who was born on Oct. 20, 2014, which is Nunez's own birthday. -á

"It's really great. I'm happy to wake up now, and I'm happy to see who I see in the mirror,GÇ¥ Nunez said. "My family is happy to look at me and talk with me again. And they're proud of me.GÇ¥-á

Nunez enjoys the public outreach aspect of his job, because it enables him to serve at a broader level. He is hopeful that programs like the drop-in job club will help spread the word that there is help out there for youth who are struggling to find success. Nunez explained that, at 15, it never occurred to him to engage his high school's career center or seek help through other avenues.

Schnell and Nunez want people to know that WorkSource and the Sultan Library are available to provide a seamless continuum of services to help youth be successful.

"I think it goes a lot further than helping people find a job,GÇ¥ Nunez said. "Finding a job is important, but to get a job, you yourself have to be work-ready. You yourself have to be independent and reliable and ready to do what you've got to do.GÇ¥

For more information about the Sultan Library's drop-in job club, call 360-793-1695, or visit www.sno-isle.org/locations/sultan. Information is also available on the Sultan Library Facebook page www.facebook.com/SULLibrary?fref=ts.-á