AUGUST 2003

GreyStone members help jump-start New Start Resources through Operation Round-Up

As technology expands in the workplace, some employees may feel they are not equipped to apply for promotions. People looking for work may feel flustered by a position’s requirement of computer experience. And one Douglas County woman is determined to change that mind set.

New Start Resources Executive Director Carolyn Pounds-White said she wants to make computers and computer software accessible to anyone who is dedicated to learning and wants to improve their life. The program focuses on career development and building computer skills through hands-on training in basic computer knowledge and in-depth training in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint. Job placement services and life skills development are also provided for students.

“New Start Resources was a vision – a calling, in a way,” said Ms. Pounds-White, who worked as a software engineer for more than a decade before shifting her focus to helping the community become computer-literate. Over the past year 29 students graduated from the program, and although she has yet to receive a paycheck Ms. Pounds-White says she believes the young program will take root in the community and become successful.

Operation Round-Up, a non-profit program funded by GreyStone members and run through the GreyStone Power Foundation, gave New Start Resources $1,000 in 2003 to fund career and computer training materials for the classes. Reference materials and individual career assessments can cost up to $200 for each student.

The New Start Resources program is comprised of two classes. Each 12-week class covers two Microsoft Office programs, followed by career development training. Classes meet two days a week, and are limited to eight students each to make sure participants get personal attention.

“We’re really taking our time with them to make sure they learn,” says Ms. Pounds-White. “We go a little deeper than a lot of other classes.”

Students also have access to a library of career tools, including job listings and the skills needed for each position; literature on the nature of the workplace and the economic outlook for different fields, and videos on the skills needed to create a successful career.

“I believe I can help make a change in lives,” says Eric Dansby, who works with students to enhance their career development skills. “Someone can come through this program and get the skills they need to move ahead and get a new job – and a new life.”

Applicants go through an intensive interviewing process before entering the class in an effort to admit students who have the time and drive to successfully complete the program. A sliding fee schedule is then used to charge students for the courses. Each student’s income and situation is taken into account when assessing fees. Scholarships are available for low-income applicants.

“I enjoy being able to help someone – to see the difference when someone comes in the door and when they leave,” says Sara Caldwell, the office manager for New Start Resources. “This program gives people hope – maybe they can’t get anywhere on their own, but with new skills their life can change.”

Over the last year classes were at night, but interest in the program led to day classes, which debuted in late July. The facility, located on South Sweetwater Road in Lithia Springs, is open Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information call (770) 819-1351.