What Qualifies as a Quality Job?

At Cara, we don’t just place our participants in the workforce—we also take steps to ensure they find quality work. But what does that mean?

Here’s how we raise the bar when it comes to getting you a job

We believe that a quality job is an employment opportunity where a person can expect more than just money in exchange for their labor, where relative stability and predictability are possible, and where the net pay, at the very minimum, meets basic living needs. Through meaningful employment, our participants can derive a sense of purpose, pride, and growth. Ultimately, a quality job is more than just a job: It fuels momentum towards a career and genuinely improves the quality of life. Here’s how Cara guides our participants to these jobs.

Training, Coaching, and Job Placement Services

Through our job training and coaching services, participants not only learn essential job readiness skills for the workplace but also social-emotional skills for everyday life. This combination helps our participants better navigate life outside our program. We want them to understand that no matter their past, they deserve to make a change and find the best that life has to offer, both at work and at home. We take participants on a transformational journey where they learn about themselves, and we provide support along the way. Learn more about our process—from Transformations classes and coaching sessions to Morning Motivations and job training—to see how we help participants learn to believe in themselves and make changes to get where they need to go.

Participants at Cara don’t graduate until they celebrate one year on the job. We rely on our dedicated Placement Team to build and sustain relationships with a network of companies offering competitive wages and employee benefits. Along with that, our two social enterprises—Cleanslate and Cara Connects—are committed to providing transitional work that develops professional skills and leads to permanent job opportunities. 

Retention Training

Cara’s process doesn’t end when a participant lands a position because success is also about retaining that job. Upon placement, Cara participants immediately receive retention coaching. Participants regularly connect with coaches to discuss their job, any barriers they’re facing, their budget, and their plans for the future. These meetings are essential to ensuring our participants have meaningful employment that helps them move forward.

We know that keeping a job requires more than just showing up, and sometimes life gets in the way despite our best efforts. Our coaches are here to make sure participants can reach their goals—and to provide support and resources in times of crisis. From encountering issues at work or losing child care providers to dealing with illness and anything else that life has in store, we work together to create solutions and solve problems, so that you can concentrate on building your career.

Another important part of making sure our participants continue to advance in their career journey is celebrating their progress. We walk alongside participants until they reach one year because we want to be there for a full cycle of the changes, setbacks, and successes, both large and small. Take Regina, for example, who was able to overcome everything life threw at her and return triumphantly to celebrate a successful year on the job.

Results

Cara participants often start in entry-level positions with great potential for career growth. And to ensure that retention is probable rather than just possible, we use our close bond with employment partners along with the vast pool of talent at our fingertips to make employment recommendations that will be a good fit for both the employer and employee.

Cara participants have gone on to work in a variety of industries ranging from security to property management, healthcare to hospitality,  and office administration to customer service. Don’t believe us? Just check out our success stories to see how far our alumni have come.

Want to know more about us? Here’s what you should know before joining Cara. But one thing we can tell you right away is that we’re dedicated to connecting people who need work with quality jobs. Contact us today to start on the path to your career.