Women, Work and Community (WWC) will present the course My Money Works on four Wednesdays, Nov. 5, 12, 19 and 26, from 12:30-4 p.m. at the Presque Isle CareerCenter.
The sessions are intended to help participants gain skills and confidence to stretch money, pay bills, reduce debt, save, plan for retirement, and set personal financial goals. At the end of the class each will have a plan to achieve greater financial stability. A follow-up session is scheduled to provide additional networking and support.
Jean Szczepanski of Caribou has already enrolled in the course. She has a long-term relationship with WWC that spans the past 15 years. She initially sought out WWC when living in southern Maine and going through the divorce process; the Bath/Brunswick office was able to provide support as Szczepanski took a communication and then a self-esteem course.
Szczepanski decided to return to Aroostook in 2012, where she grew up, to be closer to family. She reached out to WWC again when she arrived in Aroostook, seeking guidance and information about the labor market and finding employment in The County. She took WWC’s online career-planning course and was able to identify strengths and skills.
“The online course helped me build courage to then take a college-level computer class,” Szczepanski said. She is currently enrolled in her second college course.
In 2013 Szczepanski reached out to the Presque Isle CareerCenter for more information about job availability, and ended up landing a receptionist position there, which she held for one year. She currently works as an administrative assistant to the director of the new Aroostook Aspirations Initiative project, and has plans to take more college classes to continue to build her skills and make her a marketable candidate in the current labor market.
For more information, contact the Presque Isle office of WWC at 768-9635.
