By Corvo Rohwer, Puyallup Tribal News
It takes a positive mindset and plenty of determination to secure meaningful employment, and Program Manager Heidi Bostrom aims to help Tribal Members find opportunities and gather the tools they need to take hold of their life through the Workforce Development Program.
The department offers eligible Tribal Members the chance to build out their resume and job skills through its 240-Hour Program or affiliate opportunities depending on the client and availability. Jobs are typically in the maintenance sector, but hands are often also needed in other Tribal areas such as the Culture Department. These temporary jobs are intended to be dynamic to an individual’s situation and help guide them toward more permanent employment down the road.
“It’s flexible with the intent of allowing clients to be able to work on case plans with other programs, schooling, you name it,” Bostrom said. “It’s meant to help people get beyond barriers that they might have that were preventing them from getting full time employment with the Tribe.”
Members who complete their 240 hours are sometimes eligible for extensions, such as a 480-Hour Program or even a Full-Year Program depending on the circumstances.
The department does more than just connect Members with temporary jobs, as it also offers a range of employment tools to help identify and overcome any potential roadblocks. Even if you aren’t an active client of Workforce Development, Bostrom said you can drop by at any time to discuss whatever you may need advice on.
“Some folks are wanting certain positions here at the Tribe that they might not meet the educational, requirements or work requirements for,” Bostrom said. “Sometimes it’s easier for them to consider going back to school and getting that done, but they don’t know where to start. For each one that comes in, I assess what the greatest needs are, and then I dole out which program or department they need to go to next.”
Bostrom said a common hurdle for clients of the Workforce Development Program is the lack of a driver’s license, and that a future goal of her department is to find a way to ease that barrier with a support program.
“I think that it would be important to have someone that can be in a tiny room with a computer or two, and allow folks to come in and just take practice tests for the licensing,” Bostrom said. “It’s having that safe space to be able to show up, practice and then give yourself a time frame, ‘OK, in a month I’m going to do it again and just keep doing it.’”
This would have the potential to help Tribal Members overcome the barriers to getting a job, supplementing existing Tribal assistance services like the Education Incentives Program.
Being able to provide assistance and employment tools that improve the lives of Tribal Members through workforce development has been a rewarding aspect of Bostrom’s career, and she loves seeing her community succeed.
“I enjoy people coming back and going, ‘I got the job,’” Bostrom said. “They’ll come back and say, ‘Now I have a full-time job,’ and then a few months later, ‘I got a house,’ and then ‘All my family’s together and we’re doing really well. I got a raise.’ And then it’s upwards and onwards.”
Whether you’re looking to gain work hours, practice interviews, advance your computer skills or learn more about acquiring certifications, the Workforce Development Program can help. If you or someone you know is interested in getting connected with WFD, stop by Bostrom’s office at the Tribal Administration building or reach out to Heidi.Bostrom@PuyallupTribe-nsn.gov for more details.
