Options For Available Latino Workers

Aired November 23, 1999

This is INFOhio After Nine, I am David C. Barnett, bidding you greeting on this 23rd day of November, 1999. A lot of folks are getting ready to deck those halls with boughs of holly and get jolly and a lot of other folks are just trying to get by. We'll measure their progress this morning. The director of the Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland will join us to give us a holiday forecast. They ought to be doing fine this season, during this season of charity and goodwill, right? Well, not necessarily. You'll hear why after we check you up on the job picture. Retail, service, and technology-based companies are putting together plans to hire more help for the holidays. Some people take the opportunity to make some money on the side, but for others, the chance to earn extra cash will pass them by. In today's examination of "The Changing Face of Welfare," 90.3's Yolanda Perdomo reports on options for those who are looking for work in Cleveland's Latino community.

Yolanda Perdomo–The El Barrio Center, located on Cleveland's west side, helps area Hispanics with everything from child care to job placement services. Betty Ortiz is the center's job coordinator. She says while they help place about 45 people a month, only 44% of them stay permanently employed. Ortiz says for some, not speaking English is a huge hurdle.

Betty Ortiz–Language is one of the issues, you know, one of the barriers, and sometimes skills, when a person does not have the added skills to become employed, sometimes it's difficult to place them.

YP–Ortiz says the center helps those clients with GED and English-as-a-Second-Language classes if they're short on skills or a diploma. According to Nelson Bardecio, El Barrio's chief operating officer, cultural issues are also affecting how some Latinos approach the American workplace.

Nelson Bardecio–Spanish people believe they have merit for themselves, and don't need to say "I am the best in this job." When you go in the normal American system to find out a job, you need to sell yourself and say, "oh, I am the best for this job." This is not into the Spanish culture. The Spanish culture, the families teach humility and "we are not the best, we are good, but not the best," or at least somebody other needs to say that such-and-such is the best person.

YP–Those who look for work may be finding more opportunities during this time of the year. The holidays bring seasonal work with attractive hourly rates, and some have benefits to lure potential workers. Betty Ortiz of El Barrio says it's a great place for thos on public assistance to get their foot in the working world.

BO–Even though thye might have been looking for seasonal employment, if the person turns out to be a good employee, then there's a possibility of becoming a permanent employee.

Ifraehim Soto–The problem with that is the seasonal jobs don't offer day care, services or vouchers like the county does.

YP–Ifraehim Soto is the job search supervisor and coordinator at the Spanish-American Committee. The agency helps about 200 people each year to gain employment. Soto says for most of those who come in looking for a job, that kind of work is not even an option.

IS–Nobody really wants a seasonal job because they know it's temporary and that's not what they're looking for. What would it be like if someone goes through the process of going through work, getting off of welfare finally after years, only to have to start the process all over again two or three months later. That's a bigger hassle and that's why I see people don't even waste their time with seasonal.

YP–Soto says part-time help for the holidays may be available, but he's more worried about what the employment outlook will be a year from now, when over 3000 people may be forced off the welfare rolls.

IS–People don't think that far ahead because they haven't had to. They've been on welfare for so long they know their monthly check has been coming in and there's a comfort zone. Moving them from that, or not really moving them, motivating them from being stagnant to doing something positive, that's the key right there. Getting them motivated, and we do that by letting them know what the reality is of the situation that they're in.

YP–And the job of convincing some that their welfare checks are in jeopardy could be a challenge for both the agencies as well as those looking for permanent employment. For INFOhio, I'm Yolanda Perdomo in Cleveland.