POP Awards Highlight Success Stories
The Parks Opportunity Program (POP) hosted its 5th Annual POP Awards last month on June 26, celebrating its loyal employers and valued training and education partners.
Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe greeted representatives from 27 different companies and organizations, thanking them for the critical role they play in making POP one of the largest and most successful transitional employment programs in the country. As the crowd enjoyed food and drink, POP honored seven select partner organizations whose dedication and support not only strengthened the program but changed the lives of its many participants in 2007.
POP began the ceremony by recognizing three outstanding education and training providers that helped build the skills and resumes of program participants. Kingsborough Community College was granted the “Excellence in Training Award” for is variety of vocational trainings, including food service and pharmacy technician. Next up was IBM receiving the “Excellence in Education Award” for its internationally recognized web-based learning tool, Reading Campion. Finally, POP honored a new partner, TreesNY, with the “New Partnership Award.” Keeping POP on the cutting edge of the growing green-collar job industry, TreesNY developed a challenging arborist training program designed for individuals ready to build a greener New York City.
After honoring its education and training providers, it was time to talk jobs! POP’s core mission is to help participants secure private sector employment. With the support of its top four hiring companies, POP placed 800 individuals in private positions in Fiscal Year 2008. With Universal Survey in fourth place, Allied Barton in third, and Central Park Conservancy in second, Securitas closed the year on top with 52 hires. Securitas was also awarded the “Best Employer-Linked Program” for providing job opportunities to participants who graduated from its vocational training.
Bringing the evening to a close, two POP alumni, Tonielle Blanding and Ruth Rivera, shared moving personal stories about their experience with POP. They described their struggle to find jobs and the impact their unemployment had on their lives. After completing the POP Program, they had the skills and confidence needed to secure private sector employment. The inspirational stories of Tonielle and Ruth re-emphasized the importance of the program’s mission and brought faces to the thousands of participants who benefit from the services of POP’s partners everyday.
QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
“To be great is to be misunderstood.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1803 - 1882)