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WAYNE AVERILL, store manager of Ames True Value Hardware in Wiscasset, talks about the business with WorkReady participant Theresa Pottle of Bristol. “I definitely plan to use what I learned from WorkReady in the job search and interview process,” Pottle said.
WAYNE AVERILL, store manager of Ames True Value Hardware in Wiscasset, talks about the business with WorkReady participant Theresa Pottle of Bristol. “I definitely plan to use what I learned from WorkReady in the job search and interview process,” Pottle said.
WISCASSET — For a growing number of Mid-coast residents who are searching for work, or transitioning from one career to another, help is available in the form of the WorkReady program offered by Wiscasset Adult and Community Education.

According to a news release, WorkReady is a state certified 60-hour soft skills program that leads trainees through a wide range of workplace and work search topics, including resumé building and interviewing techniques. To give the training added realism, management and human resources representatives from local businesses conduct mock interviews of the trainees, and open their work sites for trainees to visit and ask questions.

A wide range of local businesses have participated, from Portland to Brunswick to Damariscotta.

One such site visit took place recently at Ames True Value Hardware in Wiscasset, where store manager Wayne Averill gave trainees a guided tour of his business, and talked about the hiring process and his view of what it takes to be a successful employee — besides knowing how to operate a broom. Trainees had a chance to ask many questions, and ponder what Averill said about how to make a positive impression in an interview.

Visits like the one at Ames True Value give the classroom training a needed realism, as trainees learn their most lasting lessons from conversations with managers who interview and make hiring decisions.

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Recent WorkReady graduate Theresa Pottle of Bristol, who is re-tooling for a different career after more than 23 years with the same employer, appreciated a chance not only to get the “tour of the store” at Ames True Value, but to hear Averill talk about how he sizes up job applicants.

“I definitely plan to use what I learned from WorkReady in the job search and interview process,” Pottle said.

Local residents who are in job search or job transition, and could use some WorkReady assistance, are encouraged to contact Wiscasset Adult and Community Education at 207-882-9710 or at www.myadulted.org.

¦ LOCAL RESIDENTS who are in job search or job transition, and could use some WorkReady assistance, are encouraged to contact Wiscasset Adult and Community Education at 207-882-9710 or at www.myadulted.org.


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