Jamison-Rounds Ready for Work (JR-RFW) employment training program, is a 14-week economic empowerment program that provides women with job readiness training in the form of skill building workshops and training including on-and-off site work experience. The goal of this program is to provide women with the skills they need to be effective job seekers and secure and maintain permanent employment at a livable wage. JR-RFW was established in 2008 to respond to a need in the community. JR-RFW Program was developed to address a variety of barriers that women face when seeking gainful employment, such as sporadic work history or no history at all, lack of TASC/HS Diploma, etc. JR-RFW team assists participants with obtaining childcare, housing, accessing local service providers and provides individualized one-on-one case management. JR-RFW participants focus on improving basic and financial literacy and learning and enhancing computer skills while attending workshops that will provide a variety of skill building topics such as: professionalism, confidentiality, dress for success, workplace etiquette, time management, understanding benefits and employee rights and more.

 Each JR-RFW Program session concludes with a graduation ceremony to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments. Each graduate prepares a Vision Board and presents their powerful and moving five-year plans to our guests prior to receiving their Certificate of Completion. The graduations feature local elected officials such as County Executive Kathy Jimino, Mayor Patrick Madden, Deputy Mayor Monica Kurzejeski; Senator Breslin, and more, plus founders such as United Way of the Greater Capital Region and partners like Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, and of course, their family and friends.

 Each year 25 - 35 women graduate from the program and 86% go on to find permanent employment or continue on to Higher Education and or a Trade. JR-RFW Employment Training Program currently collaborates with a number of providers including, but not limited to the Rensselaer County Department of Social Services, Commission on Economic Opportunity's Head Start Program, Educational Opportunity Center, Capital Roots, Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County, Workforce Development Institute's Community College Program, Bryant & Stratton, and the Women’s Employment and Resource Center (WERC).

If you are interested and would like additional information, please call YWCA-GCR at (518) 274-7100 or email info@ywca-gcr.org.

The Jamison-Rounds Ready for School (JR-RFS) program encourages educational growth while providing support, resources, and skills women need to further their education, overcoming barriers, and assist them in reaching their educational and life goals. The JR-RFW program is designed to give women the opportunity to further their education by putting them on the road to a successful career and life.

The JR-RFS program provides:

   - Mentoring and Tutoring

   - Literacy and Education Assessment

   - School Readiness Assessment

   - GED/TASC Preparation Classes

   - GED/TASC Testing

   - Study Skills

   - Organizational Skills

   - Time Management Skills

   - College Preparation Courses

   - School Application Process Assistance

If you are interested and would like additional information, please call YWCA-GCR at (518) 274-7100 or email info@ywca-gcr.org.

Jamison-Rounds Technology Center

The Jamison-Rounds Ready for Work Technology Center provides 8 computers with Internet access and is available by appointment for employment and educational purposes. The "Tech Center" also provides printer capabilities as well as a copier for printing resumes, job application confirmations, research for education and more.

Sally Catlin Resource Center

The Sally Catlin Resource Center (SCRC) opened its doors in the year 2000 following a participatory process where women envisioned a place where they could connect with the tools and resources they would need to craft the lives they want for themselves. Since its inception the SCRC has been a vehicle for change for hundreds of women