GATE program helps the unemployed find their business niche
GATE program helps the unemployed find their business niche
Imagine a program that not only gives participants an education, but also prepares them in such a way that upon completion they have a job where they are boss from the very first day.
Who qualifies? The recently unemployed in rural areas.
Growing America Through Entrepreneurship (GATE) is a U.S. Department of Labor program designed to help unemployed workers get the training they need to start their own businesses. The applicants must have lost their job through no fault of their own, such as a plant closing or layoff, must be 18 or older and be eligible to work in the United States.
The program targets residents of rural counties, and the closest GATE site programs are offered through Rockingham Community College and Randolph Community College. Residents of urban counties such as Guilford, Alamance and Forsyth must have been laid off from a job in a rural county or plan to start a business in a rural county.
Caroline Armstrong discovered she qualified for the program after visiting a Rockingham Community College job fair. Armstrong was in radio sales for many years, but the number of available jobs dwindled as the industry went through consolidation. “I had to reinvent myself,” she said.
Since signing on with GATE, Armstrong has undergone the assessment phase. “We have to figure out what we like to do,” she said.
The assessment is the starting point in the counseling process, said Debi Joyce, GATE counselor for Rockingham Community College. It helps the counselor identify the client’s needs by determining the individual’s strengths as well as areas where the client needs more training. For example, a corporate accountant may need specialized training to be certified in taxes to begin an income tax business. GATE helps the client find the right courses and provides money for the training.
Unlike traditional training where students are placed in a curriculum program, money used for courses is based on the guidelines created by the business idea and assessment. Courses may be offered through the college or even online.
When Armstrong reviewed her previous work, she decided activities such as writing copy and ordering supplies were the most enjoyable tasks. That assessment prompted her to develop the skills she needs to become a virtual assistant. She is now learning how to build a Web site as part of the marketing plan for her business. Armstrong is also finding her niche. “I think the small business sector is where the clients are.”
Joyce said the approach to training is “not a cookie-cutter type thing” because “every business is unique.”
Meeting with Joyce on a regular basis is key for Armstrong. “I came from a sales background. Every good sales person has a mentor,” she said. “Most successful people I know have a life coach.”
Mel Ward, who is pursuing the GATE program at Randolph Community College, has a different business idea and background than Armstrong. An electrician with 35 years of experience in the construction industry, Ward has also experienced the economic changes firsthand. Workers are “kind of at the mercy of your employer and the economy,” he said.
Ward never thought about owning his own business before. The more he considered it, however, a focus became clear. He wanted to find something he could do in a bad economy and help people at the same time.
Rather than build on his past experience, Ward has chosen to research nonemergency medical transport. His idea is to provide transportation for the elderly to and from medical appointments.
Ward meets regularly with his GATE counselor, Jim Judge, at Randolph Community College. He also attends a class on cash flow one night a week at the school’s Small Business Center. He hopes to start his business in the next few months.
“Everyone has their own individual runway to get the business off the ground,” Judge said.
Debi Joyce and Caroline Armstrong in Rockingham County 073109
Debi Joyce, Small Business Center instructor and consultant with Rockingham Community College, goes over information with GATE scholar Caroline Armstrong. Armstrong created Virtuality, a virtual assistant and notary business based out of her home in Reidsville.
Nancy Sidelinger Special Sections Photographerfind out more
Get more information about the Growing America Through Entrepreneurship (GATE) program at www.ncprojectgate.org.
